Never mind. All the dire predictions I remember seeing are about the general. Still, the sheer certainty in those posts is nothing short of remarkable.
From a purely pragmatic point of view, Sam Nunn guarantees a solid south (turning populous red states back to blue), puts the requisite white guy on the ticket with foreign policy experience, and doesn’t cannibalize from Congress as Webb would do.
Richardson, who I admire greatly, would make the ticket so brown that the racism from the right might actually backfire, but that’s risky, and, anyway, he needs to be Sec of State.
Sibelius is certainly a dream ticket, but risks seeming like the any-woman-except-Hillary choice, and also has the riskiness associated with Richardson, i.e. the lack of a white guy.
white southern guys for Obama unite!
The results of numerous polls positing a hypothetical Obama-McCain election suggest otherwise.
Sounds good to me too but doesn’t one of the two need foreign policy experience?
Also, I’m still wondering if the country is ready for a black and a woman* in the top two spots at the same time. After all, regrettable as it is, the person he picks will have to appeal to and bring in the parts of the electorate he can’t bring in alone. And imagine the fears the Repubicans can play on with two such targets.
I’m thinking Richardson too.
What Kevbo (and maybe others) said.
The SDMB has educated me to the significant racism sadly extant in America. Thus, with regard to Richardson, wouldn’t he risk losing the white vote?
:dubious: Richardson isn’t white either.
From the beginning, I’ve said Richardson no matter who wins the nomination. I think he’d make a spiffy running mate for McCain too.
Harold Ford, Jr.! Embrace the moment! 
um…no. Why would a guy that lost his senate bid be a good choice?
Ohhhhhhh you were jokin
Got that right.
U.S. Hispanic Population Surpasses 45 Million Now 15 Percent of Total
So it’s Richardson or bust!
ETA-Or what Frank said.
How about Mariah Carey as Ambassador to the UN? 
I just realized that, with his name, I keep seeing Richardson as white, although I’m well aware of the suggestions that his ancestry could pull in the Hispanic votes. I wonder if Obama could select him and work both sides of the fence in this way in the general campaign.
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…
– my bolding.
He’d be crazy not to. But beyond that, Richardson’s very solid foreign policy credentials would also help with what is perceived to be one of Obama’s weaknesses – namely his lack of experience in same.
Honestly I just don’t see the downside.
Haven’t you been paying attention? He’s not white. (Maybe he would appear so in Mexico, but not in the U.S.)
This has got to one of the trickiest VP picks in history. The Democrats have got to maneuver to re-establish themselves as a party and Obama has to position himself and his ticket as carefully as he can to be electable.
He’s come this far and done so much do we really think he won’t make a wise decison?
My predictions have been rather dire and I don’t like what they portend. It’s just how I see things going. It’s nothing personal.
“All” of my predictions have boiled down really to just one: neither Clinton nor Obama will be elected to the WH in 2008 in part because of lingering–and sometimes deeply-closeted–racism and sexism in the USA.
Once again-- I wish neither for the outcome that I predict nor the continuing existence of the underlying sociopathy* --oozing in subterranean swaths beneath society-- that makes such an outcome possible.
*–a bit strong, perhaps, but isn’t that what racism and sexism end up being in a way–mass sociopathy?
Here’s someone who agrees with you.
There are some knowns and some assumptions we can make.
Primary turnout is lower than General Election turnout. Primary turnout for this year’s Democratic contests has been record-setting, in some precincts over a thousand percent higher than historically. Democratic New Voter registration has also seen extraordinary increases over previous years. Democratic Primary turnout (even during the time when the Republicans were embroiled in their own battle with multiple candidates) has surpassed Republican turnout in HUGE numbers. Barack Obama has been the primary driving force for the overwhelming increase in Democratic registration and turnout. Barack Obama has partnered with the DNC to embark on a 50 State “Get Out The Vote Campaign” for the General Election. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that Barack Obama will secure at least 75% of Hillary Clinton’s supporters (based on current polling data).
I think that the combination of all of the above spells massive turnout of Dems in the General Election, which I suspect will dwarf Republicans who simply aren’t as a) organized, or b) motivated for McCain.
My Conclusion/Wishful Thinking: It’s almost irrelevant what the Republicans have to say about our VP candidate. The new Democratic “machine” will simply overpower them based on pure numbers.
Much of me agrees with what you say - but the shear numbers of dems who have come out to vote - the math - speak much differently and, to be honest, completely counter what you are saying. We have more Americans registering and voting for a black man and a white woman than in any other primary season in history. If 30% of Clinton’s support come out to vote for Obama in November he’ll walk into the oval office.
Today on NPR I heard that when Clinton finally gives the towel in she is such a tenacious fighter she will fight to get a dem in the white house. I don’t know if I buy that completely, but it’s nice to think about.
That is true. I just think that people aren’t that honest with themselves about their racism/sexism. What they tell a pollster and what they do in the booth may be two different things.
There is always this possibility with any poll but I think there might be a greater discrepancy than usual between the May phone poll numbers and the Election Day numbers because of the difficulty people have admitting racism/sexism in themselves.