Biden, His Time

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I could not resist...

OK, so it's looking more and more like Obama's pick for VP is going to be Sen. Joe Biden. Of course, nothing's for certain. Bayh is a possibility, as are a couple of other people. But just looking at the way things are going right now, I'm thinking Obama wants to send a signal that he's going to have an experienced, well-respected foreign policy guy at his side. Biden's the best fit for that.

So what's interesting to me is: what McCain does do in response, assuming that Joe B. is the guy? Obviously, he doesn't need to shore up his foreign policy credentials (oh, we could get into that, but I'm not gonna). So does he pick the Pride of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty?

He could do a lot worse. Pawlenty is a very likable and smart politician. He doesn't come across as extreme or inflexible. He could appeal to younger voters while not alienating older voters. People say his lack of a national profile is a minus, but as someone who's been following his career, I've seen him on the national stage in various capacities, and he does allright in the spotlight.

But how does picking Pawlenty look if Biden is the VP candidate on the other side? I’m wondering if memories of Dan Quayle will scare off the McCain team. Now, Pawlenty is no Dan Quayle, far from it. But will they give him a chance to prove it?

Obviously, McCain doesn’t need an older, experienced hand as No. 2; he’s got the old, experienced thing down pretty cold. Still, when the VP debate rolls around in the fall, are they gonna want the relatively inexperienced Pawlenty to go up against Biden? Or will they see such a matchup as a plus?