Who should run with Obama?
August 19th, 2008, 6:53 am · 20 Comments · posted by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
It’s coming down to the wire for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama to tell us who will be his running mate. The convention begins in six days.
Conventional wisdom- and I use that term lightly - is that the list is down to: Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, a veteran with lots of foreign policy heft; Tim Kaine, governor of Virginia, a state Obama has set his sights on, and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a former governor, more moderate than Obama and from a state Democrats would love to compete in. Also in the mix is Kansas Gov. Kathleeen Sebelius, also from a red state and as a Washington outsider would fit into Obama’s change theme.
Who do you think Obama should pick?
Republican hopeful John McCain has a little more time. Word is the Arizona senator may try and blunt some of the post-convention bounce Obama would be expected to get and name his running mate a week from Friday, the day after Obama accepts the Democratic nomination.
McCain’s short list is said to include: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who would bring youth to the ticket; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a pick that would make many in the GOP base happy; former Pennsylvania Gov. and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who would help McCain in a key battleground state but whose pro abortion views would rile the base, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats and was the Democratic vice presidential running mate in 2000.
We’ll do a poll on the GOP hopefuls in a few days.
Of course, I wouldn’t be all that surprised if a new name surfaced for either candidate. We’ll just have to wait and see.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:05 am
He should pick some one with a lot more experience than he has, that leaves the field wide open. As the debates happen, I believe that a clear difference will emerge and people will wake up to the fact that the Presidency is “Above His Pay Grade”.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:48 am
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson provides the breadth of foreign affairs experience needed to complete the Presidential Team. His additional experiences as United States Congressman, Cabinet Secretary, United Nations, and state Governor has been outstanding and can only add depth to the Team as we near Election Day.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Funny how the Hillary supporters and haters have joined forces.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I supported Hillary during the primary. I plan on voting against Obama in the fall, even with Hillary on the ticket. I’m also not thrilled about McCain. I’m just about finished with this election.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
he picks Bill Richardson and this election is over and he destroys john mccain
August 20th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Obama is the first presidential candidate that often brings to mind “Fridge Logic.” Maybe choosing a VP will lead to another bout of Fridge Logic.
Fridge Logic” is a much maligned and misunderstood term outside the TV writing community. Technically, it’s those small details that won’t bother the audience until later, the ones that if they think about them at all — it’s a half hour later when you’re at the fridge making a sandwich and you go, “hey, wait a minute.”
All of Obama’s appearances are like that. His speeches sound wonderful while you’re watching them, but then you sit around thinking about them and say to yourself, “Did he really just call his grandmother a racist?”.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Honestly I was hoping for Hilary in the beginning….and hoping now she gets VP…I like the way Obama talks, but I’m now undecided.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Even though John McCain is not the top choice on the Republicans side he WILL WIN because at least he has a known track record and is THE better and safer choice for the country.
Obama, no doubt, is a better public speaker and possesses charm but is TOO young, relatively unknown and represent TOO HIGH a risk for the nation. He has all the time in the world to gain more experience and run again at latter time. America cannot afford to take such HIGH risk at this volatile time with the nation’s top job. Change is good ONLY if it is the right change….
August 20th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Obama’s 143 Days of Senate Experience
Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have in terms of actual work days? Not much.
From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That’s how many days the Senate was actually in session and working.
After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan.
143 days — I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that.
In contrast, John McCain’s 26 years in Congress, 22 years of military service including 1,966 days in captivity as a POW in Hanoi now seem more impressive than ever. At 71, John McCain may just be hitting his stride.
Think about IT!!!
Think you know who this man is?
This possible President of the United States !! Read Below and
ask yourselves, is this REALLY someone we can see as the
President of our great nation?
Below are a few lines from Obama’s books; In his words!
From Dreams of My Father: ‘I ceased to advertise my mother’s race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.’
From Dreams of My Father : ‘I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother’s race.’
From Dreams of My Father: ‘There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.’
From Dreams of My Father: ‘It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.’
From Dreams of My Father: ‘I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn’t speak to my own. It was into my father’s image, the black man, son of Africa , that I’d packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.’
And FINALLY the Most Damming one of ALL of them!!!
>From Audacity of Hope: ‘I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.’
P.S. He sounds like a racist to me!
