Running for the VP slot?

Via WaPo - Bill Had His Al, and Hillary Might Have Her Bill

Running for the vice presidency is a delicate operation, but Bill Richardson seems to be getting the hang of it.

The New Mexico governor is running for president, of course, but should that fail he has already mastered the first responsibility of the running mate: Don't overshadow the top of the ticket. This trait was in evidence yesterday when Richardson gave a lunchtime foreign policy speech in Washington at the exact moment Hillary Clinton was giving one of her own.

Of course it is obvious that at this stage of the game Richardson doesn't seem to have a snowball's chance of winning the Democratic nomination. He doesn't have rock star appeal of the front runners and the American public likes to be swept off it's feet whenever possible. But what about the number two spot on the ticket? I'm sure Richardson would jump at the chance.

Does he actually have a chance at the number two slot? It is really rather early to making speculations, but I'll put in my two cents anyway. I find it hard to imagine that Hillary would pick Obama, or vice versa, if either wins the nomination, which at this point seems highly likely. Each one would fear that the other would be too likely to upstage him or her.

Edwards has held the VP spot on the ticket before and it didn't seem to carry too much weight in 2004. He's a Southern boys, but I doubt he's going to bring very much of the South with him for the ride. He certainly didn't last time.

Richardson could be good ticket balancer for Hillary, as the article above suggests. He's a Westerner and a Latino, which could add a nice balance for a white female New York Senator. He's also a bit more conservative than she is on issues like gun control, etc. However, even though I like Richardson's resume, having him on the ticket might not be enough to get me to vote for Hillary. I just have a purely irrational dislike for the woman. I suppose I would have to vote for her in the general election if I felt like my vote counted, but since I know that it doesn't (living in Alabama and all) I just might have to find a Third Party candidate to cast a vote for if the Democrats pick Hillary.

I'm not sure how good Richardson's chances would be if Obama gets the nod. A ticket with an African American and a Latino may be more than America is willing to deal with at this stage of the game. I'm not saying it's right, but it still may be true. I'm not sure who Obama would pick, given the current field.