Potential Running Mates for Obama

[FutureGM]

Here is an article from the HuffingtonPost blog, which describes the major candidates to be Barack Obama's running mate on the Democratic ticket this year:

 

THE TOP TIER

 

Jim Webb

Webb is the closest thing to a frontrunner for Obama's VP these days. A former Republican, he served as Secretary of the Navy for Ronald Reagan. Webb defeated George "Macaca" Allen to become a junior senator in Virginia.

 

Pro: Webb is a good foil for Obama's post-partisan message, and he's got the military credentials to match up with John McCain. He's good at playing the attack dog, which will let Obama take the high road. And he's from trending-blue Virginia, which would be a great pickup in November for Democrats. He's also pro-guns.

 

Con: Webb can be a little out-of-control as attack dogs go.

 

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Hillary Clinton

This ticket is either a dream or a nightmare. Some see it as the only way to reunite the Democrats in time for November. Other see it as the fastest way to destroy the Obama brand.

 

Pro: Strong appeal with working class voters and women.

 

Con: See Iraq War vote, 3AM phone call, Bill Clinton in South Carolina, and the month of March.

 

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Bill Richardson

You know him, you love him; he's the New Mexico governor with a heart of gold, a kickin' mustache, and -- thanks to James Carville -- a new nickname.

 

Pro: You've heard them all before. A foreign policy resume a mile long, executive experience, and a lock with Hispanic voters. And he picked Obama, despite his Clinton ties.

 

Con: Did you watch any of the debates?

 

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Joe Biden

He is Mr. Foreign Policy. He also claims the best line of the primary season thus far. Too bad no one told Iowans he was running for President.

 

Pro: He trumps any foreign policy claims that McCain brings to the table. He can hit McCain hard.

 

Con: He tends to hit everyone hard. And he's a Washington figure, which could hurt a campaign running against Washington.

 

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Brian Schwietzer

Never heard of him? You should. Schweitzer has been Montana's governor since 2005, and is currently one of the most popular governors in the country.

 

Pro: In addition to his executive experience, Schweitzer has spent a good amount of time around the world (including the Middle East) in his former life as an irrigation developer. His popularity and his pro-gun stance could help Obama in the Mountain West area. He also refused PAC and special interest money during his 2004 campaign. He's also criticized the economic consequences of the Iraq War, an approach that Obama has recently adopted.

 

Con: Despite his travels, he has no official foreign policy experience. He also doesn't bring in any delegates from his own state (though that could be offset if he helps in places like North Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado).

 

 

WORTH WATCHING

 

Janet Napolitano

Another popular Western governor, Napolitano has settled into a second term in McCain's very red home state. She also backed Obama early in the race.

 

Pros: She has proven her executive capacity in Republican territory, as well as the Southwest, which will help sway Obamicans. A female candidate could also help reunite the Democrats.

 

Con: Her stance on immigration could prove costly among Hispanic voters.

 

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Sherrod Brown

Brown is a favorite among progressives for his economic populism and outspoken criticism of the war.

 

Pro: Could help deliver an important swing state.

 

Con: Doesn't really satisfy the idea of a unity ticket.

 

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Chuck Hagel

A Republican senator who has fought with Bush tooth and nail over the Iraq war, Hagel is one of three Republicans who voted with the Democrats over a withdrawal plan. He also has served on the Banking, Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. Hagel has also said he's considering endorsing Sen. Obama.

 

Pro: Broad Senate experience. A living embodiment of Obama's commitment to work with like-minded Republicans. Also is a veteran with experience in Reagan's administration

 

Con: He is still a Republican (especially on abortion and health care), which would not sit well with a lot of Democrats.

 

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Wesley Clark

Rhodes Scholar turned four-star general and once-presidential candidate. A star resource for Democrats on military affairs.

 

Pro: John McCain would have to salute him. And he has Southern appeal.

 

Con: Backed Clinton early and has been a very active surrogate. Not always the best politician on a national stage.

 

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Kathleen Sebelius

Talk about reaching across the aisle. This Kansas governor convinced a Republican to leave his party, become a Democrat, and run as her lieutenant governor. Kansas is rife with stories of Republicans undergoing conversions, and Sebelius gets a good amount of credit for this.

 

Pro: Another Red-state governor with an excellent post-partisan record. Having a female VP could be a strong ticket.

 

Con: Sebelius didn't wow anyone with her response to the State of the Union, which raises questions about how she would do on the national stage. And her location in Kansas doesn't add much that Obama doesn't already get from Illinois.

 

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Tom Daschle

The former South Dakota senator, Daschle has been a strong supporter of Obama's campaign; he's a national co-chair and is rumored to play a big part in the campaign strategy.

 

Pro: Can bring in votes from his home state.

 

Con: Weak campaigner: he lost his Senate seat while he was the sitting Majority Leader.

 

 

HONORABLE MENTION

 

Mike Bloomberg

Sure, most voters have never heard of him. And sure, he's never been a national player. But the current mayor of New York has been a darling of the media, as they spent months seeing if he would get into the Presidential race. Coupled with some private conversations with Obama that caused a tizzy in the fall, a Bloomberg candidacy could cause some media attention that would rival that of even John McCain.

