The University of Virginia’s Larry Sabato tells me: “Frankly, the GOP ought to be trying to get Mike Pence into the race. He’d be the frontrunner all the way through.”

Sabato adds: If Pence were to run for the Senate seat, “he’ll be the favorite for the nomination and probably the general. That’s my early guess. Democrats can make a race of it if the GOP goes with Coats.”

(He has more reax to the Bayh news over on Politico.)