So here are my picks:
- Jim Webb (Senator, Virginia, Vietnam Vet, Marine corp. Graduate Naval Academy, Left leaning Republican)
- Wesley Clark (Former Presidential Candidate, Four Star General, Hillary supporter)
- Evan Bayh (Senator Indiana, former Governor of Indiana, former secretary of Indiana, Hillary Suporter)
- Kathleen Sibellius (Gov. Kansas)
- John Edwards (Former Senator of North Carolina, former Presdiential candidate, former running mate with John Kerry, champion for the poor and for Univeral Health Coverage
- Joe Biden, Senior Senator for Delaware, and all round great guy, former Presidential candidate
Wesley Clark does almost everything Webb does, but his West point education, Rhodes Scholar stature, Four Star General, Supreme Allied Commander Europe of Nato, former Presidential candidate, ally of the Clintons and all round great hunkie guy, and his military credidentials make McCain's experience look like small potatoes.
Evan Bayh has been a Secretary of State and Governor of Indiana, Junior Senator from Indiana and he is a Hillary Supporter.
Kathleen Sibellius is the Governor of Kansas, was born in Ohio, is female and an enthusiastic Obama supporter.
John Edwards is a Southerner, former Senator from North Carolina who voted for the Resolution for the Iraq war, but later said it was a mistake and apologized for the vote, he has twice run for President, was on Kerry's short list for VP, but lost out to Leiberman (Yuck), and is a strong, committed advocate for the poor and for universal health care, plus he's married to Elizabeth.
Joe Biden is just a great, outspoken senior Senator from Delaware, but has been Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, has been a candidate for President. The down side for Biden is the Washington insider problem, and a tendency to sometimes say too much when saying less might be helpful--I include him just because I like him.
So who's your favorite?
27 comments:
UT, I think you mean Edwards was on GORE's short list for VP (as was Kerry). Gore went w/Lieberman which at the time seemed brilliant, except for that senior nemesis in Florida, the pesky butterfly ballot. Would Edwards even consider VP is a big question. He might be angling for AG or even supreme court judge.
I like Wes Clark tremendously, but he never connected well w/people during his own run in '04. Webb is good, but I don't know the dynamics if he were to give up his senate seat). Sibelius & Napolitano don't bring foreign policy/national security credentials that Obama needs to beef up. Biden brings that, but I think he's angling for Sec Def or Sec State. Same with Gov Richardson. I keep looking at Sam Nunn of Georgia, though his age might validate McCain. I heard one of the younger Kennedys mentioned recently. Also Al Gore.
Any VP choice in the aftermath of Cheney will have the ability to "inherit" more powers than ever before, assuming the prez goes along like Bush did.
Hi Utah
Interesting, you're right in there. I would prefer Edwards but this is the list Obama's people compiled and to me Hagel is most intriguing and I wouldn't mind seeing that! Billary is getting scarier by the day and they have to get the hell out! It may have changed but Here you go!
* Joe Biden - The Deleware Senator has been in Washington for a long time and although he has the experience to be vice president, his long tenure would play against Obama’s “change” mantra. In the long run, I believe Biden would be more useful to the next administration as a strong ally in the Senate.
* Bob Casey - A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer made a strong pitch for the PA Senator to be Obama’s running mate - they explained that he would help lock up Pennsylvania in the Fall. However, even though Hillary Clinton won the Keystone State in the primaries, George W. Bush lost the state in 2000 and 2004 and I just don’t see the state falling into the hands of the Republicans in a year when the party is is facing more troubles than Amy Winehouse. I believe Casey will make the short list, but I don’t think he’ll make it to the finals.
* Hillary Clinton - There are a lot of Democrats out there who are aching for a unity ticket - some are calling it the dream ticket - but I just don’t see Obama choosing his main rival for the nomination unless pressured by the party as a way to get her to drop out of the race, which is a strong possibility.
* Tom Daschle - The former South Dakota Senator is on the team doing the running mate search and some say his own name is on it - sound familiar? It should, Dick Cheney was in charge of finding Dubya a running mate. Actually, Daschle would be a good VP, but like Biden and others on the list, he runs counter to the “change” mantra.
* Chris Dodd - another long-time name in Washington, but unlike the others, the Connecticut Senator has always remained a vibrant force for change in the way things are done inside the Beltway. I think Dodd could make it to the final four and perhaps the final two.
* John Edwards - Another name people are bandying around as half of a dream ticket, but I don’t believe the former North Carolina senator is interested in running for the number two spot for a second straight time. He wants to be number one and if he has to wait until 2012 or 2016, so be it. Besides, I believe Obama has Edwards in mind to be the next Attorney General.
