Hillary Clinton is looking more Huckabeean everyday in her fight to stay in the race. Barack Obama must immediately work to unite the party. The first step is picking a viable running mate.

The wrong pick could spell disaster. Obama needs a seasoned politician, possibly someone with a military background, to shore-up his weak points. He might also need to draw someone from the Clinton camp, to help mend the rift in the party.

The biggest debate will be whether or not Obama reaches out to Clinton herself for the Veep role. A new Gallup poll shows over 50 percent of Democrats would like to see a “dream ticket” for November. Pundit opinion varies on this matter. Dick Morris says choosing Clinton would be an act of “terminal insanity,” weighing down the campaign and weakening Obama in the White House. But Kathleen Reardon disagrees, urging them both to act like statesmen instead of politicians, putting their own ego’s aside for an almost certain victory.

To reach out to evangelical Christians, some argue Obama can bolster his Christian resume with a choice from more conservative areas, like Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). Obama might also choose Webb for his foreign policy strengths and legislative prowess as well as religious appeal. Even in the aftermath of Rev. Wright, Christian Democrats still see Obama as their Pope in the days when the “religious right” may be falling apart.

There are many other candidates to add to “short lists”. Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Biden (D-DE) are senior members of congress with 70 years of McCain-like experience between them. Bill Richardson would virtually guarantee the Hispanic vote; Wesley Clark could provide military experience to the White House.

Ultimately, many of the much-discussed VP candidates might serve better in cabinet roles to strengthen an Obama administration. He might pick a lower profile figure for a running mate that has less “baggage” to carry into the campaign. Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius and Arizonan governor Janet Napolitano are options, but Obama may also need to consider picking a white male for the role, resigning himself to the fact that race and gender will continue to be a factor in this election.