Current ticket predictions?

[shanephenry]

Seems to me like on the Republican side Sen. Ayotte would be such a ticket balancer it'd be hard to ignore.  Her McCain/Graham connection gives her some hawkish foreign policy bona fides and gender balance for the GOP will be more important then regional balance.

I would say she'd be a bone to throw to the establishment wing, but the establishment wing of the GOP always gets their man nominated so that won't be necessary.  The one man who is working hard to run and win over the establishment will be happy to have her on the ticket to nullify the gender wars motif of the last few years.  Sure she's hawkish and he's not but her job is to be his VP, not campaign on her own views.

Rand Paul/Kelly Ayotte

Hilary will have to have a white male counterpart, I think America is ready to elect a black guy or a woman but probably not both at the same time. So Sen. Booker and Gov. Patrick are out as well as Sen's Warren, Gillibrand and Klobuchar.  Furthermore although Hilary is universally known and defined I think she'll look to have someone who is 'outside the beltway' to in some small way balance her 'insiders insider' persona.

McAuliffe is just too well known as a Clintonista to get serious consideration and let's be honest I don't think he has popularity in Virginia to significantly swing the vote there (unless she's running against Uncle Kenny Cuchinelli). So I think we take a long look at the west and realize Gov. Bullock is probably the right guy, unless she grabs Sen. Bennett but I think he looks kind of like a wuss.  Hilary won't have no wuss on her ticket.  Bullock was a former Attorney General, you need that kind of muscle.

HRC/Bullock