I know that the conventional knowledge is that Obama will go with someone currently on his team. However, I think Obama is going to look at the landscape of the political reality and specific qualification for VP. Kossacks seem to be bearing down on the common choices: Sebelius, Richardson, & Webb. Webb has said he is not interested, and having another freshman Senator might not be a reality. Sebelius is a decent choice, but really doesn't add too much to the ticket politically or functionally in the administration. Richardson makes a lot of sense from an experience standpoint and would also help deliver the Hispanic vote in the southwest. To me though, Richardson is somewhat of a clumsy campaigner.
Let's look at two aspects: ability to yield electoral votes & function within an administration.
1. Political advantage
One thing is clear: if Obama is going to be President, he is going to win the Rust Belt states.
http://bp3.blogger.com/...
If you look at Poblano's Swing State Analysis, the deciding state in the majority of cases is Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Michigan. Evan Bayh is a moderate Democrat with Rust Belt appeal and could basically live in those three states and Indiana from now until the election. Also, there may be a unique opportunity with the combination of Obama and Bayh to swing Indiana. Obama would then have a strong hold on the entire upper midwest. Additionally, Bayh would not be a negative in any area of the country, he is safe and vetted. The selection could be couched with Hillary seeming to select Bayh after 'turning down' the VP slot to lead a distinguished Senate career. If done properly, this should satisfy her die-hard supporters.
2. Functional Experience
Bayh has a near perfect resume for the job. He's both a red-state governor and senator. He has detailed foreign policy experience and has developed a detailed plan to deal with Iran. He could easily be used as a point man for both foreign and domestic policy. He serves on the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs & the Armed Services Committee along with the Select Committee on Intelligence. Bayh also seems to favor the detailed pragmatic approach to governance that Obama has outlined. Plus, he could easily step into the chief role in 8 years.
I just cannot seem to find any negatives with this guy. Thoughts?