# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 12
**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, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/221 "2008-05-21T19:08:36Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] 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. [/QUOTE] You can’t bet _against_ people, only for them. I agree; there is no way Gore is the choice. The odds come from [sportsbook.com](http://sportsbook.com), but the offshore web sites usually have pretty much the same odds. Now is the time to wager to get good odds. I picked Obama and McCain at like 10-1 each a long time ago, so I’m set regardless of who wins in November. I didn’t bet enough to retire on though. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/222 "2008-05-21T21:05:02Z")
I’d take Sibelius at 8-to-1, and Richardson at 5-to-1. Wouldn’t touch Edwards, Gore, Paul, or Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/223 "2008-05-21T21:17:52Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] … I didn’t bet enough to retire on though. [/QUOTE] Bet a dollar on “Fightin’ Joe” Lieberman today, you could buy Canada next year. ---
**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 21, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/224 "2008-05-21T22:16:51Z")
Webb was on NPR and basically said he’d turn it down. He feels he can do more good where he is now, especially since he’s gonna be the senior from his state soon. ---
**Author:** ![Flipshod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Flipshod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipshod)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/225 "2008-05-21T23:05:33Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] You can’t bet _against_ people, only for them. … [/QUOTE] What? No market in short sales? That’s an inefficiency right there. I was Gore/Obama at the beginning, but I’d put the money I sent to the recruit-Gore folks down on a Gore for VP short position. Pure gravy. 😛 Seriously though, I’ve come around to Sebelius now. She wraps up the folks who are concerned about having a woman on the ticket. She was always perfect for it, but at first, I thought it would be too blatant a play, but now I’m thinking subtlety on this matter is a wasted effort. Call me a jaded pig. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/226 "2008-05-22T09:40:19Z")
[QUOTE=I Love Me, Vol. I] I’m not so sure. The rapidly increasing Hispanic population in the U.S. breaks down somewhat curiously and unpredictably between the Left and Right (as well as points between, of course). Seems to me this could be a somewhat volatile voting bloc (at least in the center) come the general election. [/QUOTE] To me that’s one of the weirdest things about American politics, how every prediction and campaign move seems to be about pigeonholes… Not that we don’t have them elsewhere, too; in the last Spanish election there were too many parties whose posters whittled down to “where I live, we vote XYZ!” But sometimes hearing you guys it’s as if people’s ideas are expected to be 100% defined by the color of their skin, their religion and what’s between their legs 😕 Just an observation from the peanut gallery. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/227 "2008-05-23T14:21:59Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] Everyone knows I am as diehard Obama as the next poster {COUGH} **Shayna** {COUGH} - but I wonder about a Richardson Veep slot being … well … too Brown. :smack: I hate even writing that as I feel great about that ticket, but as we have seen a large majority of Americans feel differently. I think Sebelius would be a great pick, but I also like Webb… [/QUOTE] These were my thoughts as well. Gov. Tim Kaine of my great state is a national co-chair, was an early supporter, is a former Catholic missionary, and has connections to a political network here in VA (he’s married to former Republican Governorn Linwood Hollton’s daughter). If not VP, I certainly believe he’ll be in an Obama administration. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/228 "2008-05-23T17:50:47Z")
I do _not_ think that [this](http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/47200/) will happen, but the analysis of Bloomberg as a partner for one or the other is nevertheless interesting. > [@](#): > > the case for Bloomberg requires you to stretch your mind a bit. But just a bit. It begins with the eminently reasonable assumption that the economy will be the central issue in the fall campaign—an issue neither Obama nor McCain has a solid handle on. Bloomberg, with his entrepreneurial background and his record of financial stewardship of Gotham, would be a boon to either runner in this department … > > If the central doubt about Obama is his lack of experience (and, in particular, executive experience), Bloomberg would provide a degree of reassurance. Picking him would substantiate and reinforce Obama’s message of pragmatism and post-partisanship. And he would go a long way toward mitigating Obama’s problem with Jewish voters, a dilemma