• August 21, 2008

Barack Obama may be tempted to make Michael Phelps a surprise choice for vice president. The U.S. swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics is closing in on Obama as the most popular person on Facebook. As of Wednesday, Phelps' 1.25 million Facebook "fans" was second only to Obama's 1.36 milion.

Like Obama, Phelps has quickly established himself as a brand with a large online following. Rather than using the Internet adulation to launch a political career, however, Phelps may more interested in striking sponsorship gold online. After all, because of his age, he won't be eligible to make a run at the White House until 2020.--Mark Walsh