Thread: your choice for Obama's VP?

The only remaining suspense (if you can call it that) in the Democratic bid for the White House is Barack Obama's vice presidential choice. Any preference as to who he should choose?

I'm hoping he'll pick Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel. On the Iraq war, fiscal responsibility and personal privacy, the two men aren't too far apart. By choosing Hagel, Obama would be making a strong statement right out of the gate that he truly plans to unite the country by drawing talent from a broad political spectrum. The unity theme was an empty slogan for George Bush and American voters might actually welcome a semblance of national unity. Hagel is a war hero, he's honest and he won his last senate election with 83% of the vote. He's also a libertarian conservative who could get independents and the small but energetic Ron Paul wing of the Republicans into the Obama camp.

Mc Cain?
I'm sure they'll make a good team.

Originally Posted by floorpotato

The only remaining suspense (if you can call it that) in the Democratic bid for the White House is Barack Obama's vice presidential choice. Any preference as to who he should choose?

I'm hoping he'll pick Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel. On the Iraq war, fiscal responsibility and personal privacy, the two men aren't too far apart.

I'm a big fan of Chuck Hagel. Because of his positions, and because he's more honest about the serious problems (SS, Medicare) that the US is facing.

Obama, and Hagel.


What a ticket that would be!!

Originally Posted by Sir Burr

Anybody but Hilary.

Hillary will not be chosen, IMO.

She won't be second fiddle.

HRC and BO have not gotten along (which is normal as adversaries).

Again, Chuck Hagel will be unbeatable, IMO.

^Not just that. No way Obama is gonna let the fox guard the henhouse, that is, having Bill privy to everything, etc.. His authority would be undermined by those two. If he is forced by the party to pick her as running mate he will contain her severely. She will be attending high teas with visiting dignitaries or something.

I do think Bill Richardson is a good choice, as he will bring the hispanic vote, and most of the white blue collar workers probably don't think he's hispanic anyway. He would also bring a good ability to deal with the immigration issue.

Apart from him, Obama needs to focus on who else to best capture the Reagan democrats, hispanics and blue collars.

A lot of analysts are saying she will not go down without getting the VP slot.

Analysis: Could Clinton land the VP nomination?

(CNN) -- Friends and close associates of both Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are now convinced that, assuming she loses the race for the presidential nomination, she is probably going to fight to be the vice presidential nominee on an Obama-for-president ticket.

A person close to her, with whom her campaign staff has counseled at various points, said this week, "I think the following will happen: Obama will be in a position where the party declares him the nominee by the first week in June. She'll still be fighting with everybody -- the Rules Committee, the party leaders -- and arguing, 'I'm winning these key states; I've got almost half the delegates. I have a whole constituency he hasn't reached. I've got real differences on approach to how we win this election, and I'm going to press the hell out of this guy. ... Relief for the middle class, universal health care, etc.; I'm Ms. Blue Collar, and I'm going to press my fight, because he can't win without my being on the ticket.' "

Another major Democratic Party figure agreed: "It's not going to be a quiet exit. ... Obama has got a terrible situation. He marches to a different drummer. He won't want to take her on the ticket. But he might have to, even though the idea of Vice President Hillary with Bill in the background at the White House is not something -- especially after what [the Clintons] have thrown at him that he relishes. I believe she'll go for it."

Analysis: Could Clinton land the VP nomination? - CNN.com

This is sort of like Alien vs. Predator. This biatch probably bleeds molecular acid too. Cut her and she eats through the hull.

Eugene Walcott.

god only knows who he'll choose....or who'll accept.

i hope he chooses VA senator jim webb.

he's got impressive credentials (particularly in areas where obama needs a boost to counter mccain) and he also knows that dems are now the stronger party on national defense.....so he'll hammer away at mccain on iraq.

he's also a pit bull which will allow obama to stay above the fray once the 527 ads start.

Just read the BBC. Looks like Hillary is not going to be satisfied with anything less than VP to quit the nomination race.

Obama is now ahead on super-delegates as well.

Originally Posted by Sir Burr

Just read the BBC. Looks like Hilary is not going to be satisfied with anything less than VP to quit the nomination race.

no offense Sir Burr, but my BS detector is going off....how does the BBC know this? certainly someone may have told them this (perhaps even someone within the campaign) but that doesn't necessarily make it so....she's got somewhere near $25 million worth of campaign debt that she wants obama to pay off...at this stage this is all just the opening stages of a negotiation. for example, i was listening to a podcast this morning, and someone floated the idea of a promise of supreme court nomination as a carrot to get her drop out. these are all interesting stories but very few people really know what is being discussed....or if anything is being discussed.

obama has to realize she'd be a drag on the ticket....and as chinthee pointed out above (actually this was an amazingly quick flip flop on his part) a big reason not to choose her is because of her husband.

the negatives far outweigh the positives.

if his campaign is about change, he can't revert back to the 90s.

^ Shock. I agree. I still think Richardson would be a good choice. Hagel is sound, but the abortion issue?
Is Hillary still in the race coz she knows something will happen to Obama? Just speculating now.

^ You forgot Oprah.

surprise surprise....more racial undertones from boon mee and jet.

Originally Posted by Norton

In many ways he could be good. He is a strong abortion foe. This would make it pretty hard for Obama to accept a VP with such an opposing view on the issue...

You're probably correct that Chuck Hagel's abortion position makes it difficult for him to be Obama's VP. I just like Hagel and think it would be a great unity ticket that would lead to a saner foreign policy. If Obama just wants to get tactical, he could choose popular Ohio governor Ted Strickland. Conventional wisdom says that the Dems need either Ohio or Florida to gain the White House and McCain leads Obama in both states.

Ohio gov gains support for vice president :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Robert Novak

David Duke?

Originally Posted by floorpotato

If Obama just wants to get tactical, he could choose popular Ohio governor Ted Strickland.

Strickland would be a good choice. Choosing a governor of a large state is something Obama should consider a real plus. Successful governors bring a lot of executive level experience to his candidacy.

Originally Posted by raycarey

surprise surprise....more racial undertones from boon mee and jet.

"Racial undertones"!

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

"Racial undertones"!

Quite funny I must agree. Words like overt, blatant, obvious, unconcealed or explicit would have been a much better word for RC to use.

Originally Posted by Norton

Words like overt, blatant, obvious, unconcealed or explicit would have been a much better word for RC to use

most often yes.
but there are other instances where the code they use is slightly veiled...but it's still recognizable because their true nature is known to those that post here regularly.

Hmmm. New colloquial metaphor: a Ray is a Ray.

A kiss is just a kiss...a sigh is just a sigh. The racial undertones apply,...as time goes by.....

^ Hey, that's kd lang. So now we're bringing homo/lesbian stuff in here? Or was that just a poke at Billie?