Vice Presidential Bios

Vaughn's View: Many Democrats wondered why Bayh passed on the chance to run for president himself as he's just the sort of moderate, Midwest candidate that could win in states like Ohio, Iowa and Indiana. He has executive experience in addition to time spent in the Senate and would be a safe, solid pick. But Obama is not the "safe" candidate in the race and may benefit more from someone representing more of the "change" he's promising.

Vaughn's View: After crashing and burning in his 1988 presidential campaign, Biden more than erased those memories with his strong performance during this year's primary - even if it didn't show up in the votes. Biden's foreign policy expertise could help calm concerns that Obama isn't prepared to take the reins of one of the most powerful positions in the world. But his penchant for saying things he later has had to apologize for could make the campaign nervous anytime the cameras show up.

Vaughn's View: Bloomberg has the distinction of being the only person on the list for both Obama and John McCain. While the New York City Mayor was elected as a Republican, he's since become an independent and appears to be leaning slightly closer to the Democratic nominee after several high-profile meetings throughout the past year. Bloomberg could help Obama among Jewish voters who have their concerns about him. But it's less clear whether Bloomberg would help bring any battleground states.

Vaughn's View: Like Ed Rendell, Casey could help Obama strengthen his position in Pennsylvania, especially among the more socially conservative part of the party. Then again, he wasn't much help as an Obama surrogate during the primaries and hasn't shown the kind of dominance in the state that would make him an obvious candidate.

Vaughn's View: Anytime you've run for president and also held the title, Supreme Allied Commander, you're probably worth a look as a running mate. Clark would help add more military heft to the ticket than just about anyone else but he's been more a politician than general for the past four years and he did endorse Clinton in the primaries which could hurt any prospects he might have.

Vaughn's View: She won over 18 million votes in the Democratic primary and claims the support of voters who could be crucial in Midwestern battleground states. Her political strengths are obvious - but so are her drawbacks. Chief among those are her husband, the former president whose associations, business and presidential library funding have raised ethical questions. But until she is eliminated, Clinton has to be considered a strong possible choice for Obama.

Vaughn's View: Daschle didn't help his chances by not delivering his home state of South Dakota on the day Obama clinched the nomination but he was an early backer and, as the former Senate Majority Leader, brings a level of experience few others on Obama's list can match. Daschle knows where those levers of power are but he also brings the baggage of years worth of partisan warfare that clash with Obama's stated desire to reach across the aisle.

Vaughn's View: Despite a crowded and top-heavy Democratic presidential field, Dodd didn't wilt and gained a lot of admiration, if not votes, from his party's rank-and-file. He has a lot of experience in many policy areas, especially on economic issues and would be an able elder statesman. But Dodd has little pizzazz and if it's Senate experience Obama wants, there are others who fit that bill better.

Vaughn's View: A great choice if Obama wants to tap a Republican to demonstrate his desire to reach across party lines. And Hagel's opposition to the war would help illustrate that it's not simply a partisan issue. But how would loyal Democrats feel about an otherwise conservative Republican rising to a position where he may one day be the party's leader?

Vaughn's View: Along with Wes Clark, Jones is another former general once called Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and has been a critic of the Bush administration's execution of the war in Afghanistan. His name was reportedly mentioned in discussions between congressional leaders and Obama's vice presidential search team. But Jones is far less known than Clark and would take a lot of vetting and preparation before being ready for the rigors of a national campaign.

Vaughn's View: Like Jim Webb, Kaine is an attractive choice because he could help bring Virginia into Obama's column. His executive experience and his distance from Washington fits nicely with Obama's themes and his presence could help moderate the party's image. But Kaine's experience is limited and he's an unknown on the national stage.

Vaughn's View: The 2004 presidential nominee brings some instant "gravitas" to a ticket and could provide a reminder to some voters disgruntled with Bush that he could have been the president for the past four years. On the other hand, Kerry is viewed by many Democrats as having run a poor campaign and represents the past of the party rather than the future.

Vaughn's View: Like Sebelius, McCaskill has been a shining light for her party in a usually reliable Republican state. Missouri is more important in the Electoral College calculations and anything to turn it blue would have to be a tempting consideration. But she may have a better chance if she had been elected governor instead of senator. And the issue of selecting a woman not named Clinton is again a tricky one.

