Political Equinox

With Obama dragging out his selection process for at least few more weeks, we’ve still got plenty of time to speculate about the myriad of potential candidates, but recently Indiana Senator Evan Bayh has been thrust into the spotlight as a likely choice for the VP nominations. Add to the fact that John Edwards is essentially out of the picture with his recent spectacle, Bayh has all the more chance of landing the job.

Bayh made a joint appearance with Obama last week in Indiana and appeared opposite Joe Lieberman on Fox News Sunday arguing vehemently in favor of Obama’s policies and giving that ever-so-famous non-answer to the question regarding the VP slot.

Why Evan Bayh?

For a 52 year old, the junior senator has quite a pocketful of experience. Bayh served two terms as Indiana’s governor before ending a brief stint as a lecturer at Indiana University to run for Senate in 1998, a position he has held since.

When the presidential race was just heating up, Bayh formed an exploratory committee, but quickly gave up on the notion that he was America’s choice for the next president and stepped behind Hillary Clinton. Even though Bayh played for “the other side” in the primary, he could be that special ingredient for bringing the party together. Obama can have the “Clinton forces” by nominating one of her biggest endorsements to his Vice Presidential slot. That way he’ll unify the party and not have to deal with either of the Clintons (talk about a win-win situation).

Wealth of Experience

Having played the role of both an executive and a legislator, Senator Bayh offers experience from both sides of the bargaining table, a quality that few others can offer.

Furthermore, Bayh is a member of several key Senate Committee’s that provide him with insight into key topics in the upcoming election.

• Armed Services (McCain is the Ranking Republican)- The Iraq War will be a central issue in the upcoming election and every bit of military background will help. Certainly, a seat on the Senate Foreign Relations committee would have been better suited, but Obama has that role covered.
• Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs- Likely one of the biggest credits to Bayh’s name as both banking and housing relate to the economic problems currently facing our nation. The committee recently held hearings on Futures Regulation, among other topics, and Bayh’s leadership on this issue makes him well suited to examine the economic issues.
• Select Committee on Aging- With the Social Security/Medicare crisis looming, someone with experience with these programs would be an addition to the Obama campaign. Knowledge of the workings of the Medicare/Social Security system will also aid Bayh as the Universal Healthcare debate rages over the next few years.

Indiana - The New Swing State

The last time Indiana voted Democratic in a presidential election was back in 1964 for Lyndon Johnson, but recent polling data shows the two candidates running in a statistical dead heat here in the Hoosier state. Selecting Evan Bayh as the VP choice could all but lock up Indiana’s 11 electoral votes.

Bayh is a popular Senator in the state, even among some Republicans because they respect the man, even if they don’t agree with him.

And the selection of Evan Bayh might help take down one local Republican in Mark Souder (not that Obama really needs to worry about that, but an extra Democrat in Congress can’t hurt). If Indiana becomes a money state Montagano will benefit from the infusion of DNC capital to the area.

In Summary

Overall, I see Evan Bayh as an excellent choice for the Democratic VP nomination. His vast experience, moderate views, and high level of integrity exemplify the kind of politician Obama must partner with in order for a successful campaign.

Tags: evan bayh, Hillary Clinton, iraq war, joe lieberman, John Edwards, obama, upcoming election, vp slot