David Paterson finally has the Herculean task of choosing a single person to replace another single person for a single government position off his shoulders.

This afternoon, he officially introduced New York to its new junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand…

Ms. Gillibrand said she aspired to follow in the footsteps of Mrs. Clinton. While she acknowledged that many state residents did not know her name, she pledged to "bring upstate and downstate together, to work on behalf of all New Yorkers."…

Speaking from a platform crowded with New York political figures, Mr. Paterson described Ms. Gillibrand as "the best candidate" for the job.

Yeah, the more you think about it, the more she seems like a fantastic replacement for Clinton.

She seems very smart. Her politics are definitely liberal, but leaning toward centrist. She used to oppose gay marriage when that was politically expedient, but now suddenly seems to have changed her mind for similarish reasons.

She likes guns. Or at least likes having people who like guns liking her.

She has the same number of X chromosomes as Clinton. They're both around the same height. And — as my friend Upma points out — they both kind of have similar tastes in fashion and hair. Tastes that say, "I am a serious and intelligent politician, but that doesn't mean that I have to sacrifice my feminity or my bond with the middle class, specifically with people who are mostly socially liberal but still like guns or who have fluctuating opinions about the gays."

All told, she seems like a pretty fantastic replacement for Hillary Clinton, considering the fact that Hillary Clinton herself wasn't available to replace herself.

In fact, I'll bet many voters won't even realize that there was a change-over.