The notion of an Obama-Bloomberg ticket isn't the worst idea in the world, by any means. (At the very least, it makes a heck of a lot more sense than an Obama-Clinton pairing.) But Jim Webb always made more sense, and as the inveterate Webb-booster Noah Millman points out, in the wake of the Jeremiah Wright controversy, he makes more sense than ever. After all, what's the obvious cure for having a black-nationalist pastor in your closet? Putting a white-nationalist senator on your ticket!
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Obama's Veep
28 Mar 2008 12:17 pm
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I'm a huge Obama supporter, and I have no problem with what Webb said in that article. He said it a little bluntly, but if Obama said it, it would be seen as "historic." Granting of course that Obama would have smoothed the edges out quite a bit.
Webb concerns me as an Obama VP, but not because of what he said in the linked article.
Lord knows all of our exhaustion with identity politics, and I don't think Obama *needs* to select a woman to heal the divide in the party, but he certainly can't pick someone who can be perceived as against women's rights.
I love Webb - his response to the SOTU last year was one of the best of its kind - but I can see his comments and writings back when he was Navy Sec would give the chattering classes way too much material.
Jim Webb is a terrible campaigner and was the beneficiary of running against George Aleen during Macacagate. Talk to people who worked in Virginia last cycle and mostly they have unflattering words to say about Webb.
The way Webb threw his aide under the bus over the gun incident says a lot about his character.
In theory, I like what Webb could represent, but the flesh-and-blood Webb could be a disaster for Obama as easily as a blessing. Webb COULD electrify conservative, blue-collar Americans, but he could just as easily say a series of stupid, embarrassing things that could frighten the soccer moms of America.
A Sam Nunn or a John Breaux would do a much better job of reassuring dubious voters that an Obama adminitstration would have sane, stable, experienced, moderate leadership.
If she wants it, it's Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Or Chuck Hagel?
Would be interesting, at least:
McCain/Lieberman versus Obama/Hagel
Two words: BRIAN SCHWEITZER!!!!
I find it very strange that his name has not been mentioned more often as a potential VP for Obama. He brings near-perfect balance to the ticket, as he is rural, white, Catholic, and pro-gun ownership (which makes sense in the western states, where hunting is a major recreational activity. They're not using assault weapons out there). Schweitzer's presence on the ticket would help Obama not only in the mountain west, which is prime pick-up territory for the Democrats these days, but also in the non-urban parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Many of us here on the east coast don't realize it, but Brian Schweitzer is probably the second-best orator in the party-- second only to Obama himself. And because Obama's tone is one of uplift, which prevents him from going negative, he'll need a VP with a direct, no-nonsense, straight-shooting style, someone who can go after McCain and have the country line up behind him in the charge. That's Schweitzer. He has nearly all the positive traits of Jim Webb (okay, so Schweitzer wasn't a military guy; he still has experience in foreign relations, having worked as an irrigation scientist in Saudi Arabia for seven years) without any of the negatives (Schweitzer is direct and tough without seeming angry or unhinged, as opposed to Webb, who is known to have loose lips).
At this point, Schweitzer has not endorsed either candidate, and is probably waiting until the Montana primary is over before he steps in. I'm hoping that this whole nomination fight will be over before then, and that the Obama/Schweitzer ticket will be solidified by the summer, ready to take down McCain and whichever southern governor he picks for VP.
My hope is Democrats continue to embrace the cancer of identity politics.
If I was a Democrat, my hope would be the Republicans also see the cancer as great and repeat Harriet Miers, Alan Keyes parachuting into Illinois with a Condi Rice (4 more years!!) VP slot. Bush's closest advisor, as clueless as McCain on the economy, who not only has Bush baggage but actually carried the Boss's bags on occasion at Camp David.
Obama-Zinni.
Change of subject: Ex-Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman was released from federal prison yesterday. Now the investigation of Karl Rove into the framing of Siegelman begins.
Love to see posts that follow this story.
Obama-Zinni.
Change of subject: Ex-Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman was released from federal prison yesterday. Now the investigation of Karl Rove into the framing of Siegelman begins.
Love to see posts that follow this story.
noah millman also said the mccain huckabee ticket was "obvious".
God I hate these meta Veep discussions.
Obama should pick a charismatic, eloquent, inspiring and equally non-threatening black man as his running mate. Then they could overwhelm everyone with their sheer twofer-ama of charisma, eloquence, inspiration and benign racial transcendence. Obama-Powell is too obvious and too faux-bipartisan. Ideally we'd find someone who's black, yet has a British accent despite growing up in Ohio. And fought as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam before going on to govern a mild-mannered Midwestern swing state. yeah!
chris ford writes:
My hope is Democrats continue to embrace the cancer of identity politics.
