Why not Bob Kerrey or Bob Graham as Gore VP picks?
I can't see him picking Bob Kerrey, Bob Graham is perhaps a little more likely.
I'm simply going by Gore's OTL shortlist, which was apparently Lieberman, Kerry, Edwards. Without any need to appear fresh and distance himself from Clinton, both Lieberman and Edwards bite the dust. That leaves Kerry, with people like Gephardt, George Mitchell, and the rest behind. If Bill Richardson doesn't bollock up the Wen Ho Lee affair as he did IOTL, or doesn't become energy sec, then he's right up there at the top. Oh, and Evan Bayh as well.
Really it's very unsettled if the need for Gore to distance himself from Clinton disapears. If Richardson is out of the picture, there's no really outstanding candidate here.
Does Gephardt launch a presidential bid ITTL? That's a big question there.