I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the Democratic primary, but unless something dramatic happens, we’re going to have to face Hillary. As such, here they are My The Democratic VP’s top 5 predictions for Hillary:
1. Evan Bayh – This former Indiana governor endorsed Hillary, delivered the keynote speech at the 1996 Democratic National Convention, and is highly regarded.
2. Mark Warner – The popular former governor of Virginia unexpectedly decided not to run for president in 2008. Could he get along with Hillary? Perhaps complicating matters is the fact that he is currently running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by John Warner.
3. Bill Richardson – This Latino governor from a southwestern state could be a real asset for Hillary. Still, one has to wonder whether his presidential bid helped – or hurt – his chances.
4. Ted Strickland -The current governor of Ohio was fortunate to follow in the footsteps of a woefully inept Republican governor. For this reason, and the fact that Ohio is arguably the most critical voting state in the country, he is (arguably) in the running.
5. Barack Obama – He’s the only non-governor on my list. Many insiders have ruled out a Hillary/Obama mandate. However, it is not unusual for former political enemies (Kennedy/Johnson, Reagan/Bush, Dole/Kemp, etc.) to make amends for the good of the party.
Update: Wes Clark? One of my colleagues from city hall says this will happen Clinton/Clark.
Update: From email:
Don’t forget Brian Schweitzer:
Western, populist, pro-gun, culturally conservative. He would also aid them in Ohio and I think he would be very sturdy in Colorado and New Mexico. The netroots love him (though I don’t think the Clintons care at all) and from what I hear he’s very charismatic. I don’t think it will be Bayh for this very reason: he’s a total idiot.
