An e-mail: I don't dispute the logic of your correspondent on who Republicans should want on the ticket. But none of those states were carried by Bush in 2004, nor 2000. It does suggest the usual key states will decide it if it's Obama (Ohio, FL, NH, NM, etc...), and it also suggests that McCain could put Kerry!Gore states in play if it's Clinton. On a separate note, i think Michelle Obama may have also been attempting to slap down the Clinton years, as the only Democratic administration of her adult life was Clinton's. It was not a transformative presidency, and nothing happened during his 8 years to make her proud to be an American. Given Bill's reaction the last time Barack made that point, it would have been well worth another poke in his eye.