Everything Old is New Again

The veepstakes is usually a guilty pleasure. One moment, everyone with access to makeup and a minute on cable TV is obsessing over shortlists. The next, they're quoting FDR's first No. 2, who claimed the gig wasn't "worth a bucket of warm piss." But this year's search offers more than empty calories. Yes, the old caveats still apply: no one votes for second fiddle, no veep since LBJ has swung his home state, and none has ever triggered a bump of more than 2 percent overall. But Barack Obama and John McCain are not typical nominees. At 72, McCain would be the oldest prez ever inaugurated. "I'm aware of the enhanced importance of this issue given my age," he has said. Obama, meanwhile, would be the least-seasoned chief in a century. The solution, says his campaign manager, is a VP who will "be a partner in governing"—not a political pander. So whom might they choose? NEWSWEEK political blogger Andrew Romano's historical crib sheet:

The Jack Kemp
Mitt Romney: Like Kemp, Bob Dole's '96 pick, Romney is a former foe who would add economic-policy heft to the ticket

The Geraldine Ferraro
Sarah Palin: Ferraro helped Walter Mondale make history in '84; Alaska Governor Palin could counterprogram Obama

The Dan Quayle
Bobby Jindal: Chosen for his youth, 41's veep was too lightweight; hot La. Governor Jindal, 37, may be too young

The Spiro Agnew
Tim Pawlenty: Like Maryland's Agnew, the Minn. governor appeals to the center and right, and could help in a key region

The Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman: Would do for Mac what he did for Gore in '00—boost moderate cred, Jewish support, ticket diversity

The Al Gore
Kathleen Sebelius: Like Gore, the Kans. governor wouldn't balance the ticket, but she would reinforce 'change'

The Lyndon B. Johnson
Hillary Clinton: Kennedy accepted his rival out of electoral necessity. That's the only reason BHO would take HRC.

The Lloyd Bentsen
Sam Nunn: Detached, youngish and ethnic, Dukakis tapped an older, white Southern senator. Obama could follow.

The John Edwards
Tim Kaine: Kerry's '04 pick was a fresh-faced, white Southerner with blue-collar appeal. The Va. governor fits the bill.

The Dick Cheney
Tom Daschle: Like Cheney, Daschle is a campaign insider and D.C. pro who'd guide his green boss through the swamp