Before he reinvented government, Al Gore revolutionized the way vice presidents are made.
When he joined Bill Clinton's ticket, it violated the old rules. Regional diversity? Not with two Southerners from neighboring states. Ideological balance? A couple of left-of-center moderates. Age? Both younger than Barack Obama is today.
And yet, Gore has come to be regarded by strategists in both parties as the best vice presidential pick in at least 20 years.
"Everything about that ticket communicated change," say Michael Feldman, who worked in the campaign and became a senior Gore aide. "In an election that was very much about change, it was a winning combination."
Change is in the air again this year. Does that mean John McCain and Obama can - or should - come up with a Gore-like choice?
If they do, it will be a surprise.
"A big part of the Gore success in '92 was that it had such a large element of surprise," says Scott Reed, who managed the Dole-Kemp campaign four years later.
Handlers for Obama and McCain are trying to lower expectations and keep a lid on the process. They want to preserve the element of surprise when the announcements are made - perhaps not until late summer, just before the national conventions.
Obama "doesn't have a lot of good choices," insisted a top campaign aide, with a straight face. The Republican line: Our party's bench is very thin this season.
There are a few rules for choosing running mates: First, do no harm to your election chances. Second, pick someone who could take over as president. Third, get a compatible partner you can work with every day.
An inspired choice would generate a "wow factor" for the campaign. And that would advance the political goals: energizing supporters, making voters take a fresh look at the nominee and, if necessary, changing the dynamic of the election.
Getting someone who'd also help win a swing state would be "kind of a side benefit," according to David Plouffe, manager of Obama's campaign. He pointed out that Dick Cheney, whose selection as George W. Bush's running mate was widely praised at the time, comes from one of the safest Republican states in the country.
By now, it's fair to say that somewhere, online or in print, the eventual running mates for both parties have already been identified, and analyzed in depth.
One Democrat drawing attention lately as a Gore-like VP pick is Al Gore himself.