* Chuck Hagel - An interesting choice. A maverick Republican as part of the Democratic ticket. The Nebraska Senator could bring an interesting nuance to the race. Although he has split from his party on the question of Iraq, he remains a staunch fiscal and social conservative. Although his name would bring some moderates, Republicans and independents to the ticket, it would probably turn a lot of Democrats off.
* Tim Kaine - While the Virginia Governor could guarantee the Old Dominion in the Fall, I have read that Kaine has already been chopped off the short list.
* Janet Napolitano - One of the first women in the country to back Obama, the Arizona Governor may be too bland to go on the ticket and I believe another female Governor has the edge over Napolitano.
* Sam Nunn - The former Georgia Senator suffers from inside-itis. His time in Washington precludes him from the list and like Tim Kaine, I have read that his name has already been stricken from the list.
* Bill Richardson - I like the New Mexico Governor a lot. I think he would make a wonderful Vice President, but his is the third name I have read has been cut from the list. I believe Obama has Richardson in mind as Secretary of State.
*Tim Roemer - the former Indiana Congressman has been seen with Sen. Obama during several campaign stops in the Hoosier State, but I don’t believe his name carries nearly enough clout to help in the Fall. Not even close to making it to the finals.
* Kathleen Sebelius - This is the female Governor I was referring to earlier. I believe she might actually help bring a red state into strong play (her state of Kansas) and if I was a betting man, I would put my money on Sebelius actually making the final cut. It may come down to Obama choosing between her and Dodd. In the long run, Connecticut will already be in Obama’s column and Kansas would be a big prize!
* Ted Strickland - If there was anyone who could come close to making it up there with Dodd and Sebelius, it might be the Ohio Governor. With the way Ohio went in the previous two presidential contests and with Obama’s problems with the White working class, Strickland could prove crucial in getting Obama into the White House.
* Jim Webb - Another Virginian on the list, the first term Senator could bring help to Obama with veterans groups, but he may be considered too inexperienced by some - although not by me.
It's so nice to have such smart and well informed readers that I can write without editing, or even researching much, and you catch me every time. If it weren't
for spellcheck you wouldn't understand a word. Petro once said I type faster than I think. Quite the contrary, I can barely type at all.
I would love to see John Edwards as the Vice Presidential Candidate with Obama. I think Patriot is right, Richardson is probably on the short list for Sec. of State; I'd also heard his name bandied about for Attn. General.
U. Savage- Hi. I heard Jim Webb on Fresh Air two days ago and Terri asked him about VP, and he said there had been no mention to him. Boy, was he a smart and interesting man. I like Kathleen Sibellius and Bill Richardson myself. I like Edwards. I'm just worried about the fact that he ran with Kerry on the losing ticket. I always saw Edwards being a VP pick for Clinton, but that was before he endorsed Obama.
Wow...what a great thing to do this Sat...and Jim really added to the list so now names are swirling in my head...there are alot of good ones..
There is a problem with Strickland- he is brand new and struggling with alot of Crisis here in Ohio- so he is not quite as loved here as people think....and he was a huge Hillary Supporter- but he was present during all of her Meltdown moments here- and it did not sit well with folks...
Webb is interesting...very...
and So is Hagel....
Wesley Clark...I don't know if he would- he was and is very loyal to Hillary...
and yeah, I like Edwards as a Choice- and Edwards has support in alot of States that would help.... and I really like Richardson too...and Dodd...
the funny this is many of these folks would make a Dream Cabinet wouldn't they ???
Utah
I have to laugh All the books, Pamphlets, and writing later and I am still trying to learn how to type without looking. I am the typo king. That is what I use to think editors were for!
Thanks for mentioning Evan. I heard Daschle on one of those news shows and he sounded like he was on someone's list, just like Richardson.
I am so enjoying the weekend so far, hope you are too.
Jim Webb and then Wes Clark.
Kathleen Sebelius used to be a republican before she was a democrat. Perfect, two almost republicans pretending to be democrats stealing my party! Don't mind me--I'm just bitter ;)
I might be permanently bitter after these awful years of the shrub and Darth.
Normally, I do not comment on your political posts but since I am counting down the minutes until the election is actually over I was going to go against my better judgment and say a thing or three ... that was until I was surrounded by Thinker and Fallen Angel and advised to remain silent unless I wanted the things that I said to be held against me.
I will deal with them later.
You had commentary recently that said they were going to side with the LEAST corrupt of all the candidates and while I understand the thinking there, I struggle with that kind of mentality. I honestly wish that I could really see inside each candidate and see what drives them so I could have some kind of certainty about what they will really do once in office.
But since that ain't going to happen in this lifetime I will have to give up that fantasy.
