Martin O'Malley

[Jim Lane]

87. By that logic Bill Clinton would never have picked Al Gore

They were white Protestant males from adjoining states.

O'Malley is a male Catholic with executive experience in city and state government. Those characteristics are all complementary to Hillary.

Maryland is generally considered a border state and it's not all that close to New York -- plus which, Clinton isn't strongly identified with New York in many people's minds anyway, given that she moved there fairly late in life and only to run for Senator.

If Clinton wins the nomination but O'Malley has made a good impression on the campaign trail and shown some electoral strength, and -- the biggest uncertainty -- if the contest between the two has been cordial and nonconfrontational, then I think he'd be on the short list.

I personally am hoping for a campaign that is confrontational. I'm hoping O'Malley channels his inner Sa ders/Warren and mounts a frankly ideological campaign. In this scenario, he criticizes Clinton as being too conservative on a range of issues. By doing so he reduces the likelihood of being her VP but increases the likelihood that he mobilizes progressive discontent within the party and pulls off the upset to head the ticket.