Will Kansas Governor Be Dems VP Candidate in 2008?Jesse Zerger Nathanbyline‚ Apr. 24‚ 2006Among the many businesses that thrive in the hustle and bustle of downtown Lawrence, Kansas, few seem odder than the Surf Shop—a hole-in-the-wall nestled across from clothing stores, restaurants and various gimmicky gigs. Kansas, someone forgot to mention to these folks, is at the geographic center of the United States—and the nearest surf-worthy body of water, the Gulf of Mexico, is a couple thousand miles away—requiring, by any estimation, an unpleasant trek across Texas. How, many must wonder, does a surf shop stay in business here, in a state with plenty of wind but barely enough water to water all the livestock and artificially green lawns? Equally strange, however, would be anything stereotypically having to do with Kansas—say, a Farm Implements Extravaganza or, HickWear Penny’s—turning up in the Bay Area. Someone from Kansas, however, who might soon be appearing in every possible un-Kansas sort of place nationwide is the state’s soft-spoken, tough-woman governor, Kathleen Sebelius. Though far too early for anything but speculation, rumors of her potential place on the 2008 Democratic Presidential ticket as a Vice Presidential nominee are flying like bats (though probably, they are flying fastest in places far from the dry shores of Kansas, such as, say, the Internet and Bay Area BART stations). The rumors, however, if they haven’t already, ought to be taken seriously by those interested in a Democratic president come 2008. |