Reply #17: My list of VP choices:

[Spider Jerusalem]

I see foreign policy and national security depth as key for a running mate, regardless of the nominee; in light of that, my list of VP contenders is:

Jim Webb - unimpeachable military credentials; strong national security credentials thanks to his time in the Reagan administration; prescience in his principled opposition to the Iraq war from the outset (opposition that will carry more weight with some people, as Webb is fairly hawkish; it can't be spun as 'weakness'). Add all that to his standing as a relative Washington outsider, and he's a VERY strong running mate for Obama; less so for Clinton, but he adds dimension to either ticket.

Joe Biden - his expertise in foreign relations/national security issues can't be discounted (indeed, Biden might make a more natural choice as Secretary of State).

Bill Richardson - Richardson is the oly governor I can think of offhand who brings any kind of foreign relations credibility to the ticket; as rebuilding America's strained relationships with Europe and Asia is a high priority on the agenda of any Democratic administration, I see that as a greater plus than simply the executive experience of governorship.

Gary Hart - his age (the same as McCain) may be against him, but Hart has been a prescient voice on the national security challenges facing the US in the past decade; the Hart-Rudman commission, which he chaired, gave warnings of the eventuality of extremist terrorism directed against the United States (which, of course, was ignored by the Bush administration).