Well the latest political winds are that Indiana Senator and former-Governor, Evan Bayh, son of former Senator Birch Bayh, is the frontrunner for VP for Senator Obama. Bayh is white, from the heartland, and has executive (former two-term Governor) and national security experience. He has youth and "seasoning," which is a rare mix in Washington. He also is a centrist. The CW is that he balances Obama ideologically and accentuates Obama's midwestern appeal (and adds to Obama's rural/suburban/working class white appeal). He is the consumate safe pick. This pick would also allegedly reach out the Hillary supporters, since he was one of her biggest and credited with helping her hold on to Indiana in the Dem primary there. He is probably one of the few politicians in America that could actually deliver a state to Obama.
More info: http://www.crescent-news.com/...
On the downside, he is the former chair of the DLC, was very pro-Iraq War (though he has said that he would vote no, "if he knew then, what he knows now"). He voted for FISA. He is somewhat boring (though improved in that area recently). Progressive activists generally don't like him.
But, my question is, how will you react if he's picked? Does Obama have enough "progressive punch" to compensate for balancing the ticket with Bayh? Is picking Bayh (and whatever benefits it gives Obama) worth setting Bayh up to be the next President? My answer is that I will be OK with it because I understand the politics of picking a guy like Bayh, who can help you in a number of areas, but who I may not agree with on alot of issues. Sort of like centrist Senator Al Gore circa 1988 and 1992.