Barack Obama’s got a layover in Indiana tonight, and some people expect him to select Senator Evan Bayh as his running mate tonight or tomorrow.

I’m not crazy about Bayh as a vice presidential candidate. On the plus side, he’s a former governor and current senator from a red state Obama is making a play for. (Kerry states plus Iowa, New Mexico and Indiana would put Obama past 270.) Also, Bayh backed Hillary Clinton for president, so picking him would be a gesture toward uniting the party.

On the minus side, Bayh is not a great speaker and wouldn’t be the best surrogate. Also, his voting record isn’t very progressive, and I’m not just talking about “values” issues; he voted for George Bush’s tax cuts. Maybe that’s what a Democrat representing Indiana has to do, but if Obama wins, his VP could be the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in 2016. Bayh isn’t the kind of politician I’d like to see get a leg up in the next competitive Democratic presidential primary.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention that we most likely give up a Senate seat if Bayh becomes vice president (unless Democrat Jill Long Thompson pulls of an upset in the Indiana gubernatorial race). If Bayh were an outstanding choice for VP, it might be worth giving up a Senate seat, but that’s not the situation at hand.

If you think I’m too tough on the guy, check out Matt Stoller as he labels Bayh “A Democratic Dan Quayle.”

Jeralyn at Talk Left went over other aspects of Bayh’s record and observed:

Whoever Obama picks, you can be sure polling had a huge amount to do with it. That means he will go for the choice that is most palatable to middle America — not to progressives. We are probably considered “fringe voters”, one step short of being outlaws by any national presidential campaign. They want the heartland.

So the question is, who’s the best centrist for Obama? Bayh seems pretty bland, like mayonnaise. At least he doesn’t go around introducing major, comprehensive tough on crime bills every year. Talk about lowering one’s expectations…..It’s like that game people play at kids’ birthday parties where you have to slide under the bar that gets lowered with every contestant. I just hope we’re not all on the floor by the time November rolls around. Then again, better on the floor than underground, which is where we’ll be if the Republicans win again.

UPDATE: Here are a few views of Bayh’s voting record.

Progressive Punch ranks him in the 40s among the 100 senators on most issue fields. That means Bayh is among the more conservative members of the Democratic caucus in the Senate.

Project Vote Smart lists his votes on numerous individual bills.

And here Project Vote Smart lists Bayh’s ratings from a bunch of different interest groups.

SECOND UPDATE: I forgot to mention that in the past two years Bayh has voted with progressives about 68 percent of the time “when the chips are down,” according to Progressive Punch. The methodology behind the “chips are down” calculations is explained here.