# Obama's VP choice **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 7, 2008, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420 "2008-05-07T12:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/201 "2008-05-16T21:55:01Z")
Again, Hagel as SecDefense is a great idea. Hagel as a VP is a horrible idea and potential Republican trojan horse. He is Rush-right on _every_ issue outside of Bush’s foreign policy. What sense would that make? The punditry talking up the idea, does not make me feel any better about it in the least. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/202 "2008-05-16T23:51:53Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] Some Senators [have responded](http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/senators-say-whether-theyd-agree-to-be-vice-president-2008-05-12.html) to a hypothetical VP offer:McCaskill: “If I were asked, I would ask some mental health professionals to visit Barack Obama. I just think Sen. Obama is way too smart to pick me. I’m not a good pick, and he’s smarter than that. That’s why he’s going to make such a good president.”Webb: “I’m not really interested. That’s all I want to say.”Brown: “No, I want to continue serving the people of Ohio as their senator for as long as I’m able.” A lot more (on both sides of the aisle) responded, and some of the answers are quite funny: Tom Harkin (D-Iowa): “No, I’d have Jon Stewart stand in for me. Jon Stewart. That’s my guy.” John Barrasso (R-Wyo.): “We already have a vice president from Wyoming. So we’ll have to see if Sen. McCain asks me to chair his selection committee. That seems to work well. It certainly seemed to work well for the last guy from Wyoming.” Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.): “I plan to stick with my current job until I get the hang of it.” Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii): “If I were asked, I would say, ‘You’re out of your mind.’ ” Judd Gregg (R-N.H.): “No. I don’t like going to funerals.” Tom Carper (D-Del.): “Yes. Sign me up. I’ve been kidding people for years: The hours are better, the wages are just as good — whoever heard of a vice president getting shot at? — and it’s a great opportunity to travel. And actually since time has gone by, the job is robust … So sure. Anybody here would, if they’re going to be honest. The chances are slim to none. But I promise you, I would deliver all three of Delaware’s electoral votes.” Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.): “No, I can already preside over the Senate, and I do not enjoy spending a lot of time at ‘undisclosed locations.’ ” Bob Bennett (R-Utah): “Of course. Big house, big car, not much to do. Why not?” [/QUOTE] I like these: Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) “Are you kidding? Every senator would accept that offer. My guess is that almost every senator looks at themselves in the mirror in the morning and sees either a future president or vice president.” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) “The chances of that are so remote that I’m more likely to be hit by an asteroid.” Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) “No. I enjoy life too much.” Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) “I would say ‘No, Hillary.’ ” ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/203 "2008-05-18T07:16:35Z")
I still say John Edwards for VP. Especially after listening to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDmasopEXao&feature=user) inspiring stump speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/204 "2008-05-18T15:56:30Z")
[QUOTE=Kozmik] I still say John Edwards for VP. Especially after listening to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDmasopEXao&feature=user) inspiring stump speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan. [/QUOTE] Edwards was asked if he was interested in the job recently, and flatly said he doesn’t want it. He said it was “premature” to discuss the AG job - so I think we can interpret that to mean he endorsed Obama in return for being promised the job of Attorney General, or at least, promised consideration. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/205 "2008-05-20T00:27:12Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Edwards was asked if he was interested in the job recently, and flatly said he doesn’t want it. He said it was “premature” to discuss the AG job - so I think we can interpret that to mean he endorsed Obama in return for being promised the job of Attorney General, or at least, promised consideration. [/QUOTE] If New Mexico is any sort of bellweather, [he might want to reconsider](http://www.surveyusa.com/index.php/2008/05/19/running-mates-8-tickets-16-matchups-17-states/). We’ll see what SurveyUSA’s other 16 states have to say as they release the data, but in NM, Obama/Edwards beats McCain/anyone, and Obama/anyone-else loses to McCain/anyone. To be fair, SUSA only looked at four veep choices for each candidate: Huck, Romney, Loserman, and Pawlenty for McCain, and Sibelius, Rendell, Hagel, and Edwards for Obama. So no Strickland or Sherrod Brown, no Jim Webb, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/206 "2008-05-20T01:43:42Z")
