Never Too Early for the Veepstakes Race

June 12, 2007 — -- The race for the presidency? Too close to call, with nearly 20 candidates jostling for position a year-and-a-half before Election Day 2008.

But the race for the vice presidency already has its odds-on favorites, according to the pundits and party activists who like to gnaw on such matters at this ridiculously early date.

Alright, so some of the top choices are technically running for president at the moment. That hasn't stopped the "veepstakes" from kicking into high gear a full seven months before the first primary votes will be cast -- and a year before any nominees are likely to choose their running mates.

"The whole thing is insanely early, so it's fitting that this sort of speculation would be this early as well," said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic political consultant.

After three strong debate performances, Republicans have quickly turned their attention to Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas. Aside from the fact that he's mired in the low single digits, he's got the whole package -- funny, friendly, devout, intelligent -- the perfect balance to a fast-talking New Yorker, a veteran Arizona senator, or a Mormon from Massachusetts, all of whom need conservative street cred.

Meanwhile, many Democrats are ready to inaugurate Vice President Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico. He's a great campaigner, has the deepest resume in the field and is a fluent Spanish speaker who can reach out to Latinos -- the ideal way to counter a sometimes chilly former first lady, a first-term senator from Illinois with no foreign-policy experience or a populist former senator from North Carolina.

Being mentioned as a good No. 2 is irksome for candidates who want to be No. 1. The praise can be flattering, but there's a self-fulfilling quality to a candidate being told he'd make the ideal understudy, since it means he's not being considered for the leading role.

The label of running for second fiddle dogged Edwards during the 2004 primaries. Party activists and reporters saw the youthful, first-term senator's sunny campaign style and his studied refusal to attack other Democrats and concluded that he was really in the race to be considered for the second spot.