I like Sebelius.
So he should pick the least possible attractive candidate to his opponents so they won’t want him to die?
A VP candidate should be able to bring votes to the candidate in areas where he is considered weak, whether that is geographically or politically. Clark adds gravitas to the ticket, especially when running against a war hero.
Clark was not a good presidential candidate. He would add little to the ticket.
No one’s mentioned John Edwards yet? I always expected him to be the natural choice for both Obama and Hillary. I do hope it’s Richardson though, as I like him pretty well.
I doubt it. He couldn’t carry a single state for Kerry. Plus he was willing to run the campaign for president even with his wife’s serious illness, I don’t think he’d make the same personal sacrifice to run for veep.
Obama VP? Nah, I don’t think she would pick him.
Colin Powell
What can I say, I have a very real anxiety about someone wanting to take Obama out. The fact that Obama has had Secret Service protection since the very beginning of his campaign tells me that I am not alone. I tried to make it clear, I’m not proud or happy about this by any stretch of imagination; I do find it very troubling and would more than anything like to be wrong about it.
I am not thinking in terms of insurance(“that they won’t want him to die”) so much as I am thinking in a lack of incentives(‘they would rather take their chance with the next, more like-minded guy’). If I was solely thinking ‘insurance’ then I would have probably suggested more of a Kucinich or Gravel(Og love 'em both) type for the position.
I think in a post-Cheney world the VP selection and role is very important, that is why my pick is for Gov. Sebelius. Aside from not providing incentive, she is more than qualified for the job, perhaps even more so than Clark or Webb. Plus, she does helps in weak areas such as the gender gap that has been highlighted this primary, executive experience, and geographically. She could perhaps, based on her popularity in Kansas, carry the entire Midwest for Obama. Again, she then sets up a perfect run to be the first female President.
Besides, I think it would be enough for Obama to build a visible and vocal foreign policy team around himself with the Clark’s, Webb’s, and Sestak of the party to counter Mccain’s military record.
I would rather see Richardson as Sec. State and Edwards as AG, but I have no issues with either being VP. Except perhaps seeing Edwards at the end of the ticket would be to reminiscent of '04 for many, including myself to a degree.
I figure he’d be angling more for Attourney General.
A former general as VP nominee would help against military experience attacks.
Whoosh? Please?
Crazy thing is, he would probably be the Republican’s nominee, and hands down favorite right now if it weren’t for a certain speech he made in the build up to the worst foreign policy mistake in our history. IIRC he has come out in support of Obama, over Mccain even, but this would never happen.
Good heavens, why? He added nothing in '04.
Along those same lines there is always Dan Quayle…I hear he’s looking for work…
-XT
No, because if it’s Kaine, then VA gets a Republican governor.
I’m a Republican from Kansas, who will probably vote for Obama, and would love to see our governor, Kathleen Sebelius, as VP, and maybe someday POTUS.
John Edwards is not well liked by independents and cross overs. He adds nothing to the ticket. No Edwards supporter is likely to vote for anyone but Obama.
A Governor or ex-Governor makes the most sense. I think Richardson is a great choice.
There is always the long shot of talking Bloomberg into taking the VP slot, he could and would in theory spend $300 million of his own money to win the election.
Jim
I REALLY don’t want either candidate plucking any Dem senators out of the Capitol. We have too thin a majority as it is, and we’re losing one either way things go with the primaries. Reducing the Senate’s Democratic Caucus even more is kind of stupid if there are ANY alternative choices.
I think it’s got to be a Democrat, a governer or former governer or military officer, and (preferably) a Southerner.
Richardson’s not a bad choice, but I expect Gov. Jim Bredesen (TN) to be on the short list.
ETA: Al Gore didn’t carry his home state, but I think Obama/Bredesen would. And the executive experience helps shore up one of Obama’s perceived weaknesses, as well as providing some geographic balance to the ticket. Dems always do better when they run a southerner.
I like Sebelius very much (her dad was governor of Ohio for a single term in the 1970s), but I think asking voters to go for both a black and a woman - both unprecedented, if elected - in the top two spots might be asking too much in the same election. Far more likely Obama will pick a politically helpful white male Southerner or swing-stater, methinks. My suggestions:
Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio - A Hillary supporter, but not so much (or so anti-Obama) that he’d be out of consideration.
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio - Right now an unpledged superdelegate, but a strong critic of NAFTA and probably a good fit for Obama. Both are first-term senators, though, so that might not be so good experience-wise, although Brown has long House experience and statewide officeholder experience in Ohio. Either Brown or Strickland could probably deliver Ohio to Obama in November.
Gov. Jim Bredesen of Tennessee - A successful businessman and very popular Dem. there (I agree with Skammer). Tennessee would be a great state to pick up this fall.
Former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia - Although he’ll probably have Sen. John Warner’s seat for the asking, and that might be seen as more important to Dem poohbahs when a VP is picked. Having Virginia in the Dems’ column this fall could make all the difference.
As I see it, Obama needs to win where Kerry did in '04, and just pick up another state or two. Even against McCain, the GOP’s best candidate, it’s very feasible.
Why? Obama didn’t even win Tennessee. Bredesen (Phil, not Jim) didn’t even endorse him, let alone make any effort to help him win his state, so why would Obama “reward” him with a VP slot? Richardson too, for that matter.
Richardson would be an excellent choice in the sense that he balances the ticket: southwest vs midwest, governor vs senator, brings foreign policy experience. But is he…uh, too ethnic? Should Obama be looking for a white guy?
My first thought was Joe Biden.