I sincerely hope Obama doesn’t go with a white man if a good alternative presents itself, if just to irritate naysayers. All the hemming and hawing here about “hrm…I’m so sorry to have to think this…but…herm…the vice president has to be a white guy” is gross; I think it says as much about the speakers as about the public. To overcome bigotry, we have to be aggressive. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/207 "2008-05-20T17:33:02Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] If New Mexico is any sort of bellweather, [he might want to reconsider](http://www.surveyusa.com/index.php/2008/05/19/running-mates-8-tickets-16-matchups-17-states/). We’ll see what SurveyUSA’s other 16 states have to say as they release the data, but in NM, Obama/Edwards beats McCain/anyone, and Obama/anyone-else loses to McCain/anyone. To be fair, SUSA only looked at four veep choices for each candidate: Huck, Romney, Loserman, and Pawlenty for McCain, and Sibelius, Rendell, Hagel, and Edwards for Obama. So no Strickland or Sherrod Brown, no Jim Webb, etc. [/QUOTE] I think a big factor in this is that people know Edwards, while Sibelius and so on are unknowns to most voters. They might as well be asking about Brown or Jones for running mates. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/208 "2008-05-20T18:15:39Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] If New Mexico is any sort of bellweather, [he might want to reconsider](http://www.surveyusa.com/index.php/2008/05/19/running-mates-8-tickets-16-matchups-17-states/). We’ll see what SurveyUSA’s other 16 states have to say as they release the data, but in NM, Obama/Edwards beats McCain/anyone, and Obama/anyone-else loses to McCain/anyone. To be fair, SUSA only looked at four veep choices for each candidate: Huck, Romney, Loserman, and Pawlenty for McCain, and Sibelius, Rendell, Hagel, and Edwards for Obama. So no Strickland or Sherrod Brown, no Jim Webb, etc. [/QUOTE] They apparently didn’t ask about Obama/Richardson. I can’t believe that Edwards would do better in Bill Richardson’s home state than Richardson himself would do. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/209 "2008-05-20T18:26:15Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] I think a big factor in this is that people know Edwards, while Sibelius and so on are unknowns to most voters. They might as well be asking about Brown or Jones for running mates. [/QUOTE] That may well be the case. But the fact remains that Obama/Edwards does better against McCain/whoever than Obama does against McCain - not only in New Mexico, but in [Pennsylvania](http://www.surveyusa.com/index.php/2008/05/20/running-mates-pennsylvania-edition/) too. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/210 "2008-05-20T18:29:49Z")
[QUOTE=Lama Pacos] I sincerely hope Obama doesn’t go with a white man if a good alternative presents itself, if just to irritate naysayers. All the hemming and hawing here about “hrm…I’m so sorry to have to think this…but…herm…the vice president has to be a white guy” is gross; I think it says as much about the speakers as about the public. To overcome bigotry, we have to be aggressive. [/QUOTE] The Democrats need to win in November. Now is not the time to be foolishly aggressive, they have to be strategic and practical. One groundbreaking step at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/211 "2008-05-20T19:00:04Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] The Democrats need to win in November. Now is not the time to be foolishly aggressive, they have to be strategic and practical. One groundbreaking step at a time. [/QUOTE] On the other hand, we really need a majority of Clinton’s “womyn” supporters who’re angry that Obama “stole” the nomination from the first woman who was supposed to become president (in their opinion). Women like that bitch Geraldine Ferraro, who’s now saying that she might not even vote for him because she thinks he ran a “sexist” campaign. :rolleyes: She’s giving women “permission” to use that as an excuse not to vote for him, regardless of the facts. Having a woman on the ticket with him utterly demolishes the contention that he’s in any way “sexist”. And given that there are some outstanding women with excellent credentials, especially my first choice, Kathleen Sebelius, I see no reason not to continue with the “groundbreaking” theme on his ticket. I really don’t see it as being foolishly aggressive at all. In fact, I think it would indeed be strategic and practical (in addition to being good for the country). ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/212 "2008-05-20T21:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] On the other hand, we really need a majority of Clinton’s “womyn” supporters who’re angry that Obama “stole” the nomination from the first woman who was supposed to become president (in their opinion). Women like that bitch Geraldine Ferraro, who’s now saying that she might not even vote for him because she thinks he ran a “sexist” campaign. :rolleyes: She’s giving women “permission” to use that as an excuse not to vote for him, regardless of the facts. Having a woman on the ticket with him utterly demolishes the contention that he’s in any way “sexist”. And given that there are some outstanding women with excellent credentials, especially my first choice, Kathleen Sebelius, I see no reason not to continue with the “groundbreaking” theme on his ticket. I really don’t see it as being foolishly aggressive at all. In fact, I think it would indeed be strategic and practical (in addition to being good for the country). [/QUOTE] I just see his potential election as A GIANT LEAP forward for this country in terms of engrained habit, if not engrained attitudes. I think Obama is going to pick a hellavu of a running mate – whoever and and whatever sex they may be. I’m still kind of sad that things just couldn’t work out that he could pick her, i.e., the campaign she ran, his running as the new idea and she’s same-old, same-old) and Sebelius would be a great choice. You might be right, but I’m just worried that, for those people who might be ready to take ONE GIANT LEAP forward might be a litttle more hesitant to take TWO GIANTS LEAPS all at once. I wish it wasn’t so but my heart tells me it is. Welcome back. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/213 "2008-05-20T21:31:25Z")
deleted - double post. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/214 "2008-05-20T23:48:16Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] I just see his potential election as A GIANT LEAP forward for this country in terms of engrained habit, if not engrained attitudes. I think Obama is going to pick a hellavu of a running mate – whoever and and whatever sex they may be. I’m still kind of sad that things just couldn’t work out that he could pick her, i.e., the campaign she ran, his running as the new idea and she’s same-old, same-old) and Sebelius would be a great choice. You might be right, but I’m just worried that, for those people who might be ready to take ONE GIANT LEAP forward might be a litttle more hesitant to take TWO GIANTS LEAPS all at once. I wish it wasn’t so but my heart tells me it is. Welcome back. [/QUOTE] Thanks! It’s nice to _be_ back. 🙂 You could be right, of course. However, consider this; a _lot_ of people were talking about Obama/Clinton (or the other way around) as the “Dream Ticket”. The people who were against it, weren’t against it because of the race/gender issue, but because these two particular candidates are so extremely different in their approach and style. As you said, he’s the new wave and she’s the old school. So if the “Dream Ticket” was so appealing to so many people, and it had both a black man and a woman on it, I see no reason to think it would be less appealing – or as you’re concerned about, too big of a leap – if it was a _different_ woman. (If any of that rambling made any sense – I think my jet lag is starting to kick in. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/215 "2008-05-21T17:29:18Z")
We now have odds on the Democratic VP nominee! Ron Paul 20 - 1 Barack Obama 15 - 1 Michael Bloomberg 15 - 1 Mark Warner 15 - 1 Ted Strickland 10 - 1 Wesley Clark 10 - 1 Kathleen Sebelius 8 - 1 Al Gore 8 - 1 Jim Webb 5 - 1 Bill Richardson 4 - 1 Hillary Clinton 3 - 1 John Edwards 5 - 2 Incidentally, Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney are the Republican favorites. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/216 "2008-05-21T17:32:01Z")
Those Ron Paul odds are off by several orders of magnitude. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/217 "2008-05-21T17:38:08Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Those Ron Paul odds are off by several orders of magnitude. [/QUOTE] Better chance than Obama nominating himself. These are newly posted odds. Once the marketplace gets to mess with them for awhile they will start looking more realistic. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/218 "2008-05-21T17:42:41Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] We now have odds on the Democratic VP nominee! [/quote] Whose odds? Where can I get a bet down against Al Gore? I don’t _think_ it’ll be Edwards or Hillary. I’m _positive_ that Al Gore has better things to do with his life than run for veep, given that he decided awhile back that he had better things to do than run for President. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/219 "2008-05-21T17:44:23Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] Better chance than Obama nominating himself. These are newly posted odds. Once the marketplace gets to mess with them for awhile they will start looking more realistic. [/QUOTE] Do they take odds exceeding a gazillion to one? ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/220 "2008-05-21T18:50:14Z")
In more Sebelius news and, I admit, my promoting of her-- how’s this for an [Executive using the power of the veto for good?](http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/626218.html) > [@](#): > > “Additionally, no elected official should support enacting new laws discouraging or disenfranchising any American who has been legally voting for years,” she wrote. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420.md?page=12)