We'll continue the Tim Kaine madness by passing along this interesting blog post from the Washington Post's Virginia Politics page, which notes that Kaine could be the first Virginian on a national ticket since 1840. From the Post:

If Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) selects Timothy M. Kaine (D) as his running mate, the Virginia governor would be the first politician from the state on a major-party national ticket in many years.

First, let's dispense with a caveat: Yes, Woodrow Wilson was born in Virginia. But his political career was launched in New Jersey before he was elected president as a Democrat in 1912 and reelected in 1916.

The last time a politician based in Virginia was nominated by a major party for its national ticket was in 1840. That year, the Whigs nominated former Virginia governor and senator John Tyler to be William Henry Harrison's running mate.

Even with Tyler as a vice presidential nominee, Harrison couldn't carry Virginia. The state voted instead to reelect President Martin Van Buren. But the Harrison-Tyler team nevertheless won an Electoral College landslide.

Harrison died one month after taking the oath of office, making Tyler the first vice president to become president because of the death of an incumbent.