The Veepstakes

You would think the position mattered.

Who is the Vice President, after all?

How many can you name?

And what did Texan John Nance Garner once say.........

OK, Mondale and Gore and clearly Cheney have redefined the position.

And what we have ahead is the most important decision a prospective party designee can make. But there are so many variables involved, so many people to please, that this, and every other decision John McCain and Barack Obama will make over the next 75 days, will be reviewed and scrutinized and blogged about in a way no other candidates have been screened ever before.

Hope we're all ready for it.

For without a solid VP choice on either ticket, it's Robert Byrd from West Virginia laying in waiting for the gold.

Will Obama stand for change with his running mate beside him, or will he have a representative from Washington's permanent class from the Senate?

Will McCain truly show himself to be a maverick, or will the strength of the Republican right suppress his desire for independence on his ticket?

Bob Costas won't be covering this race, but it will be more interesting. Now, back to Beijing and the Games.