Who Should Be Obama's VP?

Now that Obama is the presumptive nominee for President for the Democratic Party, much will be discussed about who he will choose for Vice President. Does he need someone with foreign policy experience? Someone who is seasoned in Washington to offset his perceived inexperience? There are many aspects in choosing a running mate, but probably the most important trait is someone who compliments Obama well (along with the questions posed above). I emphatically dismiss this notion of a so-called "Dream Ticket" with Obama picking Clinton as his running mate. Obama does not need her as much as she needs him. By picking Clinton would diminish what Obama has been running on this whole time.

So with Clinton out of the way, who should Obama pick for vice president? Here are my top 3 picks for Obama's vice president (in order from first preference).

1. Bill Richardson

My number1 pick and most ideal running mate for Obama. He is currently the Governor of New Mexico, having served in that capacity since 2003. Before becoming governor of New Mexico, he served under the Clinton Administration. In the administration, he was U.N. Ambassador and U.S. Secretary of Energy. He also has negotiated the release of hostages from various nations such as Iraq and North Korea.

As you can see, Richardson has the foreign policy resume to go toe-to-toe with whatever the Republicans can offer. I think there are a couple of traits about Richardson that will be helpful to Obama. First, he has the experience of running a state. Richardson has done a relatively great job as governor, being one of the most fiscally responsible Governors in the nation. Second, he has experience in the international scene, most notably in negotiating with rogue states.

Probably the most important trait he has: his race. For anyone who does not know yet, Richardson is Hispanic. As we all know, the Latino vote will be extremely critical in this year's election. Richardson can be influential in several key swing states, such as Colorado and Florida. He can even put Texas into play because of the large Latino population.

2. Tim Kaine/ Jim Webb: I combined these two into the same category mainly because 1). They are both from Virginia and 2). With Obama's strong showing during the primary there, Virginia is now trending ever so lsightly blue and is an important toss-up state in the fall.

Tim Kaine- He's the current Governor of Virginia and extremely popular within the state. He has the executive experience that would compliment well with Obama. The only problem that Kaine may have is his lack of foreign policy experience. He's a strong supporter of Obama.

Jim Webb- He's the junior senator and is attractive as a vice presidential candidate because of his experience and his moderate views. He served in Vietnam and was Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan. What makes Webb an ideal choice is because he has the foreign policy experience that matches up well against the Republicans. The only minor drawback to Webb is that he's an aggressive attack dog on the campaign trail, along with a fiery persona.

3. Kathleen Sebelius- She's a two-term Governor from the state of Kansas, the home state of Obama's mother. Being a two term Governor in a heavily red state shows the appeal she has among Republicans, thus her high approval rating. She would be an ideal pick for vice president because she has been able to work with Republicans on various issues. How persuasive is she? She convinced Mark Parkinson, the former chair of the GOP in Kansas, to switch parties and run with her as her Lt. Governor. She has done a relatively great job as Governor. A downside in picking Sebelius would be her lack of foreign policy experience. There can also be some doubts about her ability to help carry Kansas in the general election.

These four candidates, in my opinion, would compliment Obama well in the general election and hopefully in an Obama Administration. Each candidates have their own pros and cons, but I believe that their pros outweighs their cons.