I wish that I could share in the positive thinking that many hope is coming with the election just around the corner. Despite the fact that this country desperately needs a change, what I fear is that the corruption and greed are already too deeply entrenched and we all have some rough times ahead of us.
I suppose our founders had similar feelings when they decided to risk their lives and tell England to eat shit and die (or something to that effect). They all agreed as well that it was desperately time for a change that would upset those that had gotten accustomed to having things their way for far too long.
One thing about Webb, there's no way they'd be able to "swift boat" him. I mean, seriously, have you heard the long list of military honors that this fellow's accumulated? AND he was Reagan's Navy Secretary. Very impressive individual. I just wish he had more than 2 years in the Senate.
Will, less time in the Senate could be a good thing for the change candidate. We are sick of the Washington as usual crowd.
I love AAP's analysis. Here's how I voted on Vig's list... at least, what I remember...
As are as Hellary goes, the Democratic party must immediately take her out of the running both for the presidential and vice presidential nominations. If she can't handle the exhaustion of running for office and makes disgraceful comments on the campaign trail, how can she be president? And, have we had enough of a president who can't speak?
~Joe Biden: Because of his strong stance against Clarence Thomas at the Hill/Thomas trial. He managed to be absolutely tough on Thomas and maintain decorum and civility even during some of the more lurid testimony.
~Chris Dodd: Because of his untiring efforts to impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney and his stellar environmental policy. A liberal's liberal.
~Bill Richardson: Another wonderful liberal who fought this administration. AAP, he'd make a great Secretary of State, too.
~Wesley Clark: I voted for him in 2004. He knows how to navigate the land mine between Rethuglican and Democratic politics and would be great in office as a military advisor and someone who would back the troops. Clark would also be a good choice for Secretary of State. He would attract conservatives and Southerners.
~Jim Webb: He speaks his mind and doesn't play games. His military experience would attract conservative votes. And, like Clark, he's be a great military advisor.
~Dennis Kucinich: It will never happen, but his intelligence, pro-environmental, pro-choice, anti-Busheney stance makes me wish he'd bet the nod for VP.
We've got a good group of VP choices here: better than the possibility of McBush and the Lieb. All I know is that the Obama must be strategic and balanced in his choice for a running mate, and I have no idea which person would best complement Obama and bring him the most votes. And, K forgive me, after Friday, Clinton seems disconnected from common sense. The Dems just can't take the chance.
I think Edwards won't accept a nomination given his wife's illness, which saddens me greatly. I'm not a libertarian, but I watched the debates on CSPAN tonight. Sen. Gravel was wonderful, sharp, intelligent, and has some solid plans about what he wants to accomplish. I don't want to vote libertarian, but I'm rethinking my position: that is, voting for Gravel.
Here's my list of VP favs-
Maxine Walters- Cheeky, outspoken has always been open about being against the Iraq war. I remember her at a pro preace rally saying "My name is Maxine Walters & I am not afraid" right when the 9-11 paranoia frenzy was in full swing.
Fresh off her website:
Congresswoman Maxine Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor
Elected in November 2006 to her ninth term in the House of Representatives with an overwhelming 80 percent of the votes in the 35th District of California, Congresswoman Maxine Waters represents a large part of South Central Los Angeles, the communities of Westchester and Playa Del Rey as well as the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lawndale.
She continues to be a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and the Chairwoman of its Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. She also serves on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, Technology.
She also continues to serve on the Committee on the Judiciary and its Subcommittees on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, and on Immigration, Border Security and Claims.
Throughout her 29 years of public service, Maxine Waters has been on the cutting edge, tackling difficult and often controversial issues. She has combined her strong legislative and public policy acumen and high visibility in Democratic Party activities with an unusual ability to do grassroots organizing.
Prior to her election to the House of Representatives in 1990, Congresswoman Waters had already attracted national attention for her no-nonsense, no-holds-barred style of politics. During 14 years in the California State Assembly, she rose to the powerful position of Democratic Caucus Chair. She was responsible for some of the boldest legislation California has ever seen: the largest divestment of state pension funds from South Africa; landmark affirmative action legislation; the nation’s first statewide Child Abuse Prevention Training Program; the prohibition of police strip searches for nonviolent misdemeanors; and the introduction of the nation’s first plant closure law.
As a national Democratic Party leader, Congresswoman Waters has long been highly visible in Democratic Party politics and has served on the Democratic National Committee since 1980. She was a key leader in five presidential campaigns: Sen. Edward Kennedy (1980), Rev. Jesse Jackson (1984 & 1988), and President Bill Clinton (1992 & 1996). In 2001, she was instrumental in the DNC’s creation of the National Development and Voting Rights Institute.
They want to play the race card- Full tilt boogie baby.
