Ken Bodie on Evan Bayh and the 2008 Democratic Veepstakes

In the Indianapolis Star today, Ken Bode wrote about Barack Obama and the Democratic veepstakes. Curious what his take was on the fast-and-furious speculation over the possibility of Senator Evan Bayh joining Obama on the ticket?

Today's prediction is that one day next week, you will pick up The Indianapolis Star from your driveway and discover that Barack Obama has chosen Sen. Evan Bayh for the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket. Don't be surprised. If it happens, it is interesting to ponder what the pundits and the political class will say about the choice.

The rest of the piece deals with many of the issues that pundits have been chewing over the last few weeks, Bode also addresses the question of geographic balance.

Many will argue that an Illinois-Indiana ticket lacks geographic balance. For that reason in 1992, Bill Clinton was advised not to pick Al Gore, because he hailed from Tennessee, next door to Arkansas. But Clinton sensed something politically invigorating in the chemistry of the two young families, something that signaled the real change that America seemed hungry for.

The same will be true at the convention in Denver with the two young Obama daughters and Bayh's twin teenage sons, along with two attractive, accomplished wives, Susan Bayh and Michelle Obama. Those families, along with the two men who will raise their hands in the traditional sign of victory, will signal a powerful and positive view of the possibilities for change in America. In a year when roughly 80 percent of the voters think the country is on the wrong track, that's not a bad way to begin the fall campaign.

Ken Bode is the former national political correspondent for NBC News and a former political analyst for CNN. Contact him at bode.ken@gmail.com. He also moderated the PBS show Washington Week in Review. In short, he's a smart guy who knows his stuff.