Obama would be one smart cookie if he picked Joe Manchin as his running mate. That is his only chance to carry West Virginia. A state that is normally blue, but has gone red the past two elections. Joe Manchin is an intelligent man, who is quick-witted, and a good speaker. Not as good as Obama, of course, you never want your VP to out-do you in anything. (Why bush picked cheney ). But he is a blue-collared worker which is the demographic that Obama needs to pick up on, and fast.