 

Pros: Excellent economic record. Interested in policy minutiae. Post-partisan (former Republican switched to Independent). Media darling.

 

Cons: Unheard of outside his home state. It's tough not to seem like an elitist when the world 'billionaire' applies to you.

 

Link

I rank the VP options in this order for the top 3:

 

1. Jim Webb

2. Bill Richardson

3. Janet Napolitano

[IrishHarrington]

First let me state I dont like Obama's views and I will not vote for him that disclaimer aside

Obama's focus should be on swing state politicians who can help him attract voters whom he has had a hard time appealing to thus far

If I was Obama I would pick

1. Ed Rendell Gov PA

1A. Ted Strickland governor of Ohio

2. Bill Nelson Senator of Florida

 

I think Obama and the Democrats are going to win regardless but if Florida , or Ohio go democratic it will be a short night , and if the Dems hold PA (and Michigan) McCains electoral map is almost impossible given that some states are going to go democratic this year

[Puma]

Obama and Clinton would be awesome

[PitchingWinsGames]

Obama and Clinton would be awesome

 

this

[Hotcorner]

why not Biden? He's got loads of foreign policy experience, where Obama is considered kind of "green". Might be just the thing to balance out the ticket.

[pierremvp1]

I think Sen. Nelson would be the wisest choice.

He's always been known as a bi-partisan and fair minded man. Never too extreme towards any side. Calm, cool, collected.

I have a comfort factor with him. His foreign policy and intelligence experience trumps all the others. And could net Obama Florida as the main political factor.

All this, and younger than McCain. He is, isn't he?

[FutureGM]

There's no chance of Ed Rendell getting that nomination. Even before he was bashing Obama repeatedly before the PA primary, it was just really unlikely.

 

Nelson doesn't make sense either, because he's totally unknown outside of Florida. I doubt that Florida would swing Democratic even if he was on the ticket anyway. When you elect a party hack like Mel Martinez as the other senator, it has to say something.

 

I really think there is a high chance of Ohio going blue this year. It has been close in the past, but the GOP's policies have hit them the hardest of most states, except maybe Michigan (which almost went totally blue in 2006).

 

I'm also not convinced that even if Obama asked Hillary to run with him, she would accept. She has too big of an ego to take the #2 job underneath him. All this talk about her supporting Obama when the primaries are over are just empty words until she actually does something about it. The fact is, the brutal attacks that Clinton has launched on Obama over the past 3-4 months pretty much sunk any chance of her being considered as a VP.

[Flying_Mollusk]

I disagree. I think Rendell or Strickland, both big time Clinton guys who went balls to the wall for her, might be the type of guys to get it done. If the Clintons dont want #2, they might want a guy who is loyal to them at that spot. If Obama needs guys who appeal to blue collar workers, Rendell and Strickland might be the guys. If he needs guys who are good campaigners, Rendell might be the guy too. But loyalty strikes against this.

 

This also doesn't help him in terms of foreign policy. Clark might, but having a weak campaigner is not a good thing.

 

Webb has a reputation of being a bad campaigner.

 

Richardson wont help with blue collar workers.

 

It will be an interesting choice.

[Puma]

I'm also not convinced that even if Obama asked Hillary to run with him, she would accept. She has too big of an ego to take the #2 job underneath him. All this talk about her supporting Obama when the primaries are over are just empty words until she actually does something about it. The fact is, the brutal attacks that Clinton has launched on Obama over the past 3-4 months pretty much sunk any chance of her being considered as a VP.

 

After putting all the time, effort, and money into her campaign it would make sense for her to take what she can get. Plus, I doubt theres any hard feelings between the two. They're opponents. They're supposed to criticize each other to try to get a leg up. From the footage I've seen when they are together, they get along quite well.

[FutureGM]

Webb would be able to get the working class votes. I doubt that he was a bad campaigner, if he was able to unseat an incumbent senator who was planning to run for President. That's not an easy thing to do.

 

Plus, Webb can counter McCain's military experience with his own.

[IrishHarrington]

Webb would be able to get the working class votes. I doubt that he was a bad campaigner, if he was able to unseat an incumbent senator who was planning to run for President. That's not an easy thing to do.

 

Plus, Webb can counter McCain's military experience with his own.

 

I think that race had alot to do with Allen's complete meltdown than anything Webb did .

[FutureGM]

Webb would be able to get the working class votes. I doubt that he was a bad campaigner, if he was able to unseat an incumbent senator who was planning to run for President. That's not an easy thing to do.

 

Plus, Webb can counter McCain's military experience with his own.

 

I think that race had alot to do with Allen's complete meltdown than anything Webb did .

That's debatable, because in general, statistics show that incumbent politicians in Congress are re-elected about 90% of the time. They have all of the advantages.

 

Obviously this doesn't apply to races where the incumbent has retired.

[BullDurham]

I disagree. I think Rendell or Strickland, both big time Clinton guys who went balls to the wall for her, might be the type of guys to get it done. If the Clintons dont want #2, they might want a guy who is loyal to them at that spot. If Obama needs guys who appeal to blue collar workers, Rendell and Strickland might be the guys. If he needs guys who are good campaigners, Rendell might be the guy too. But loyalty strikes against this.