brought on by a combination of his association with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the nuthouse rumors that he is a closet Muslim, and his willingness to talk to anti-Israel crackpots such as Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. > > Just how serious is that problem? So serious it might put Florida out of Obama’s reach. And Schoen contends it might even give him trouble in states as far-flung and unlikely as Nevada (where the electorate is 3 to 4 percent Jewish—who knew?), Colorado (1 to 2 percent), and Pennsylvania (4 to 5 percent). “For Obama, the question is, how does he get to the states John Kerry carried plus one?” says a Democratic operative. “Given his difficulties in Pennsylvania and Ohio, there’s not a lot of room for error. With Bloomberg on the ticket, Florida is back in play—especially if he’d spend, say, $50 million on Barack’s behalf there.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/229 "2008-05-25T20:12:07Z")
He’s put the selection in the experienced hands of the same guy who did it for Kerry and Mondale. I feel more confident already. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/230 "2008-05-28T19:25:27Z")
[TNR](http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_spine/archive/2008/05/27/memo-to-barack-obama-your-vice-presidential-designee.aspx) has a piece pushing Ken Salazar (Senator from Colorado): > [@](#): > > Here are reasons for Obama picking Salazar: > > 1. He is a passionate and practical conservationist. This is still an abstract issue but it has, I believe, much popular feeling behind it which Democrats have rarely been able to activate because they themselves have been reluctant to tackle it. > > 2. He is a fifth generation Hispanic American and is a prototype of how Latino descendants of immigrants (and immigrants themselves) can prosper in American and enrich America at the same time. He would help the ticket beyond measure in toss-up jurisdictions like Colorado, Texas, other states in the southwest, Florida, and states with big cities that have large Hispanic populations, populations that without Salazar on the ticket might stay at home on election day because of the discontent fomented by Hillary and mischief-making hubby. > > 3. He has demonstrated that he can bridge differences within the Democratic caucus and across party lines with the Republicans, which as vice president (and presiding officer of the Senate) he would have ample opportunities to do. > > 4. He can keep Democratic hawks in the party. Losing these voters, plenty in number, would be an utter disaster, perhaps the difference between McCain and Obama in the White House. And [here](http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/ixnay_on_the_ebbway.php)’s an interesting piece showcasing why Webb might be a really bad choice if the priority is to try to win over alienated females/Hillary supporters. Really worth considering. And it’s just one of a [growing skepticism](http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2008/05/webb_for_vp_backlash/) on how much Webb will actually help the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/231 "2008-05-28T21:06:56Z")
[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] Last night on "Hannity and Colmes, “that bitch” said when asked if she would vote for Obama in November was she would have to think about it. That’s the same response Michelle Obama gave when she was asked if she would vote for Hillary Clinton. And continuing to berate HRC and her supporters is not a way to build party unity. ---
**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 28, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420/232 "2008-05-28T21:57:00Z")
[QUOTE=kevja] Last night on "Hannity and Colmes, “that bitch” said when asked if she would vote for Obama in November was she would have to think about it. That’s the same response Michelle Obama gave when she was asked if she would vote for Hillary Clinton. And continuing to berate HRC and her supporters is not a way to build party unity. [/QUOTE] Ferraro also accused Obama of having run a sexist campaign (I don’t get that whatsoever) and – hysterically – of being the one to blame for Hillary’s RFK flap (this after Barack went out of his way to try let her off the hook). Why is it that Hillary feels perfectly justified in jumping with two feet onto any and every Obama verbal gaffe, innuendo, casual association or trumped up accusation possible (sometimes doing the trumping herself), even, I might add, playing on and encouraging racial animus, yet also wants to play the victim for her own mistakes (which include actual wholesale fabrications and genuinely offensive remarks, not just awkward phrasings here and there) and accuse her opponent of playing dirty _even when he tries to defend her_? I never had anything against Hillary and even now, in spite of everything, would probably still vote for her over McCain, but she has absolutely no room to speak about party unity, that’s for sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-vp-choice/448420.md?page=11)