No matter how much some Hoosiers may want to hear it, those close to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton say she is not going to announce her running mate before next month's primary.

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But if and when that happens, many in the state have their eyes and hopes on U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

Observers and pollsters say it is far from certain Clinton will beat U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to win the nomination to become the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. Some Obama supporters say Clinton's odds of winning are so slim she should bow out now, though she has rebuffed those claims.

If Clinton does secure the party nomination, what are the chances that Bayh will get the chance to follow in the footsteps of former U.S. Sen. Dan Quayle, R-Ind., all the way to the vice president's office?

"We've never talked about it," Bayh said. "She should be totally focused on winning the nomination. It would be wrong for me to even speculate about anything like that."

Such comments have failed to stop persistent chatter in political circles that Indiana's popular senator and two-term governor is on a short list of possible running mates for Clinton.

"Of course I would love that to happen," said Dan Parker, state Democratic Party chairman and co-chairman of Hoosiers for Hillary. "But first things first. We want to make sure Senator Clinton gets the nomination."

A poll of Indiana voters last week put Clinton nine points ahead of Obama, with a four-point margin of error. But with five weeks remaining before the election, more than 40 percent of each candidate's supporters said they could still change their minds.

Parker said the state party is not endorsing a candidate before the election and noted that other Indiana Democratic Party officials are supporting Obama.

When Clinton spoke at a rally in Hammond last month, she said Bayh and his family have been friends of hers for about 20 years. Clinton and Bayh serve on the influential Senate Armed Services Committee together and have made joint trips to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Marie Eisenstein, assistant professor of political science at Indiana University Northwest, said Bayh's popularity with Indiana voters probably will benefit the Clinton campaign in the state, especially if he eventually is selected as a running mate.

"It will put Indiana in a role where it is actually competitive for the Democrats," Eisenstein said. "The 2000 election taught us one thing, and that is never to take any state for granted. ... They're all important."

Jennifer Hora, assistant professor of political science at Valparaiso University, was more circumspect about Bayh's influence in the race, particularly in light of rumors Bayh could be asked to serve as running mate.

"In some ways, it makes his endorsement less impressive," Hora said. "Since it's been known that he's been courting the Clinton campaign for some time, it was almost a given that he would come out and officially endorse her."

The Obama campaign is not quaking at Bayh's influence.

Kevin Griffis, Indiana spokesman for the Obama campaign, said endorsements and political alliances with popular figures become less important in a lengthy and highly publicized campaign.