Well, it's the end of the BIG day for the Obamaphiles - and they're all looking a little dejected that their text message on the winner of the Democratic Veepstakes didn't arrive on time. The news cycle is a funny thing - and apparently Senator McCain's latest flub seemed like more fun to leave out there. Why step on the story with news that is actually important to the country? Or is it?

The most popular description of the Vice-Presidency is John Nance Garner's (one of FDR's veeps) eloquent summation of "not worth a bucket of warm spit" (or "piss" if you want the actual quote...). Their defined job in the Constitution is to break tie votes and fill in if the President is unable to fulfill his obligations at work. It's sort of the ultimate Assistant Manager job - just a spare set of keys wandering around the White House waiting to lock up. Whatever power and influence he has, he brought with him. The only vice presidents that anyone can remember are the one's who became President - oh, and Al Gore who created his own kingdom in the Climate Change world (that article is coming...). Yet there's the big speculation every four years... will he balance talents?, will he be a rock star? will he bring his state over for a win? And once the announcement is made, no one really cares. So why do we now?

There has been an evolution of the vice-presidency since Gerald Ford took over for Spiro Agnew and then for Richard Nixon. The country was in turmoil over Watergate and the wind-down in Vietnam, and suddenly there was this Congressman from Michigan no one outside of Detroit or DC had ever heard of - in charge. And despite Chevy Chase, Ford did manage to get us through the next few years without making things worse - many would say he started the healing process. Since then the concern over the vice-president has been at the forefront. During the Carter presidency, Walter Mondale was relied on as an old-Washington hand to mediate with Congress on getting things done. Reagan chose his chief rival in 1980 - and Bush #1 diplomatic skills were used with our main rivals - the Soviet Union and China. Bush put Dan Quayle (no laughing please) in charge of revamping the Space Program, and the first of the satellites that we rely on for communications and our HD tv's were launched as part of that revamp. By the time we reached Clinton-Gore it seemed as though we had a co-presidency. And who didn't feel better (at first anyway) about old-hand Dick Cheney being around to show young George the ropes. In none of these cases was the vice-presidency the critical job in the administration, but all of them were more than benchwarmers.

Now we have an even more pressing need to look at the VP slot. Obama's resume is razor-thin, and no matter how talented and intelligent he is, having a Veep mentoring him would be reassuring to many. And the thing that no one wants to say out loud - there may not be a lot of them left anymore, but you have to believe that there's some knucklehead klan member out there looking to become famous. That "heartbeat away from the Presidency" phrase applies. On the Republican side as well. McCain may be the most qualified person running in years (no judgment on policy - just experience...) but he is 72, and it would not be in the country's best interest for his Veep to be on a steep learning curve.

With the practical aside, there is another aspect - that of the Presidential candidate's judgment - and both candidates have had their run-ins with poor judgment. The Veep is ultimately the first test of his Presidential judgment. A safe choice? A rash choice? A courageous choice? A gimmicky choice? Throw as many adjectives as you will in there. There doesn't seem to be a choice that would guarantee a win to either candidate (except maybe Ted Kennedy for Obama), but the wrong choice can certainly sink a candidate. The pundits are all atwitter with excitement and prepping their analysis, but it is the American people who will sit in judgment - and maybe this time it really does matter.

RLB