What is each state's "best hope" for getting on a 2016 presidential ticket?
NOTE TO MOD: Feel free to move to 2016 presidential election board if you think its a better fit there.
My take, one from each party:
Alabama - Marthy Roby (R)
Alaska - Mark Begich (D)
Arizona - Jeff Flake (R)
Arkansas - Tom Cotton (R)
California - Kamala Harris (D)
Colorado - John Hickenlooper (D)
Connecticut - Chris Murphy (R)
Delaware - Joe Biden (D)
Florida - Marco Rubio (R)
Georgia - Michelle Nunn (D)
Hawaii - Mazie Hirono (D)
Idaho - Raul Labrador (R)
Illinois - Mark Kirk (R)
Indiana - Joe Donnelly (D)
Iowa - Bruce Braley (D)
Kansas - Sam Brownback (R)
Kentucky - Rand Paul (R)
Louisiana - Bobby Jindal (R)
Maine - Chellie Pingree (D)
Maryland - Martin O'Malley (D)
Massachusetts - Elizabeth Warren (D)
Michigan - Mark Schauer (D)
Minnesota - Amy Klobuchar (D)
Mississippi - Roger Wicker (R)
Missouri - Claire McCaskill (D)
Montana - Brian Schweitzer (D)
Nebraska - Deb Fischer (R)
Nevada - Brian Sandoval (R)
New Hampshire - Kelly Ayotte (R)
New Jersey - Chris Christie (R)
New Mexico - Martin Heinrich (D)
New York - Hillary Clinton (D)
North Carolina - Richard Burr (R)
North Dakota - Heidi Heitkamp (D)
Ohio - Rob Portman (R)
Oklahoma - Tom Coburn (R)
Oregon - Ron Wyden (D)
Pennsylvania - Rick Santorum (R)
Rhode Island - Jack Reed (D)
South Carolina - Nikki Haley (R)
South Dakota - John Thune (R)
Tennessee - Bob Corker (R)
Texas - Ted Cruz (R)
Utah - Mike Lee (R)
Vermont - Bernie Sanders (D)
Virginia - Mark Warner (D)
Washington - Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)
West Virginia - Shelly Moore Capito (R)
Wisconsin - Paul Ryan (R)
Wyoming - Matt Mead (R)
Interesting challenge. I think Gavin Newsom (young guy who backed Hillary in 2008, executive experience as big-city mayor) and Xavier Becerra (Hispanic who can help a Democrat's relationship with congress) have a better shot than Kamala Harris of being on the 2016 ticket.
I'd also rate Bennet above Hickenlooper in Colorado. He's younger, a Senator (Democrats love nominating Senators for Veep) and has expertise on a key policy issue. He's a stronger pick for Veep.
I see Nunn's chances of being Senator in Georgia as equivalent to Karen Handel's. And a few top-tier Republican presidential nominees are more likely to pick a socially conservative woman, than HRC is to pick a female Senator with a famous family.
In Hawaii, I'd probably rate Brian Schatz above an elderly buddhist, even though both are very unlikely.
Current scuttlebutt has Scott Walker as a more likely presidential contender than Ryan, who would likely not be chosen for veep a second time.
There's more demand in the Republican party for Susanna Martinez as Veep, but Heinrich may be more likely to say yes.
Peter Shumlin and Howard Dean probably have a better shot at being on a national (R/D) ticket than Bernie Sanders. Although I guess if you're including independent bids, Sanders has a shot.
