Governor Easley apparently gave an impressive speech to the Emerging Issues Forum this week.

He talked about making North Carolina a leader in developing an advanced generation of electric cars. Energy was his topic, but it was his own energy that grabbed reporters’ attention.

Jack Betts blogged about it. One capital reporter called around asking what Easley would be running for.

Well, when you’re Governor, there are only two things to run for: Senate or President/Vice President.

The buzz around Raleigh is that Easley will endorse Hillary Clinton. She could use a moderate Southerner on the ticket. So could Obama.

John Edwards is expected to endorse Obama at some point. In 1998, Edwards thought Easley would be his opponent for the Senate. Easley decided to run for Governor instead. Their face-off may finally come – 10 years later.

The question for both Easley and Edwards is when to endorse. Now, when the iron is hot? Or later, to have more impact on the North Carolina primary?

Easley, of course, wasn’t the only potential running mate at the Forum. Senator Richard Burr got plenty of VP attention by denying VP ambitions.

That act is obligatory, of course. But don’t you wish one politician would tell the truth: “Frankly, I would give my left you-know-what to be on the ticket.”

Burr would be a nice fit for McCain. McCain needs to get rid of that aging cast of characters standing behind him. They look like the cast of “Grumpy Old Men.”

All this is fodder for the theory that North Carolina could become the birthplace of Presidents – or at least running mates – in the years ahead. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

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