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Geraldine Ferraro-- Ooops! Never mind.
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Nancy Pelosi-Doh! Off the table.
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Scooter Libby~ Darn! No felons allowed.
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Cindy Sheehan~Either find the Noble Cause, or put an end to this illegal occupation.
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Medea Benjamin~ Founding Mama of Code Pink. She actually has an impressive resume of fair trade worldwide work. She has visited jail facilities- arrested for taking a stand. Bright woman and great snese of humor.
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Helen Thomas~ Grand Damme Reporter of the White House press corps.
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How about Wexler- the guy running the petition for Impeachment on the Judiciary committee? He gives a good rant.
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Al Frankin- SNL comedian (remember Stuart Smalley???) turned Air America host, turned MN politician- wanna be
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Basically, my preferred profile would be the anti Hillary.
Can't be a war monger, we need a dove.
LOL OMG, Helen Thomas as VP!!! I LOVE it. OK, now I get to pick Barbara Boxer or Henry Waxman (I wish he disengage from the steroids thing). Yes, Maxine Waters is a great idea, too.
fran::: your list totally rocked...I too watched Gravel today...he made me laugh, smile and think....I had no idea he was Libertairan...
Helen Thomas as Press Secretary? wouldn't that be sweet...as anything..give the woman some Say in how things are run...she knows more than any of us...So Many People here with such good ideas...
No no.. I meant Robert Wexler, the judiciary committee impeachment petition guy.
http://wexler.house.gov/
that guy.... not stodgy waxman.
Oh and sorry about my typos, some day I will pause & spell check before hitting *send*
I'm a huge Edwards fan so he'd be my top pick except I'd actually much prefer to see him as AG.
I'd like to see Webb stay in the Senate. Virginia's a strange state; if he gives up his seat the replacement could easily be someone as appalling as George Allen was.
Kathleen Sibelius would help a lot with both Ohio and Kansas, not to mention women, but I don't know enough about her to have any strong feelings.
Wes Clark would be a plus in terms of quieting the "weak on defense" accusations that always get thrown at Dems (which, by the way, has always puzzled me -- WWI and WWII were both won under Democratic administrations).
I think I'll say either Clark or Sibelius with no strong feeling right now for one over the other.
I could see Hagel as Secretary of Defense, but don't think he'd be willing to jump parties to run with Obama. An endorsement by him would be huge, though.
Love this blog, btw, just found it a few weeks ago through PoliTits and really enjoy both the posts and the comments.
I like that one guy.
all good Utah..... I like them all.... the Democrats just have so damn much talent compared to the village idiots that have been in charge it is almost nauseating....
I was going to come on here and give you my thoughts but James beat me to them by pasting my thoughts from my blog. I firmly believe the final three will be Chris Dodd, Kathleen Sebelius, and Ted Strickland. In the end, I think Sebelius has the upper hand.
A quick word about Evan Bayh. When he was exploring a run for the White House he invited a few of us bloggers in Indiana to have lunch with him. At the time, he was still supporting the war and I called him on his support of a Constitutional Amendment against flag burning. He is a blue dog Democrat. His father Birch is much more respected by liberals. I believe he was on Hillary's short list and would have probably been her running mate. Trust me as a Hoosier, when I say Evan Bayh would not make a good Democratic VP. Republican moderate? Yeah!
Lots of good picks. I like the idea of one of the women who have been mentioned - if he doesn't pick Hillary at least then he wouldn't be accused of sexism.
Another thought is that he should pick someone with a lot of experience to counteract his lesser experience. (Sort of like Kennedy-Johnson). It can't be Dodd, much as I like him, because he's a Northeasterner and Obama probably needs to balance the ticket with a Westerner or Southerner. I liked the idea of Richardson but if he's off the list then I guess it will need to be someone else.
Fran, Waxman is not stogy. He is my representative and I ask you to look at his voting record. Other than this steroids nonsense, he's been a great candidate. Take a look at the record for Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which he chairs.
This is the Representative who has been known as the "House Bulldog" since 1974. Waxman fought against the Busheney administration and conservatives time after time. I had the privilege of meeting him, and he has a dynamic personality. When I asked him about his investigation of Blackwater KBR, and Bechtel his normal smile disappears. He stated, "We're not done with that yet."
I KNOW you meant Wexler, and I don't disagree. But I was commenting on two candidates I would like to see in the next administration. You want to put Wexler and Waxman together, I'm all for it.
I'm not confusing Wexler with Waxman. Waxman is my Representative. I like them both. Fran, don't err and think Waxman's stogy. I've watched his House Oversight Committee hearings on CSPAN more than once. He appears calm, but he always gets his way.
I'm for Webb too. Or perhaps Sam Nunn?
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