Evan Bayh's Big Gamble

Evan Bayh Recalls Visiting Walter Reid

The VeePee Dance is especially fierce leading into Pennsylvania, or, as we like to call it "The Superbowl for Poly-Sci Geeks." And Senator Evan Bayh, as a result, a man who as a public speaker is less compelling than watching plants produce oxygen, has a lot riding on the results. Also, on the Democrat side, do former Governor Mark Warner of Virginia, that glorious Bill Richardson of New Mexico, and, quite possibly Sam Nunn. Former NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark and General Zinni have been mentioned as possible running mates with national security bona fides for either Obama or, in the unlikely case, Senator Clinton. But Sam Nunn, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and a former United States Senator from the Golden Age of Senators has injected himself into the thick of things with his endorsement of the Senator from Illinois.

Nunn, who, unlike General Wesley Clark, actually endorsed the front runner, also has deep roots in the national security and foreign policy establishment, meaning that he would offset Obama's relative inexperience, and he might bring into play Georgia, a state which has a high concentration of African-American voters and which Obama won in the primaries.

Bayh, a perennial mention as a Democratic running mate (Clinton, 42 looked him over), is a legacy of the Hoosier state and considered the only Democrat who could conceivably -- though not guaranteed -- bring over the statewide vote in heavily Republican Indiana. From TheHill:

"Sen. Evan Bayh does not appear on Tuesday’s Pennsylvania presidential primary ballot, but the Indiana Democrat’s political future and his state’s role in choosing the Democratic nominee are directly tied to the contest.

"A comfortable win in Pennsylvania for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) keeps the former first lady competitive against Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and increases the importance of Indiana’s May 6 primary.

"It also helps Bayh, a former two-term governor and son of U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh who has been mentioned as a possible Clinton running mate. He’s been busy traveling his home turf with the New York senator, helping her chip away at Obama’s lead.

"Should Clinton win Pennsylvania by only a few percentage points, or on the off chance lose, the Hoosier State — and Bayh — could see a big opportunity slip away."

Senator Hillary Clinton needs to beat Barack Obama tonight by ten percentage points or more to keep her momentum going, then unearth the Edwards endorsement, then win both North Carolina and Indiana and win the popular vote -- which she presently trails by about 700,000 votes -- in order to turn these things around at the denver convention. More here.