Veepstakes: 7/17 (Dems)

After examining John McCain's possible running-mate options yesterday, it's time to look at who Barack Obama could choose as his #2. Just to clear things up, these rankings aren't who I think it'll be, but what I think the order of preference is at this point in time. For instance, if McCain picked his VP today, I think it would be Romney. But in a month? We'll have to wait and see. To the rankings:

10. Former Vice President Al Gore (D-TN)
9. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
8. Former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA)
7. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
6. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

5. Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC)
Well, there are a lot of incendiary picks in 6-10, but I shan't delve into them. Instead, coming in at #5, is a guy who has actually run numerous national campaigns before. John Edwards might have finished a distant third in the primaries, but his endorsement of Obama was important in assuring working class whites, for whom Edwards is a well-known advocate, that Obama would be a good fighter for them as President. However, he horribly mishandled being John Kerry's running mate in 2004, and one wonders if he wouldn't rather be Attorney General.

4. Governor Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Kaine, who was one of the first non-Illinois politicians to endorse Obama, is seen as one of the Democratic Party's rising stars. The fact that he has only been in office for three years hurts in that he doesn't have any foreign policy experience, something Obama sorely needs. However, his youth (50), popularity, and geographical location make him a prime pick, and somebody who Obama will have to consider.

3. Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS)
Speaking of governors who endorsed Obama and are appealing, yet have no foreign policy experience, here's Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas. It's unclear as of yet whether Obama putting a non-Clinton woman on the ticket would help him or hurt him with the disaffected Clinton supporters, but she would help with moderates/independents. She hails from a deep red state that will give its six electoral votes to John McCain in the fall, but that midwestern appeal would surely come in handy.

2. Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE)
Biden has been in the Senate since the 1970s, made two runs for President, comes from a blue state, and has a tendency to run his mouth. That said, his foreign policy expertise is virtually unmatched in Washington and, despite his long tenure there, he still can convincingly play the part of a reformer. His off the cuff remarks can be cringe-inducing, but they can also be funny. It seems that he's on "Meet the Press" every week, so his visibility isn't a problem. While he seems more likely to be a Secretary of State candidate, Biden as VP wouldn't be a complete surprise.

1. Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Evan Bayh is known in Washington circles for being boring. So then why, you may ask, is he #1 on my list of Barack Obama's possible running mates? Well, he doesn't need to be exciting. That's taken care of with the top of the ticket. If you can look past Bayh's lack of charisma, he has everything Obama could hope for. He's a young (52), handsome midwestern moderate, yet was governor of Indiana for two terms and has been in the Senate since 1999. He is quite popular in his homestate, which is shaping up to be a swing state in November, and has broad crossover appeal. The fact that Indiana and Illinois border each other would be a concern, were not Arkansas (Bill Clinton) and Tennessee (Al Gore) border states. Speaking of the Clintons, Bayh was a Hillary supporter in the primaries, and would ease the HRC/BHO divide. Bayh wouldn't be an exciting pick, but he would definitely get the job done.