Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana) announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election in November. Mr. Bayh claimed, "My passion for service to our fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so by serving in Congress has waned," leaving many to wonder if he was checking out of politics at a very challenging time for Democrats or if he is simply switching gears and plotting a more ambitious political course. If Senator Bayh is planning a primary challenge to President Barack Obama in 2012, he may not be the only one. Here are some other possible primary contenders:

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Hillary Rodham Clinton: In her last head-to-head against Candidate Obama, Mrs. Clinton lost the 2008 Democratic Primary by a 54 to 46 percent margin but was a viable contender until very late in the primary season. There's no doubt she's had presidential ambitions for decades and while she seemed to be a team player, endorsing Mr. Obama in the presidential race and serving as the Secretary of State in his administration, it's not a big stretch to see her taking her considerable political clout and still very popular former pesident husband back on the presidential campaign trail. Ironically, President Obama may have given her resume the boost it needed to push her from over-involved first lady to qualified presidential contender, but if she's going to adequately distance herself from her current boss, she'll have to resign as Secretary of State soon.

Joe Biden: It's happened before. In the election of 1800, incumbent President John Adams was challenged in his re-election bid by incumbent Vice President Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson won). In those days, the second place finisher in the presidential election was named VP so Adams and Jefferson were never running mates in the way we define the term today. But Vice President Biden could be a compromise candidate for the Democrats in 2012. His nomination would allow a hopeless Mr. Obama a way to save face and have part of his administration go on without him. Granted it would be the most gaffe-prone, embarassingly ridiculous part; but if the president's chances for re-election are close to nil, it might be the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass for his party.

Bill Richardson: The current Governor of New Mexico is no stranger to presidential politics. He ran for the Democratic nomination in 2008 but dropped out after a poor showing in the first few primaries. President-elect Obama attempted to appoint Governor Richardson to his Cabinet as Commerce Secretary but Mr. Richardson withdrew due to an ongoing investigation against him (federal prosecutors eventually dropped the investigation which involved allegedly improper business dealings). Despite that political baggage, Mr. Richardson remains a potential primary challenger to President Obama. His Hispanic background could win over a sizable portion of the electorate and he has no problem switching allegiances when it suits his political purposes. Case in point: Clinton adviser James Carville famously compared Richardson to Judas Iscariot for endorsing Candidate Obama after his own presidential bid failed instead of his long-time friend and political ally Hillary Rodham Clinton. (source)

Dennis Kucinich: The Congressman from Ohio is becomming a perennial presidential candidate. He ran very unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in both 2004 and 2008 with a very far-left platform (pro-universal health care, anti-war, anti-Patriot Act, pro-Kyoto Protocol, pro-same sex marriage, anti-death penalty). If President Obama has virtually no chance to win in 2012, the party may just reward their far-left base with this completely unelectable token of leftist ideology.

Pick A Kennedy, Any Kennedy: The recent decision by Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island) to not seek re-election in November brings a 63 year run of Kennedy's in federal office to an end. Except for 1960-1962 when JFK vacated his Senate seat to become president, there has been a Kennedy in Congress since 1946. It is possible that with the death of Senator Ted Kennedy in August, the younger generations of the family feel free from the responsibility of the Kennedy legacy and will all remain in the private sector. But one has to wonder if the prospects for the party become as dim as predictions currently show, will they drag out the old Camelot legacy in a desperate attempt to revitalize the spirit of that by-gone era despite all the scandals that have plagued them since? While there are many Kennedy cousins still technically elligible to vie for the nomination, the two with the highest profiles are the aforementioned Representative Patrick Kennedy (Ted's son) and former Congressman from Massachusetts Joseph Patrick Kennedy II (Bobby's son).

Some wholly unqualified junior senator with zero executive experience: Hey, it wouldn't be the first time!