On to the Veepstakes!

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Permalink Reply by Tess on June 4, 2008 at 3:09pm

Although I agree with Jack and would hate to lose any seats in the Senate, Webb would help bring in moderates, strengthen the Dems in the South, and beef up the national security issue that will no doubt be raised against Obama. In my opinion he'd make for a much stronger team than if Obama chose Clinton. He also brings in more name recognition than Sam Nunn - Sam's been away for a while now.

Permalink Reply by John Antonelli on June 4, 2008 at 8:15pm

Bill Richardson is the choice for him, experience the south and west, hispanics. Hillary, NO. Barack spent how long beating her up so no to her. Webb is a nut.

So much for the Dems

What about McCain????

Permalink Reply by Tess on June 4, 2008 at 10:17pm

What about McCain? A guy with guts, but no new ideas. He still insists we were right to go into Iraq. Anyone who denies abandoning the hunt for Bin Laden to invade Iraq is the least likely person to solve the problems created by that mistake. Before the war, McCain and Powell could have run in any order and would have won a landslide victory. But, since they drank the Bush League cool aid, they both sold their souls when they sold the war. Unless you think the last seven years have been good for working folks and our world standing, McCain is a 20 year Senator with a 95% record of voting in lockstep with the failed policies of the most inept and possibly most corrupt administration of the modern era. When Pres. Ike told us to beware of the military industrial complex, it was the Bush/Cheney/Halliburton/KBR nightmare he was warning us about. McCain is staffed, funded and surrounded by the same beltway parasites, so I doubt very much he has any intention of altering the business-as-usual approach to governing. Our only hope is the young man from Illinois. A veep like Bob Kerrey, Sam Nunn, or Bill Bradley could bring valuable foreign policy credentials to the team.

Permalink Reply by John Antonelli on June 5, 2008 at 7:25am

Hi Tess, would I be wrong to think you do not support Senator McCain? :) Either way, the man is running and since we are doing the Veepstakes here, no sense in having only half the fun we can have.

So, knowing what you know about the man and you certainly listed the negatives, who would you pick to mitigate them?

Permalink Reply by Tess on June 5, 2008 at 9:03am

My husband sent that last email from my computer from home last night, and although I might have worded it slightly differently, I completely agree with him. I in NO WAY support McCain. He sold his soul to the Bush Administration eight years ago so that he could be the next candidate for President. He no longer has the integrity or the "straight talk" he still pretends to have. I appreciate his service and sacrifices he made on our behalf, but that isn't a good reason to elect him president. There are many, many reasons why he should not be president.

If Webb isn't a viable choice, then I think any of the above (Kerrey, Nunn or Bradley) would be good. We would risk losing some of the younger voters (many of whom won't know who these fine men are) and women voters (surely there are strong female candidates to consider). Richardson is also a strong candidate and would strengthen Obama's hand with Hispanics, but he was horrible in the first Democratic debate so I'm not sure how he would do.

We debated this at home last night, but I think if Obama doesn't pick a white male as his running mate, he will lose the election.

Permalink Reply by John Antonelli on June 5, 2008 at 9:18am

EEk, I think your husband needs his own log in name on the Conversation. I suggest Husband of Tess. Ok that takes care of Obama and I know you don't McCain, but who do you think he should pick? No Tess, Satan is not an appropriate answer :) Methinks it should be someone liberal or as liberal as one can get in the GOP, young, he has to be young to counteract McCains age. I can't find a name to go with this however.

Permalink Reply by Tess on June 5, 2008 at 10:06am

How about Jeb Bush? : )

Permalink Reply by Jack on June 5, 2008 at 11:03am

Sorry about the confusion, John. I thought I had logged in properly even though I was using my wife's laptop while watching the Red Wings. I hear McCain's camp is leaning toward Bobby Jindal the Bayou Boy Wonder who is Louisiana's new 36 yr old Governor. He's very bright and a religious conservative. Raised as a Hindu by his immigrant parents, he's a Catholic convert. Jindal could inject youth into McCain's campaign, bring a large Indian/Asian following and mollify some of the religious right. That said, such a choice confirms that McCain is willing to sell whatever is left of his soul to pull the very elements to his side that he once thumbed his nose at, i.e. the religious right. So if you liked John Hagee et al and their bizarre views of why Hitler killed 6 million Jews (God was motivating them to move to Israel) or why Katrina wiped out New Orleans (God didn't like their behavior a la Sodom and Gomorrah) then you'll love the company McCain keeps when he's not replacing his rotating K St lobbyists for conflict of interest.

Permalink Reply by Margot on June 5, 2008 at 12:09pm

Please, not Jim Webb. We in Virginia and the country as a whole need him in the Senate for at least the rest of his current term. And the poster who said we need a white male was right on -- we can't have both the "never a black " and the "never a woman" voters combining. Richardson would probably be a good one, except he might stir up the anti-Hispanics. Someone strong on foreign policy is needed, too bad Biden isn't in contention. Nunn, Kerrey, Bradley -- good candidates, but all have been out of the process for quite a while. I'm sure there are other good candidates, that just haven't been hyped enough for me to know about. Hopefully --

Permalink Reply by csdiego on June 5, 2008 at 5:54pm

Richardson would probably be a good one, except he might stir up the anti-Hispanics.

I like Richardson for this position. He brings in another part of the country, he solidifies Obama's support with Hispanics, and he has a strong foreign policy background, including a good record as a freelance negotiator with foreign governments. Anybody who will reject a black-Hispanic ticket or who can't tell the difference between Bill Richardson and an illegal immigrant is never going to vote for Obama in the first place.

I'm pleased with Obama as a candidate and I think he could mix well with lots of different veep candidates. I hadn't thought of Sam Nunn--hasn't it been a while since he was active in politics? The same goes for Bill Bradley--I supported him in 2000, but now I think he's been out of the spotlight too long.

Permalink Reply by Tom on June 5, 2008 at 6:00pm

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How to choose a Veep ?
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How about a 1977 idea, the instant run-off, joined with a 1997 idea, internet voting.

Let's select many names, rate them 1 to X, and choose the President of the Senate of the US.
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Ideally, the original intent of Our Constitution should be restored. That would have given the office of President to G.W. Bush in 2000 and the office of President of the Senate of the US to Albert Gore.

And who better to keep an eye on the President of the United States than the almost President; an original check and balance we lost when Mr Burr and Mr Jefferson were chosen.
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Permalink Reply by Scott Schneider on June 5, 2008 at 9:30pm

I enjoyed hearing the interview this morning on Morning Edition with Doris Kearns Goodwin about Hillary being chosen as Obama's VP, but the most relevant question went unasked. Goodwin's book, Team of Rivals, has been cited by many, including Obama, and illustrates how Lincoln chose his rivals to be part of his administration for the good of the country, but Lincoln did NOT choose one of them to be VP. Hannibal Hamlin became VP while the rivals were given various cabinet posts, like Secretary of War. Hillary could make a great secretary of HHS, but choosing her for VP may not be the smartest move.

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