 

This also doesn't help him in terms of foreign policy. Clark might, but having a weak campaigner is not a good thing.

 

Webb has a reputation of being a bad campaigner.

 

Richardson wont help with blue collar workers.

 

It will be an interesting choice.

 

As someone now living in Western Pennsylvania, I'll have to give a big fat NO on Fast Eddie Rendell, or as some people have taken to calling him, Governor Lansky. First, he looks and sounds like a gangster (which is why he is also sometimes called Edward G. Robinson (and yes, G really is his middle initial)). Second, he has the demeanor of a gangster. Just look up Rendell in relation to the Penguins arena talks, and you will see that the Pens were a second Rendell tantrum away from moving to Kansas City (yes, second, as there was a first). Third, Obama is running against machine-driven politics. Rendell is the ultimate paragon of Philadelphia machine politics (hence his fourth nickname, the "Governor of Philadelphia"). In essence, he could care less about Western Pennsylvania, and had anyone who was not named Lynn Swann won the Republican nomination, we would be talking about ex-Governor Rendell. To say people don't like him in Western PA is an understatement, and putting him on the ticket might just shred any chance of Obama picking up PA in the general.

 

Oh, and if Governor Lansky is reading this, Pens in 5. Go choke on a Philly cheesesteak.

[FutureGM]

I disagree. I think Rendell or Strickland, both big time Clinton guys who went balls to the wall for her, might be the type of guys to get it done. If the Clintons dont want #2, they might want a guy who is loyal to them at that spot. If Obama needs guys who appeal to blue collar workers, Rendell and Strickland might be the guys. If he needs guys who are good campaigners, Rendell might be the guy too. But loyalty strikes against this.

 

This also doesn't help him in terms of foreign policy. Clark might, but having a weak campaigner is not a good thing.

 

Webb has a reputation of being a bad campaigner.

 

Richardson wont help with blue collar workers.

 

It will be an interesting choice.

 

As someone now living in Western Pennsylvania, I'll have to give a big fat NO on Fast Eddie Rendell, or as some people have taken to calling him, Governor Lansky. First, he looks and sounds like a gangster (which is why he is also sometimes called Edward G. Robinson (and yes, G really is his middle initial)). Second, he has the demeanor of a gangster. Just look up Rendell in relation to the Penguins arena talks, and you will see that the Pens were a second Rendell tantrum away from moving to Kansas City (yes, second, as there was a first). Third, Obama is running against machine-driven politics. Rendell is the ultimate paragon of Philadelphia machine politics (hence his fourth nickname, the "Governor of Philadelphia"). In essence, he could care less about Western Pennsylvania, and had anyone who was not named Lynn Swann won the Republican nomination, we would be talking about ex-Governor Rendell. To say people don't like him in Western PA is an understatement, and putting him on the ticket might just shred any chance of Obama picking up PA in the general.

 

Oh, and if Governor Lansky is reading this, Pens in 5. Go choke on a Philly cheesesteak.

Glad to hear from someone who lives in PA, because few of us have a real sense of the state's politics.

 

I have never liked Rendell that much, I agree that he comes off like a mafia don or a wiseguy. :shifty

[The Marlin Man]

Webb would be able to get the working class votes. I doubt that he was a bad campaigner, if he was able to unseat an incumbent senator who was planning to run for President. That's not an easy thing to do.

 

Plus, Webb can counter McCain's military experience with his own.

 

I think that race had alot to do with Allen's complete meltdown than anything Webb did .

That's debatable, because in general, statistics show that incumbent politicians in Congress are re-elected about 90% of the time. They have all of the advantages.

 

Obviously this doesn't apply to races where the incumbent has retired.

 

I think Future GM is referring to when Allen used a racial slur while campaigning. Got tons of bad press and pretty much lost the race b/c of it.

[MikeLowell]

Just say no to Richardson. Hillary Clinton would be awesome though.

[MarlinFan10]

Hillary is an excellent running mate if Obama plans on losing the general election. Not that Hillary would except the nomination since he's going to run in 2012.

[FutureGM]

Hillary is an excellent running mate if Obama plans on losing the general election.

Yeah, that's how I feel about that.

[minus]

Hillary is an excellent running mate if Obama plans on losing the general election.

Yeah, that's how I feel about that.

 

I disagree.

[FutureGM]

Hillary is an excellent running mate if Obama plans on losing the general election.

Yeah, that's how I feel about that.

 

I disagree.

Care to elaborate?

[FreshFish]

Jim Webb

[FutureGM]

Jim Webb

:thumbup

[Dr Beinfest]

Question - Where is John Edwards on that list? Last I checked he endorsed Obama, probably in hopes to earn a spot on the ticket... or did I miss something? Hey its not like I can vote so I dont keep up lol.

[The_Godfather]

Obama needs someone that will attract working class white males. Someone like a Ted Strickland would be perfect IMO. Either that or somebody who is strong on the economy (at least in the minds of democrats) like a Chris Dodd.

[prinmemito]

I like John Edwards as Obama's VP.