Ooh. Look at me, a strategically savvy hardball partisan. Yes, let's hope the Democrats shoot themselves in the foot so that my ever-so-stellar side can keep running the show.
Anyone who genuinely "hopes" the other side "embraces cancer" is an amoral jerkoff and waste of oxygen. You so clearly deserve the GOP you already have, and all that they have "embraced." Jerkoff.
Obama, like McCain and Clinton, has the weakness of never having really run anything. It's the problem of running as a Senator. He needs a Dick Cheney for himself. His best bet to get one is to find a Dem governor. Bredesen or Napolitano would be worth thinking about.
How about Obama-Strickland? Ohio is close to a "must" state for the Democrats (there are scenarios where they can win without it, but they are not very likely). Strickland has executive experience as well as Washington experience, demonstrated ability to win working-class white votes, etc. I know he says he doesn't want the job, but people have said that before and taken it anyway...
chris ford writes:
"My hope is Democrats continue to embrace the cancer of identity politics."
Ooh. Look at me, a strategically savvy hardball partisan. Yes, let's hope the Democrats shoot themselves in the foot so that my ever-so-stellar side can keep running the show.
Anyone who genuinely "hopes" the other side "embraces cancer" is an amoral jerkoff and waste of oxygen. You so clearly deserve the GOP you already have, and all that they have "embraced." Jerkoff.
Posted by Bill
Oooooo! Sounds like a pissed off true believer in identity politics and the religion of multiculti!
Best of wishes on the bonus points and "degrees of victimization by the white oppressor" scale by which you judge the worthiness of a black male over a white female or a hispanic muslim with a disability when picking candidates for office.
The more you indulge, the more you look like idiots or show the essential sham of affirmative action that us people that have to hire inferior job candidates deal with.
Clinton-Webb, or Obama-Schweitzer. Those would be my picks.
An Obama-Clinton ticket does make sense, actually. First, Clinton is doing her best to leave Obama no choice in the matter: "Pick me or embitter a quarter of the Dem voters." (I think this is the reason for her burn-the-bridges strategy: the way she's running her campaign, she can't possibly win the presidency but she's also putting the Democratic Party as a whole at risk if she loses. So what's the no-win no-lose compromise? Veep. I see no other viable reason for her conduct.)
Second, Obama needs someone who will reassure not-so-emancipated whites and more especially other minorities. (This is an aspect never discussed anywhere, but it's very important: traditionally minorities don't want a member of a different minority to lead the country. Obama needs someone who is trusted within the hispanic community.)
Third, while people may want change, they want to feel safe about it too. The Clinton years were no revolution but are remembered fondly.
Add the many credentials Clinton possesses and the fact that she would make mincemeat of any McCain veep choice in the debates.
By the way I don't like HRC, not any more. But I think this is what will happen, except if Clinton's campaign crumbles in the next few weeks.
Strickland makes sense. And before dismissing this as too much change for the country, what about Richardson? He could help a mammoth Latino turnout in key states take place.
Strickland makes sense. And before dismissing this as too much change for the country, what about Richardson? He could help a mammoth Latino turnout in key states take place.
How does the putrid name of old Sam Nunn keep coming up? The man is a reactionary, a warmonger and a vicious homophobe.
Hillary? A disaster. She was hated by half the country before this campaign, and has now earned the disgust of many more.
I like the idea of Schweitzer, but he is up for re-election this year. Webb looks good in theory, but seems to scare people.
I say: Chuck Hagel.
I am surprised that no one has come up with what is so obvious.... Bill Richardson. Smart, an experienced executive, experienced in foriegn policy, and Hispanic, a group that Obama needs to shore up. Bill Richardson would be a great choice and just think how red Bill Clinton's face would be if that were to happen.
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Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream
Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class
It's funny, Webb's been the most fashionable name in all the Obama veep prognostications on the Daily Kos. He's white, he's military, he's Southern, he's hot (to complement Obama's cool)!
My guess is Webb won't survive the pre-vetting process, and Obama will go with a safer choice -- Nunn, Wes Clark, or somebody like that.
Has there ever been a trickier VP choice in history than what Obama is facing. He has to re-unify the party, including, crucially, women; he has to pick someone to mollify moderate white America; he needs someone with national security or military experience; he wants to preserve the sense of possibility, energy, and hope inherent in his candidacy.
Nobody is exactly perfect. Webb might have come the closest; but it seems like his conservatism and past race talk might really turn off the Dem base once that stuff is publicized.
Posted by Ban Johnson | March 28, 2008 1:15 PM