Olympia Snowe is intriguing! How about Chuck Hagel?

Senators Bayh and Biden provide great foreign policy experience, but also have negatives. Could Bayh deliver red-state Indiana? Bayh also adds executive experience as he was gov., of Indiana for 8 years as well.

In reference to the post by Huxley:

My last name is rather unique as is my first. I am happy to share my full name with you but not my full name on a public board.

If I must give my full name I will simply not post but be a reader.

Regardless, your writing is fascinating and the dialogue of other posters of interest.

My objection is principally to those who use anonymity to hurl insults and abuse while lacking the courage to take responsibility for them.

Or, Obama might just consider Warner outright. He’s a bit too centrist for my tastes, but he has great appeal in his state and would probably go over well across the country. Finally, there’s Kaine himself. He’s a moderate Catholic Democratic, and is quite popular at home, so he’d also make a good choice.

McCaskill is also a great choice. She’s a moderate Democrat, Roman Catholic, from a key swing state, and is pretty forceful, much more so than Sebelius, who is like a wet tissue; She also doesn’t have to worry about an issue that might dog Napolitano, who is unmarried. But Missouri has an extreme right-wing (but very unpopular governor), Matt Blunt, who’d appoint a right-winger to McCaskill’s seat, so having her as the VP candidate would be a huge risk if she stepped down.

Other good choices for Obama might include governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana, a populist, folksy Democrat who has Obama’s gift for Democratic-directed bipartisanship, instead of the usual Republicanist pseudo-bipartisanship that the GOP-loving establishment media fetishize so much; Joe Sestak or Patrick Murphy, two former military men who are politically quite progressive; governor Mike Easley, of North Carolina, whose term is up in 2008; governor Chet Culver, of Iowa, an energetic young Democrat; and Washington State governor Christine Gregoire.

Of course there’s also Bill Richardson, but that might be pressing things, so I do hope that if Obama wins the election, he moves quickly to appoint Bill Richardson as Secretary of State, barring no seamy information about Richardson’s personal life.

One person whose name hasn’t arisen, interesting, is West Virginia’s very popular Democratic governor, Joe Manchin III. He’s anti-abortion, which might be a deal-killer (I think it ought to be for the VP slot), but I do hope that if Robert Byrd decides to step down, Manchin runs for his seat. He would be a reliable, moderate Democratic vote for either Obama or Clinton, and at 60, he could serve throughout either of their two (hope hope) terms.

I wouldn’t rule it out, but polls show half the electorate would never vote for her for president, so it’s questionable whether she would add or subtract from the ticket’s appeal

1) Gen. Anthony Zinni (also from Virginia).

2) Sen. McCaskill (win Mizzou you win the election).

3) Sherrod Brown (Ohio is a key state and he’s a fresh face).

4) Mary Landreau (Yet another key swing state).

5) Gov. Tim Kaine (also a Va native).

6) Russ Fiengold (not gonna happen, but a guy can dream, right?).

7) Ted Strickland (would be a great swing-state bone to toss to the Clinton backers).

PLEASE NOT: Kathleen Sebelius. I watched the SOTU response. I fell asleep. I think I just woke up.

PLEASE NOT: Anyone who’s not “fresh” (AKA Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Hillary, etc).

PLEASE NOT: Anyone who can’t bring a specific state into play. No New Yorkers, Californians, Washintonians, etc.

Obama will pull a shocker and demonstrate his willingness to work with both parties to build consensus: Olympia Snowe. She’s moderate on social issues and could be persuaded to support universal health care; she’s got 12 years in the senate and another 16 in the house; she’s served on military and foreign policy committees.

He’ll convince her to join the ticket.