Vaughn's View: Another woman on this list with some of the same drawbacks. But Napolitano is the only one from Arizona, something that would at the least stick a jab in the eye of John McCain and at best could put his home state into play. She has more executive experience than the other women on the list but a move like this could be stretching too far.

Vaughn's View: Nelson is a natural to be on the short list if he can help Obama carry his home state of Florida. He'd be a solid choice even if all he did was make Republicans divert more of their resources to their must-win state. But Florida may not prove as important in this election as some other battleground states where another choice could help and Nelson's long Senate career could bring some baggage.

Vaughn's View: If Obama is looking for a "graybeard" with a lot of gravitas, Nunn would be worth a look. The former Georgia senator has the foreign policy experience to bolster Obama's resume and is hard to paint as an extremist. But has he been out of the game for too long?

Vaughn's View: Reed has taken a near-Shermanesque approach to the idea of being on the ticket, telling the Providence Journal, "I have no intention to seek it or even, if offered it, to accept." The Rhode Island senator seems to be an unlikely choice in any event, bringing little to the ticket in terms of geography. But the West Point graduate does have deep expertise on national security issues, a quality that can't be dismissed out of hand.

Vaughn's View: The Pennsylvania governor may be one of the few possible choices who could lock down a pivotal state for Obama in the fall and as one of Clinton's biggest supporters, he may help bring some of her disaffected voters back into the fold. But Pennsylvania appears likely to stay in the Democratic column and Rendell hasn't gone through a thorough public vetting process yet.

Vaughn's View: Although his primary campaign was lackluster, Richardson's relatively early endorsement of Obama gave the Illinois senator a key boost and he could certainly help among Hispanics, a segment of the electorate Obama struggled with in the primary season. Richardson also has a wealth of experience and would likely bring New Mexico with him. But questions remain about Richardson's ability on the campaign trail, especially in front of large groups, and there are concerns that such a ticket might represent a little bit too much change.

Vaughn's View: An interesting prospect because he represented Indiana in Congress, a state Democrats would like to make a play for, and because he served on the 9/11 Commission, which adds a lot of national security knowledge to the ticket. But the commission's report is not without its critics and it's unclear that Roemer brings much else to help the ticket.

Vaughn's View: A definite "out of the box" pick but this former rancher-turned-politician is popular in his home state of Montana and would be a great way to attract the attention of Westerners Obama wants to woo. He's clung to his guns enough to be endorsed by the National Rifle Association but could be just a little too inexperienced in the ways of Washington to put on this ticket.

Vaughn's View: Picking a woman could be a way to mollify disgruntled Clinton supporters and Sebelius is a Washington outsider who has led a real Democratic revival in the very Republican state of Kansas. But given the fractious nature of the Democratic primary, could Obama really pick a woman not named Clinton?

Vaughn's View: Here's what Strickland has said about the prospects of being on the ticket: "Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve." Can't get any clearer than that but Strickland remains on the list because in politics, anything can happen. Not to mention the fact that he's the governor of Ohio -- the state which narrowly decided the last presidential race.

Vaughn's View: He's another in a sizable list of Midwest politicians who appear safe, if somewhat boring. The former governor of Iowa could help Obama nail down that state, but it's one trending Democratic anyway and someone like an Evan Bayh has all that Vilsack brings to the table and more.

Vaughn's View: It says something about both the growing strength of the Democratic Party in Virginia and the prospects for the party there this fall that three politicians from the state make this list. But Warner is by far the most unlikely one to get any serious consideration. He's already the odds-on favorite to capture a Senate seat for the party in November and would do more for a President Obama by helping widen Democrats' majority in that body than being on the ticket.

Vaughn's View: A Vietnam veteran who's made his political career out of opposing the war in Iraq would put an exclamation point on Obama's anti-war candidacy and he was once seen as a leading contender for the slot. But the Virginia senator took himself out of the running with the following statement: "I communicated to Senator Obama and his presidential campaign my firm intention to remain in the United States Senate, where I believe I am best equipped to serve the people of Virginia and this country. Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President."

Vaughn's View: Yet another retired general on the list, this one a fierce critic of the war in Iraq and one with fist-hand experience in the Middle East. Zinni is also a familiar face as a commentator on television. But as is the case with Gen. James Jones, Zinni may not be ready for prime time in a national campaign just yet.