THE REPUBLICANS
>> McCAIN
* Mike Huckabee: McCain and the former Arkansas governor clearly like each other, and Huckabee has served as McCain's wing man in a number of debates. Huckabee is liked and trusted in the social conservative wing of the party -- a continued weakness for McCain.
* Tim Pawlenty: The governor of Minnesota, Pawlenty doesn't get much attention nationally but he could be a nice fit for McCain. Pawlenty has been elected and reelected in a key swing state, was among the earliest supporters of McCain, and stuck by the Arizona senator in the dark days of the campaign.
* Mark Sanford: Sanford is the ultimate maverick -- unafraid to step on toes even within his own party both during his time in Washington and as the Palmetto State's governor. As a member of the House, Sanford endorsed McCain in 2000, but he stayed on the sidelines this year. Still, the two men have similar approaches to government, and Sanford has demonstrated an electoral appeal that any politician would envy.
* John Thune: Young, handsome and socially conservative, Thune, the freshman senator from South Dakota, has the complete package. Two potential problems: He is a senator in a time when people are fed up with Washington, and he hails from a tiny state that won't be in play this year.
>> ROMNEY
* Don Carcieri: The Rhode Island governor doesn't get much publicity, but he has been elected and reelected in a VERY blue state and, before getting involved in politics, was a successful businessman. Sound like someone else you know?
* Mark Sanford: By staying neutral in the South Carolina primary, Sanford preserved his chances of being picked by either Romney or McCain. Kudos to an underrated pol.
* Jim Talent: The former Missouri senator has been the chief surrogate for Romney from the start of the campaign. His decision to pass on the open governor's race in 2008 raised some eyebrows. Could he be hoping for something a little bit higher? Remember: Missouri is a key swing state and bellwether in the general election. It couldn't hurt to have a native son on the ticket.
THE DEMOCRATS
>> CLINTON
* Evan Bayh: If you look up "vice president" in the dictionary, a picture of Bayh is staring back at you. Bayh has been elected five times to statewide offices (once as secretary of state, twice as governor, twice as senator) in a reddish state in the midwest. He's also handsome and the son of a senator (and one-time presidential hopeful). Is he too milquetoast?
* Wes Clark: Clark was widely seen as a stalking horse for the Clintons in the 2004 presidential race and has remained close to the couple. With Clark, a decorated military veteran on the ticket, it would be difficult for Republicans to paint Democrats as soft of national security and foreign policy.
* John Edwards: The Edwards primary is officially on. Edwards has said he will meet with Obama and Clinton before making an endorsement. His "shake-up the status quo" message would seem to fit better with Obama, but Edwards's strongest constituencies (whites, low-income voters) may be more prone to back Clinton than Obama. Edwards has been the vice presidential nominee once already, but don't rule him out again.
* Bill Richardson: Richardson spent years as part of the Clinton administration and will be looking for his next job as he is term-limited out as New Mexico governor in 2010. Richardson is also Hispanic -- perhaps the key voting bloc in the 2008 general election.
* Ted Strickland: The case for Strickland is simple -- he's the popular governor of Ohio. Done.
* Tom Vilsack: Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, would have been in a stronger place if Clinton had won the Iowa caucuses. She finished third. Still, Vilsack has an amazing personal story and spent eight years as the governor of a swing state in the Midwest.
>> OBAMA
* Tom Daschle: Daschle, bounced from office in 2004 by Thune, has been intimately involved in selling Obama both inside the Beltway and in the early primary states. Daschle also deserves credit for providing Obama with experienced senior staff, from chief of staff Pete Rouse to senior campaign adviser Steve Hildebrand to communications director Dan Pfeiffer.
* John Edwards: See the write-up above.
* Tim Kaine: One of the first major elected officials to go with Obama, the governor of Virginia is out of a job at the end of 2009 due to term limits. He hails from an emerging purple state, and his missionary work and comfort with talking about faith would be an intriguing addition to the ticket.
* Claire McCaskill: The freshman senator from Missouri has been one of Obama's key surrogates around the country and is trying to deliver the Show Me State to him on Tuesday. Like Talent, geography is the strongest argument in McCaskill's favor.
* Kathleen Sebelius: Perhaps the early leader for Obama's veep pick is Sebelius, now midway through her second term as governor of Kansas. Sebelius's ability to win in strongly Republican Kansas and Obama's personal ties to the Sunflower State make her a fascinating choice.
