Vice President Al Gore

You've heard it before, and I hope you hear it again. That's right: if I were Obama, I'd pick Gore as my running mate. I doubt this will happen, but here are the reasons why it should:

1. No one can say he lacks experience on any topic -- foreign or domestic policy.
2. He was right on the Iraq war, and vocally so.
3. He was right about global warming way before it was, as Phil Gramm might whine, "cool".
4. He hasn't spent the last 8 years bitching about the 2000 election -- he got on with his life.
   
5. Points 1-3 make Gore possibly the only person of major stature in U.S. politics who simultaneously has insider cred and outsider panache. There would be no head-scratching, as there would be with, say Bayh, about how Obama can run against Washington as usual.
   
6. Gore's selection would do more to garner support from disappointed Hilary Clinton supporters than would any other pick except Hilary herself (or Bill, but....). It's true that Gore and the Clintons themselves have had an at-times strained relationship since 2000. But I doubt that strain reaches past the inner circle of Clinton partisans. And many, many Democrats believe deeply that Gore -- and they -- were robbed by the Bushes, Katherine Harris and the U.S. Supreme Court. Putting Gore on the ticket would instantly galvanize the support of these folks.
7. Gore did very well in Florida in 2000 (some people even think he got more votes than did W), and there's no reason to suspect he'd do anything but help Obama there. Indeed, Bush voters with buyer's remorse over their 2000 and 2004 votes might well find it easier to vote for Obama with Gore on the ticket.

There are downsides: Gore ain't always the greatest campaigner, the right has long experience smearing him successfully, and so on. But I think these downsides are outweighed by points 1-7 above.

Plus, it would be damned fun to watch the campaign....