Possible Hillary Clinton Running Mates

Choosing a running mate for Senator Hillary Clinton may be a theoretical exercise, as the smart money is on an Obama nomination. But Senator Clinton may still win by hook or crook, so choosing the bottom half of the ticket is not exactly a waste of time.

First, one has to remember that any Vice President Senator Clinton might choose will be a traditional, ceremonial Vice President. The "real" partner in labor a President Hillary Clinton will have is named Bill Clinton. The nominal Vice President will be consigned to attending funerals and inquiring daily after the health of the President. The potential Vice President in a Hillary Clinton Administration would have to comfort himself with the idea that he would be a front runner to succeed Hillary Clinton as President.

There are three strategies Senator Clinton could employ to choose a running mate. The Southern Strategy, the African American strategy, and the War Hero Strategy. There are also a number of wild cards, should Hillary Clinton choose to be bold.

The Southern Strategy

Hillary Clinton could choose a southerner to try to pry open the red state, Solid GOP South. Candidates would include Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, Governor Mark Easley of North Carolina, and Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

A variant of the Southern Strategy is to try to pick up a red state or defend a vulnerable blue state from outside the south. Senator Even Bayh of Indiana, Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio or Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin would be possible candidates for this approach.

The African American Strategy

Senator Hillary Clinton will likely have gotten the nomination by alienating a lot of African American supporters of Senator Barack Obama. She would therefore possibly feel the need to choose an African American to shore up her base. The obvious choice in that regard would be Senator Barack Obama himself, should he choose to accept the position, something that may be doubtful. Former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder and former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. are also possibilities. Wilder and Ford fit the Southern Strategy profile as well.