If it’s not the most highly anticipated announcement so far in the presidential race, then it’s certainly the most highly anticipated text message. Members of the media, political watchers and supporters of presumed Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama continue to keep their cell phones or Blackberries within arms reach for The Text.

The Text, of course, will come from Obama’s campaign, announcing who will be his vice presidential running mate.

No doubt there have been many false alarms this week from friends and family — “can u pick up milk?” — as reporters and supporters speculated about who would join Obama on stage in Springfield, Ill., for a major campaign event Saturday.

The shortlist grew by one Friday, as the Associated Press reported Texas Congressman Chet Edwards emerged as another finalist for the job.

The other expected finalists are Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Evan Bayh of Indiana, and Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.

Media members have been stalking, er, reporting on, the finalists’ whereabouts all week.

The AP reported Thursday that Sen. Biden was in Delaware, working on his property. He was seen loading his pickup truck with brush to take to the dump. “I had a successful dump!” Biden later said. Were there Senate business cards and letterhead under those leaves?

Bayh was in Washington, D.C., and had no events on his schedule and no plans of returning to Indiana until after next week’s Democratic National Convention, according to the AP. Aha! Didn’t say anything about Illinois, did he?

Kaine told CNN’s John Roberts that all the attention is making his mom happy, at least. “My mom in Kansas City loves it when someone will talk about me as VP,” he said.

Gov. Sebelius said, “I don’t have any idea,” when asked if she was the choice. Of course she doesn’t, because the pick is a “he,” according to Fox News.

For Obama’s part, sources told CNN that on Friday, Obama was calling the finalists with the good or bad news, and the text message could come at any time.

Keep those phones charged.