It's common every four years to hear speculation that a candidate's choice of a certain running mate could put the running mate's home state in his column. This year, for instance, some Democrats had been urging their presumptive presidential nominee, Barack Obama, to pick Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia to fill out the ticket, because Webb might help flip Virginia from a red state to a blue one. (Webb took himself out of the running in early July, however). Similarly, Obama's Republican counterpart, John McCain, may be thinking of teaming with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, news sources say, because his campaign's internal polling shows Pawlenty could help deliver Minnesota, and neighboring Wisconsin.