Since everyone else seems to be pushing his pick for president in 2008, I thought I’d throw my own campaign slogan out there: Don’t pick Kathleen Sebelius for vice president.

I know it seems a little odd for me to be campaigning against our governor, but let me explain my reasoning.

First, I think this election is already far too focused on race and gender. Sure, I was as excited as anyone to see the country’s first female house speaker elected.

I won’t deny that the prospect of voting in the election that could put the first woman or African-American in the White House gets me a little more jazzed about the interminably long presidential campaign season.

But my enthusiasm gets a little dampened every time I read an article critiquing Nancy Pelosi’s wardrobe choices in the House or expressing shock that black people might not vote for Barack Obama just because he, too, is black.

It also bothers me that so many of the bloggers and political blowhards endorsing Sebelius seem to go about it by focusing on her gender, not her accomplishments. The hype over Sebelius seems to be endorsing her, but only if someone other than Hillary Clinton or Obama gets the nomination. In other words, Sebelius would be a great vice president, but only if she’s working for a white man.

When many bloggers write about Sebelius, the narrative is this: Sebelius is a woman and she’s a reasonably popular Democrat. Her myriad accomplishments in running a state like Kansas are usually listed only as an afterthought.

It would be great to have a female vice president, but I would like to see her get there on her own merits, not just because John Edwards is throwing a bone to people who were looking forward to a bit more diversity in their candidates.

My second reason is a bit more selfish. I think Kansas still needs its governor. Yes, the vice president can be important, but there are no guarantees about the kind of role Sebelius would be allowed to play in running the country. In Kansas, she knows what she is getting.

No, the problems in Kansas might not be as flashy as the ones she would see if she was elected vice president. Even I have to admit that school funding plans pale in comparison to improving health care nationwide. And even the nicest parts of Topeka don’t even run a close second to the chance to travel around the world to meet with the leaders of other nations.

But there are still important problems here in Kansas, and I for one would love to see Sebelius stay here and help us solve them.