Obama and Ted Strickland go together like a horse and carriage...

The Vice Presidency “isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss!” –John Nance Garner

Now that Barack Obama has secured the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, major discussion is going into who would be the best nominee for Vice President.
Until the later 20th century, the Vice President has, traditionally, not severed a major role in the course of American politics. Several Vice Presidents (John Adams, Aaron Burr) lamented being given the position. One former Vice President (Franklin Pierce’s Vice President, William King) actually died before being sworn in and was rumored to not have been missed for several weeks after his unfortunately demise.

Some Vice Presidents have gone on to run for President, but this is a 20th Century trend (Truman in 1948, Nixon in 1960, Johnson in 1964, Nixon and Humphrey in 1968, Ford in 1976, Mondale in 1984, H.W. Bush in 1988, and Gore in 2000) and the trend may now be over (Clearly, Cheney’s time is over. He’s a heart beat away...)
When thinking of Vice Presidents, Dan Quayle comes to mind. Before being named as H.W’s right hand man, Quayle was a senator from Indiana. Infamous for his intellectual prowess (or lack thereof), Quayle made such claims as “We don't want to go back to tomorrow, we want to go forward," and "The future will be better tomorrow," and "I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix,” and my all time favorite statement, "It's time for the human race to enter the solar system."

As Obama looks for his Vice President, he should consider the candidate’s home state and the balance the candidate will provide on issues that matter to the American people. Lacking military service and experience may serve as a hindrance to Obama. Being seen as too inexperienced for the office could also hurt Obama’s chances. Obama needs a VP who’s experienced and knowledgeable, but who can also relate to the needs and concerns of the American people. Kerry did an excellent job of selected John Edwards, who balanced his awkwardness and lack of charisma. Hopefully, Obama will find a VP candidate who provides a similar balance.

The Washington insider state that Obama may be on the right track. Former candidate Wesley Clark, a retired Army general and former NATO commander is rumored to be on Obama’s short list. While Clark supported Clinton, he could provide the name recognition needed to get some of the Hillary fans on Obama’s side.

Another military possibility is Jim Webb, a first-term Virginia senator who served in Vietnam and was the secretary of the Navy. Webb would also assist Obama in a major battleground state, which probably matters more than military experience.

Having witnessed the 2000 and 2004 elections come down to a few delegates, battleground states will be just as crucial as ever in the 2008 campaign. With that said, Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Ted Strickland come to mind.

Richardson also ran for the democratic nomination, but had the common sense to get our early. A governor, Richardson could help Obama secure the fastest-growing segment of the electorate and a potentially vital voting bloc with Latino voters. A seasoned negotiator, the former energy secretary, congressman and U.N. ambassador would also bring foreign policy experience to the ticket as well as inside knowledge of how Washington works.

Finally, my personal choice is Ohio governor, Ted Strickland. An influential democrat with moderate views and conservative tendencies, Strickland has done an admirable job of working across party lines to move Ohio forward. With Ohio being a key battleground state, Obama may need Strickland to truly close the deal.