Other than Bill Richardson, who would be likely frontrunners for the two parties to be tapped as the VP candidate?
What are matchups you’d love to see?
Who is almost guaranteed not to be a VP candidate for anyone? For example, I think the chances of Obama being the VP candidate are pretty much nil.
What would each of the current frontrunners need to “balance the ticket” if you believe in ticket balancing? For example, I could see Obama picking Richardson to add experience and a certain level of stodginess. I could see McCain picking someone who seems poised to take office since people are certainly going to worry about his health.
Obviously, this is all speculation, but I think it reveals something about the candidates when we start thinking about pairing them up with a running mate.
I think Huckabee will end up being the Republican VP candidate. I don’t think he can win the nomination, but he’d make a perfect counterpart to any of the other top candidates (McCain, Romney, Guiliani).
To me, I think barring a surprise we’re likely looking at an Obama/Clinton or a Clinton/Obama ticket. It would play on the strengths of both, and bring as many supporters in as possible. I also think that both would accept the VEEP nomination, as it puts them four or eight years away from running for the top spot.
As I said in another thread, none of the Dem one (or one and a fraction) term senators will choose another as VP. So neither Edwards, Obama or Hillary will be Veep.
Richardson is a good pick, but there’s also an open Senate seat in NM with his name on it if he wants it. And presumably whoever gets the prez nomination will want a Dem senate, and so would probably prefer him to go that route if he’s open to it. He was also something of a lackluster campaigner.
Huckabee does seem the obvious choice for the GOP frontrunners, presuming he doesn’t win the nomination (and would also possibly negate any advantage Hillary might have in Arkansas as former first lady).
I think there is zero chance that Clinton will be anybody’s Vice President (as I posted yesterday, I think she wouldn’t accept and nobody would offer), and I’d say a 0.5 percent chance that Edwards would offer/take the spot again.
The driving factor in a VP choice is supposed to be qualities that balance the presidential nominee - Edwards balanced Kerry’s patrician bearing and total lack of personality, Cheney balanced Bush’s inexperience, Lieberman balanced Gore’s… um…
Anyway: I suggested Mark Warner as a potential Democratic VP yesterday, only to be told that he’s more likely to run for the Senate. He’s more useful to the party there, so he’ll probably do that. Since the Democratic Presidential candidate is going to be a Senator, I think the choice will be a Governor this year. Richardson is the easy choice, and I don’t know who the other available governors are. If Clinton is nominated, I guess she would look at Bob Kerrey. I thought Obama/Schweitzer is an interesting ‘new blood’ kind of ticket.
My guess in the other thread was a Huckabee/McCain ticket. I’m not sure who else matches up with whom.
Clinton - Not a chance
Richardson - I think he blew his chance because he should’ve backed Hillary more. Still a good Sec State choice for either Obama or Hillary. (I take it as a given that the Dem nod will go to one of them.)
Edwards - Shoe-in for Obama as he’s been tag-teaming with him admirably.
Edwards as VP would nearly be enough to make me vote for McCain. Or Romney. Not Huckabee though!
I can’t see HRC taking the VP spot. She’s 60 and in 8 yrs will be 68. I don’t think she would relish running that old. This is her run at it. I could see Obama as HRC’s VP to try to lock a 16 yr Presidential run. I’d like Richardson for either and don’t see it for Warner.
McCain needs to choose wisely as many will be seriously considering the possibility of him dieing on the job. Huckabee would keep many of those swing voters away from that ticket so is a no-go. Romney maybe if bygones be bygones after all the negative press. That’s my guess. Definitely a heavyweight that can appear up to the job and who is without close ties to the Bush White House. McCain OTOH is too old to be VP by far. Others might choose Huckabee to help deliver the South and the Evangelicals. Or maybe Newt? Huckabee would probably find a like-minded politician who keeps mostly out of the show. Maybe from a swing state?
What makes this discussion interesting is that the next VP will – presumably – inherit the vastly expanded powers and importance of the vice-presidency as they have developed under Cheney.
Lieberman was **supposed ** to balance the Lewinski and questionable fundraising factor for Al Gore. Lieberman was the one with strong morals who condemned Clinton on the Senate floor.
Didn’t work. Probably the worse recent VP choice for the Dems. If Gore had picked Bob Grahama of Florida, the rest would be history. But, that’s another debate…
I think the Presidential candidates will be thinking long and hard about not making people think they have a Cardinal Richelieu Cheney in the VP seat. They’ll want someone who can bring interest but doesn’t seem like a puppetmaster behind the throne.
What if Hillary gets the nom and SHE picks Bloom as Running Mate. Bloomberg is a Democrat essentially. He only took the Republican slot because it was available.
