This is your dream ticket huh John…B. Hussein Obama and Webb…you won’t be able to contain your enthusiasm; might even finally admit what everybody else already knows about your political leanings.

Politico-Last Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) touted Chet Edwards, the little-known Democratic congressman from Waco, Texas, for her party’s vice presidential slot. The players of the popular D.C. parlor game Guess-the-Veep — busy bandying about hot names like former North Carolina senator and veteran vice presidential candidate John Edwards and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty — paused to offer a collective, “huh?”

To fill them in, the “other” Edwards is a nine-term centrist Democrat whose background in military and veteran affairs could help balance out Obama’s lack of foreign policy experience. And here’s the kicker: Edwards’ district also covers Crawford, making him the congressman representing none other than President Bush.

It’s unlikely Obama will take Pelosi’s advice, since cycle after cycle, conventional wisdom trumps creative thinking in the veepstakes. But could the mantra of change mean that the year of the longshot running mate has at last arrived?

Just in case it has, Politico asked 14 consultants, campaign staffers, political historians and key fundraisers to name their most unconventional — but reasonably viable — picks. (And just in case it hasn’t, we’ve let them offer their picks on background, so they can offer the names they really mean.)

Among Republicans, two traits were esteemed above all others: business experience, which could help to offset McCain’s weakness on economic issues and tap into voter concern about the struggling economy, and youth, for the obvious reasons.

Without further ado, the Republican gurus and sweet young things:

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