Also not sure why Gillibrand is getting so much more press than Kolbuchar.
I'd say it has a lot to do with looks and charisma.
Although I consider Klobuchar to be a very good senator, to me at least she seems pretty boring both to look at and listen to, in a similar way to John Kerry. Gillibrand on the other hand is one of the better looking Senators, has a strong personality, and is decently charismatic. Now I would never decide who to vote for based on such trivial qualities, but a lot of persons do, and I think that's why Gillibrand is considered a more likely candidate.
The problem with Gillibrand - and it's a superficial one - is that she does not have a commanding presence. At all. She has a
very girlish voice, not just in her vocal mannerisms but in her pitch as well. And she's short and very young-looking.
It's silly. And yes, these superficial characteristics affect women more than men. Although men face these bars too - it helps to be tall, to be good-looking, to not be bald or too portly, and to have a relatively deep voice.
I agree with one of the prior posters that there will be HEAVY pressure for the Democrats to put a woman on the ticket, at least as number two if not number one. But despite the fact that Gillibrand by 2016 will likely have won TWO reelections (2010 and 2012) in the nation's third-largest state, and despite her age being ideal, I'm skeptical she'll be seen as "presidential" enough.
Martha Coakley next door in Massachusetts might be a possibility, although age may be a factor with her. That's another problem with women politicians. There are fewer women in politics, period, and those that do run tend to run later in life after raising families, meaning that they're often older than is ideal for a national run (even taking into account the fact that women live longer).
Otherwise, yes, Klobuchar's a possibility though not a very high one. If the pressure to nominate a woman for VP is strong enough, you may have some House Reps. get a look. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (though she's probably too conservative) or Rep. Kathy Castor, for example.
