[QUOTE=tds1273]
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.
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I admit I don’t know a lot about Sebelius, though from what I hear she would be a very good choice. I have always liked Clark, and he appeals to a type of independent that Obama doesn’t. The downside is that it is the kind of independent to whom McCain also appeals, so there is a danger that selecting Clark will not do anything. I like Clark as a pick because National Security is going to be a big drum that the GOP will be banging all this election. But I do accept the possibility that a VP won’t be enough to blunt that issue, so it might be worth walking away from it totally.
[QUOTE=jayjay]
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.
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Good thinking. Guys like Biden, Feingold, and Dodd would be great picks but both are far more valuable in the Senate; now if only one of them could replace Reid, that would be awesome. This is also one reason why I pick Sebelius over Gov. Janet Napolitano of AZ. Don’t get me wrong, Napolitano would be great, especially being from AZ, but I think I like the idea, and the chances, of her moving in on Mccain’s Senate seat more.
A bit off topic but what do you all think of a Chuck Hagel being Sec. Defense? I know he has been vocal about getting out of Iraq and has shown little to no support for Mccain, but plenty for Obama and his policy of diplomacy. A prominent military Republican in a prominent Presidential Cabinet position? If Hagel would take the offer, and I am not sure why he wouldn’t. I see it as a huge plus for Obama, well both of them really. It would also give him the flexibility to pick his VP for more domestic policies, like say a particular red state Governor…
[QUOTE=DanBlather]
Doesn’t get any whiter than that.
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Doesn’t, but Joe Biden was who immediately sprang to my mind as well. Elder statesman, respected by both parties, tons of experience in domestic policy (Obama’s weak suit)…can’t really carry a presidential nomination himself, but perfect #2 material.
[QUOTE=tds1273]
A bit off topic but what do you all think of a Chuck Hagel being Sec. Defense? I know he has been vocal about getting out of Iraq and has shown little to no support for Mccain, but plenty for Obama and his policy of diplomacy. A prominent military Republican in a prominent Presidential Cabinet position? If Hagel would take the offer, and I am not sure why he wouldn’t. I see it as a huge plus for Obama, well both of them really. It would also give him the flexibility to pick his VP for more domestic policies, like say a particular red state Governor…
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It would, at the very least, give the possibility of Senate Republicans voting AGAINST a fellow Republican for a Cabinet post in a Democratic administration. That’s something to watch on C-Span and tell your grandkids about.
[QUOTE=Maureen]
Doesn’t, but Joe Biden was who immediately sprang to my mind as well. Elder statesman, respected by both parties, tons of experience in domestic policy (Obama’s weak suit)…can’t really carry a presidential nomination himself, but perfect #2 material.
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I have one word to counter the idea of a Biden veep pick: plagiarism. Obama’s been falsely accused of it already, and adding Biden, who basically had to drop out of the '88 presidential race because of allegations of plagiarizing a paper in law school and also was caught plagiarizing Neil Kinnock and RFK in his political life, is a somewhat bad idea.
I think she could be an asset; she’s a popular Democrat in a very red state. Even my die-hard “vote for a ham sandwich before voting for a Democrat” parents like her.
[QUOTE=jayjay]
It would, at the very least, give the possibility of Senate Republicans voting AGAINST a fellow Republican for a Cabinet post in a Democratic administration. That’s something to watch on C-Span and tell your grandkids about.
[/QUOTE]
Heh. Do you think they would? I’m grinning right now just imagining their heads exploding over those confirmation hearings.
At the present rate I think I might actually be telling my grandkids about Republicans in the same way I’ll be telling them about polar bears and CRT monitors.
[QUOTE=jayjay]
I have one word to counter the idea of a Biden veep pick: plagiarism.
[/QUOTE]
I have another word: lobbyists.
Biden has been in the back pocket of the credit card industry for years, and was instrumental in getting the industry’s pet bankruptcy “reform” bill passed.
Biden has been in the back pocket of the credit card industry for years, and was instrumental in getting the industry’s pet bankruptcy “reform” bill passed.
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I actually considered noting that, as well. He’s one of Delaware’s senators, and Delaware is the center of the credit card industry right now.
This is who I came in here to mention. We love our governor. She is incredibly smart, charasmatic, and willing to work with Republicans to get things done.
She publicly gave her support to Obama 2 months ago and she would almost guarantee him Arizona - a traditionally “red” state.
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]
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.
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On the other hand, how many disappointed Clinton supporters might he pick up with a female VP?
[QUOTE=Twoflower]
On the other hand, how many disappointed Clinton supporters might he pick up with a female VP?
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My feeling is that Clinton supporters are going to vote for the Democratic candidate no matter what. I’m not sure that I feel the same about Obama supporters.
I’ll add here that my choice of Richardson also applies if Clinton wins.
