Turning Virginia and Ohio Blue Will be a Little Tougher

A couple of the candidates being tossed around for Barack Obama's VP were Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio and Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia. We can rule Strickland out:

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) -- a very popular figure in a key swing state -- "is not going to be Sen. Barack Obama's running mate," the Washington Post reports.

In a radio interview, Strickland said, "If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. So, I don't know how more crystal clear I can be."

Strickland is hugely popular in his state and very well could have pushed that state to the Dem category.

In Virginia Jim Webb hasn't taken himself out of the race, but others suggest he may have some problems. Here are two headlines that you can check out:

TIM NOAH: Why Jim Webb would make a terrible running mate.

VP Favorite Jim Webb Outed As Confederate Sympathizer

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