One correction and one clarification to my earlier post: First, the Governor of Ohio is limited to two terms. Somehow I got it in my head that there were no term limits in Ohio. Forgive my mistake. Second, one astute reader mentioned that Gerald Ford dumped Nelson Rockefeller in 1976 in favor of Bob Dole as the nominee. I meant to imply that I do not believe an elected vice president would be dumped, not any appointed vice president. Apologies for not making that clear.

One final point to add to the debate, then I'm done for a while: Many have suggested that Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland could make it clear he will not run for President in 2016, a la Dick Cheney. The Cheney model has worked well, for the most part, for President Bush's purposes (though some would argue that, not being beholden to voters, Cheney has disregarded public opinion).

It is hard to imagine that any Democrat would follow the Bush-Cheney model, giving a vice president such unchecked power, and leave a future presidential race in as much chaos as this one is, with no sense of a clear incumbent or de facto incumbent. And if Strickland were to take the job without Cheney's power and perks, it may be, in his eyes, exactly as valuable as John Nance Gardner put it: Not worth a bucket of spit (quibble with the last word, if you like, but this is a family blog).

In the end, it is difficult to envision a vice presidential pick who would not be prepared to run for president after eight years in office.

Okay, one more note of interest: Many have written to suggest that Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) would be a good pick from the Buckeye State in lieu of Strickland, who could then appoint a Democratic senator to replace him.

Among other names mentioned: Former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, though tax people wouldn't be too pleased by that one. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was mentioned as a choice for Sen. Barack Obama, while one reader mentions that former Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts would add much to Rudy Giuliani's chances. Intriguing, then, that Watts showed up at the straw poll this weekend in Ames.