Well, with the upfront acknowledgement that it is not at all clear how much of a difference in terms of vote getting it makes who is the VP nomineee...

Mark Warner hasn't been at the top of my mini-list so far. But maybe he should be. After all, he showed in our state that he can get rural votes and support in other unlikely places for Democrats. He would bring helpful executive experience and would be someone I would be quite comfortable with should the worst happen. I would think he would, if anything, help in Virginia, to a degree that can't be known. A possible downside: who runs for the Dems in the Senate race? It would be good to have him in the Senate. He was a knack for finding common ground and that could make for an effective legislator.

The others I have thought about most often so far as possible Obama runningmates if he were to win the nomination have been:

*Bill Richardson. I am concerned about a poor showing for Obama among Latino voters. Richardson is someone I would be very comfortable with in the Oval Office if the worst happens. The guy just knows and understands a lot about actually governing. He brings extensive valuable experience and good foreign policy judgment along with many relationships sure to prove valuable. He's an awful campaigner. Maybe that won't be so important.

*Jim Webb. If you are worried about how Obama will do among white middle and working-class men in particular, as I am, Jim Webb is someone who could help with this broad swath of the electorate. He brings no greater likelihood of helping carry Virginia than Warner, I would guess. His military background and so far good foreign policy judgment should be helpful to have on the ticket. Because he is a former-Republican he might have some crossover appeal for Republicans and independents. I love having him in the Senate.

*Joe Biden. I've not been a huge Biden fan. But he is thoughtful and constructive on where we might go from here to phase out of Iraq. He has a lot of foreign policy experience and contacts which should prove helpful although I have to say I am directionally a lot less comfortable with him on foreign policy than I am with Obama. If not VP Biden presumably hopes to be a short list Sec State candidate. I assume Richard Holbrooke wants that job as does probably Brzezinski. I have worries about how much of a team player any of these folks would be. They all have egos which seem a bit out of control at times. Same concern with Wes Clark, either at State or more likely as Secretary of Defense.

*Wes Clark. Should help with defense cred. Hopefully he would be a bit more polished campaigner this time around due to his experiences in '04. I might rather have him as Secretary of Defense. Either way I see him as someone with exceptional smarts and ability. My only concern is whether he'd be enough of a team player. He made it work in the Balkans but that's not a model for how I would want things to be between a SecDefense and the White House.

So Warner for VP? Maybe...whether he is the choice or not I do not believe we've seen the last of Mark Warner on the national scene. Extremely able and sharp individual with a good communicative public touch (not a charismatic campaigner like Obama but that doesn't bother me and much more importantly it doesn't bother him) and insider negotiator skills as well. He'd have cred with business execs as well to make the arguments about how the changes we need in social policies in this country will be good for business and the economic challenges we face. He's not a visionary in his style, rhetorical or in any other way. But he seems to have a clear idea of where he wants to get to, and how he's going to get there, patiently, methodically, and stepwise if that's the only or best way to do so.

What are your thoughts on VP at this time, not that any of us Obama supporters are putting the cart ahead of the horse? He has a nomination to win yet.