And now, for a second act... (Part 1)

Barring catastrophic scandal, or unlikely (though possible) comeback, the top ticket of both the Democratic and Republican tickets will have been decided by March 5th. Let us begin to enter the ever-speculative, and ever-entertaining, world of vice presidential prognostication. Who will the front-runners pick, and how will that affect their chances in November:

First, the Republican race:

The top of the ticket is going to be Senator John McCain, flyboy rebel from the Arizona Republic. I offer a list of possibles, along with some comments. Feel free to supplement.

• Kay Baily Hutchinson - Senator from Texas - An ideal choice to spin the identity politics away from the Democratic Party, even without HRC at the top of the ticket. She's retiring from the Senate, so she isn't busy these days. Possibly too moderate on Abortion for the Right-wing, but basically a Bush-Republican on other issues.

• Charlie Crist - Governor of Florida - The perfect figure to modernize the Republican Party. More Bloomberg than Inhofe, Crist has straddled the center since being elected in 2006. He's a progressive-minded, fiscally conservative former attorney general, with a youthful television personality and excellent approval ratings in Florida. Probably the biggest reason McCain won the decisive Florida primary. First, though, he really ought to get married (Rumors constantly circulate about Crist's sexuality).
  

• Willard "Mitt" Romney - Former Governor of Massachusetts - Bringing the GOP ticket together like this would certainly thrill members of the far right. Unfortunately, once the new Mitt Romney melts away, the old moderate, Gov. Romney appears. His right-ward shift cannot mask the years he spent as a technocratic, pragmatic governor of one of the most liberal states in the Union. His economic chops are plus for the ticket, but his baggage probably isn't. He is exceptionally well-groomed, however, and makes McCain look like a midget

• Piyush "Bobby" Jindal - Governor of Louisiana - the 36(!) year old wunderboy from Louisiana just might be the perfect choice for McCain. He is very conservative on the social issues that McCain can sometimes waver on and has a youthful charisma (not to mention a laudable intellect) that would electrify the republican base. Unfortunately, it seems as if he is devoted (quite honorably) to fixing the state of Louisiana first.

• Tim Pawlenty - Governor of Minnesota - Another rising GOP star, who won the governor's race in progressive MN by significant margins. He is probably the most conservative governor the state has ever had, but don't let that fool you. His positions tend to look moderate when viewed from the national perspective. He has strongly emphasized environmentalism and alternative energy and was well-received for his handling of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis last year. Definitely on the inside track, considering his long-standing support for McCain's candidacy.

Some other options, not making the short list:

• Former Sen. Phil Graham (R-TX)
  
• Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AK)
  
• Governor Haley Barbour (R-AL)
• Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
• Governor Rick Perry (R-TX)
• Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC) [Although see his positive words on Obama here]
  

Next time, the Democrats...