Time for more Veep Predictions

It's time again to continue the Vice Presidential speculation. This time I will give my predictions for both Obama and McCain, as both of them are well into the vetting process. When looking at VP picks, the main thing to look for is some sort of balance. You don't need to find somebody that is your "perfect opposite" within the party because that usually ends up causing more headaches than anything else. The main thing is to look for somebody that balances a candidate out that you can tell is well respected by that candidate. So without further ado....

Obama's Top 6 Possibilities

6. Sen. John Edwards- He may be talked about because of his name recognition, and some would say potential to help in the South. However, if he couldn't even deliver his home precinct for Sen. Kerry (not to mention his home district, county, and state), does that really help?

5. Gov. Bill Richardson- I put Bill Richardson in this position over the other former candidate with occasional foot-in-mouth syndrome (Sen. Biden). He has experience, and potentially the ability to gain a swing state in New Mexico, but any time you hear him talk you are surprised he was able to accomplish as much as he has.

4. Sen. Chris Dodd- He is being vetted by the Obama campaign, and he does add experience to the campaign. But if Obama is trying to convince people of a new Democratic Party, is he really going to do so with an old white guy from the Northeast?

3. Gov. Kathleen Sibelius- If he wants to pick a woman that is not Hillary, it is likely he will go for this relatively non-controversial Governor from a very red state. He won't win Kansas, but he may try to scare McCain in one of the reddest of red states.

2. Gov. Tim Kaine- He is a popular governor in a purplish red state. Not much is known about him, but if Obama wants to win Virginia, this is probably his only chance.

1. Sen. Hillary Clinton- I know that no Obama fans want to admit this, but there could be an uproar by many Dems if she is not selected.

Other names to consider- Sen. Claire McCaskill, Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. Evan Bayh, Sen. Sam Nunn

Senator McCain's Picks

6. Sen. John Thune- He is a young conservative that has won a competitive election in South Dakota. With him being one of the up and coming Republicans (along with Palin, Pawlenty, and Jindal) it wouldn't be impossible to see him on the ticket.

5. Rep. Rob Portman- He is experienced having been a former congressman, trade representative, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget. That would definitely help shore up any supposed weaknesses McCain has regarding the economy. Also the fact that he's popular in Ohio and other rust belt states is a nice factor for him.

4. Gov. Charlie Crist- The main problem with Crist is that he seemed to be actively campaigning for the position ever since McCain won Florida. He's good friends with McCain, and he has a good record as Governor, but it's not enough to excite conservatives.

3. Gov. Mitt Romney- If Romney and McCain hadn't butted heads so much during the primary, I would be willing to bump Romney up to #2 or even #1. He still remains a possibility because he balances McCain out with different experiences and areas of expertise. He also has been doing a great job fund raising for McCain, and seems to be doing everything he can to help McCain. At the very least, I can see McCain hiring Romney to serve as a consultant to audit the executive branch to make it run more efficient.

2. Gov. Sarah Palin- She's young, attractive, conservative, and has a great story behind her. I have always been a little wary for how much people would pay attention to an Alaskan, but she keeps going up this list.

1. Gov. Tim Pawlenty- He's cut off his mullet since the veep talk started. I mean come on, if that doesn't scream VP material, I don't know what does. In all seriousness, he is a popular governor in a purplish blue state that happens to be holding the GOP Convention this year. He is also what I would call a "Gridlock Governor". He is somebody that actually can help out the government by vetoing and turning down laws passed by the legislature that would hurt his state. With the Dems being likely to retain leads in the House and Senate, McCain can probably use the advice of a "Gridlock Governor" like Pawlenty. The fact that he's young, experienced, and has stuck with Senator McCain through the hardest parts of the campaign, are also very important factors.

Other Possible Choices- Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sec. Condi Rice, Sen. Jim DeMint, Sen. Elizabeth Dole

I did leave off some possible names with one of them being a bit of a personal one for me. A lot of people have thrown around Senator Hagel as a possible VP for Obama. I would personally be very surprised if Hagel even voted for Obama, more or less endorsed, or served as VP. Although Hagel has some strong disagreements with McCain on the war, the two have been friends since Hagel has been in the Senate (and I believe even before). Hagel played an active role in McCain's campaign in 2000. He also fundamentally disagrees with Senator Obama on so many issues outside of the War in Iraq, that I would have a hard time imagining how that would work.