Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bill Clinton

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2011 file photo, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and former President Bill Clinton, listen to speakers in Washington.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

(Carolyn Kaster)

John Robb

By John Robb, a regular contributor to the AL.com Opinion blog who lives in Mobile

Hillary Clinton's search for a vice presidential running mate reminds me of the memorable quote from Franklin Roosevelt's VP. John Nance Garner ... known by Texans as "Cactus Jack" ... said the vice presidency "isn't worth a bucket of warm spit."

Cactus Jack's blunt words would never be truer than in yet another Clinton White House. Think. How would you like to play second fiddle to Bill Clinton as the nation's "first gentleman" or, as some would call him, "first dude?"

Talk about a forty thousand pound guerrilla: "Slick Willie" would be more like a forty thousand pound Siberian husky soiling the Oval Office carpet. Remember Monica-gate? Hillary certainly does. Yet, "Madame President" declared that her husband would play a key role in her administration and would likely call his own shots as to how.

So where does that leave her vice president? ... Attending funerals and checking Hillary's pulse. Although we don't know Hillary's VP pick, be sure that he or she would be expected to stay out of trouble.

The VP pick can make or break an election. When I was just a news pup during the 1972 presidential race, George McGovern's selection of Tom Eagleton blew up in his face when we learned Eagleton had a history of psychological problems. The Democrats ended up losing forty-nine of the fifty states and Tricky Dick Nixon waltzed to four more years.

That's why, with Bill underfoot, Hillary can't afford any new surprises from a VP running mate. Remember, although the FBI is probing her use of a private email server to conduct State Department business, President Obama's Justice Department is not expected to indict his handpicked choice to succeed him. So this is Hillary's race to lose. That's why her number one goal will be to find someone who is humble enough to take a back seat to Bill.

So, here's my pick ... (drum roll please) ... Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Have you ever heard of Kaine getting into trouble? Let's face it, many of you haven't even heard of him, period, which is why he would be a natural choice!

The second reason is Kaine's strong resume. Before he was a Senator, Kaine was Virginia's Lieutenant Governor and Governor. He also chaired the Democratic National Committee so he already has many friends along the campaign trail. Kaine could certainly step in for "Madame President" if a health issue arose or if she chose to not run for reelection.

Kaine really fits the Democratic profile. After graduating from Harvard Law, he worked with low income clients on real estate cases. He also worked with the Jesuits as a lay missionary in Honduras. That's where he learned fluent Spanish which would come in very handy to court key Hispanic votes.

The Senator claims to be a Catholic. Yet, he publicly supports abortion on demand which is in grave conflict with Catholic teaching about protecting all human life. Still by Democratic standards, Kaine is relatively moderate on many issues. So he could help Hillary move to the nation's political center after her bruising primary battle with wild-eyed Socialist Bernie Sanders.

Third, Virginia's junior senator could help the Dems carry a key swing state. With the way the demographics stack up, the Dems could still win without Virginia. But it would be very difficult for Republican nominee Donald Trump to win without Virginia's thirteen electoral votes.

As a life long Republican, I pray every night that our nation will not be afflicted with yet another Clinton presidency. But, if we are, my hunch is Kaine will take a bullet and endure four years under Slick Willie's shadow. Humility is a very rare virtue for national politicians. But, in this roller coaster election cycle, downing a double dose of humble pie might turn out to be a very savvy career move for Tim Kaine's future.

Maybe, the Dems could remake the late 70's sit com "Three's Company."