Average Joe

After countless wasted hours of speculation and pontificating by the media, Senator Obama finally unveiled his choice for VP. The campaign did a remarkable job at keeping the senator's pick away from the prying press, who could not wait for this monumentally important revelation. It is important to remember that the only time anyone cares about the VP in a campaign is the lead up to his selection, as the super smart talking heads can yell and scream at each about who it could or could not possibly be. Soon-to-be-Senator Mark Warner would have been the best choice, but he seems contempt winning a crushing victory in November. Senator Clinton might have been the best pick when it comes to the electoral map, but could not be chosen given the tenor of the campaign. Governor Tim Kaine was in the running, but lacked enough experience to get the call. Senator Evan Bayh was a Clinton supporter and helped secure her victory in Indiana in the primaries, thus he was not going to be chosen. For me, I liked the thought of Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a centrist Democrat who was re-elected as governor of Kansas in 2006 by 17 points.

Senator Biden is a safe, but super boring, pick. He adds the missing experience that seems to make many uneasy, having served in the Senate 14 years longer than Senator McCain. He is a foreign policy heavyweight, serving as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. His relationships around the world are a plus for the Obama campaign. He is also an aberration in the sense that he serves in the U.S. Senate and is not a millionaire. He will help with those working class voters that have previously backed Senator Clinton. If you have never heard of the former British Labour Party Leader, Neil Kinnock, you soon will. At the end of the day, Senator Obama's choice is not important, but Senator McCain's is. How bad does he want to win Pennsylvania? Enough to pick Governor Tom Ridge, who is pro-choice? Could it be Governor Mitt "the Mormon" Romney? Or could the former maverick give the finger to the entire Republican establishment and pick his pal Senator Lieberman? Senator McCain's choice is the one that counts.