August 20th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
VP Bill Clinton can save Obama’s sinking ship.
Then Obama could appoint Hillary to decorate the Whitehouse Christmas tree.
August 20th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
After giving it much thought, Might I suggest Spiro Agnew. My second choice for OBAMAMESSAIH is Michelle … No not Michelle Pfeiffer silly, Michelle Obama.
August 20th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
How about Hugo Chavez?
August 20th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
He can pick Mickey Mouse as far as I’m concerned. He won’t get elected anyway.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
You people always use experience to against OBAMA. Look at your current president BUSH. Yes BUSH had experience, he even had more experience after 4 years when he got re-elected, but what his experience has done for us, for this country!
We do not need McSame, we need Chnage!
Wake up OC people!
OBAMA 2008!!
August 20th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Barack H OBAMA SHOULD CHOOSE jEREMIAH WRIGHT AS HIS VP.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:10 am
I am a democrat and I’m excited about the election,I was hoping we would change history,but now I’m not so sure.Obama/Clinton would have been a great ticket, a woman we all love and a black man we love,I feel this would’ve been a landslide..but now I’m not so sure.I feel if obama passes over hillery,he may not make it.I thought,your polliticians were out to please the people,but it looks like just another election,no matter what side your on..without Clinton,I probably won’t vote,cuz again there will be nothing worth voting for, just who’s the best talker and that doesn’t do it for me..I’m looking for action and hillery acts…..
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Gen. Wesley Clark, Joe Sestak, or Jim Webb for obvious reasons of military expertise and white male middle America appeal where democrats are weaker. Also, those men help deliver parts of the country that might be fights for him. Sestak, though, from the northeast has served in Iraq and has name recognition beyond PA.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:51 pm
PRO-COMMUNIST SENATOR JOE BIDEN (D-DELAWARE): STOP SUPPORTING OPPRESSIVE COMMUNIST VIETNAM BY PUTTING ON HOLD IN THE SENATE THE 2007 VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT (H.R. 3096), WHICH WAS ALREADY PASSED BY 414-3 VOTES IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Senator Joe Biden, along with Hanoi John Kerry, Robert Byrd, and Ted Kennedy, is always known as a good friend of communist Vietnam. In 1975, he, along with other democrats such as Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) and George McGovern (D-SD), denied President Ford’s relief effort for South Vietnam, a long-time U.S. ally who had been promised that aid, sentencing millions of Vietnamese allied with America to a life on the run or in prison or both. In a May 1975 article in the New York Times, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) commented that “barmaids, prostitutes and criminals” should be screened out of the flood of refugees from Vietnam as “excludable categories.” Just how did the Good Senator expect anyone to do that? How did he propose to separate the “good Asians” from the “bad Asians”? Maybe the Senator would have used his KKKK rule book as a guide? Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) charged that the (Ford) “Administration had not informed Congress adequately about the number of refugees” — as if anyone actually knew during the chaotic hemorrhage of people seeking help during the evacuation of South Vietnam. “I think the Vietnamese are better off in Vietnam,” George McGovern (D-SD) told Newsweek.
Now, Joe Biden, like Hanoi John Kerry did twice in the past, again supports communist Vietnam by putting on hold 2007 Vietnam Human Rights Act (H.R. 3096) in the Senate, knowing that, it would, otherwise, be easily passed in the Senate as it already was by 414-3 votes in the House of Representatives. In a letter in response to Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who is the main sponsor of Vietnam Human Rights Act, he explained why he opposed Vietnam Human Rights Act, which will prohibit increased U.S. non-humanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam unless there is verifiable evidence that the Vietnamese Government has made substantial progress towards the release of its political and religious prisoners, respecting the right to freedom of religion, returning properties, allowing free and open access to refugee programs, respecting the human rights of members of all ethnic minority groups, and taking appropriate steps to end trafficking in persons. In his opinion, there is no evidence that Vietnam Human Rights Act will promote human rights in Vietnam. If his argument were right, then why have the U.S posed embargoes on other brutal, rogue countries such as Sudan, Cuba, and Myamar? Or is it because communist Vietnam, like its big brother Red China, is too strong and too bad to be punished? In other words, he considers econimic ties with communist Vietnam much more important than human rights values. In fact, most U.S. non-humanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam paid by U.S. tax payers has ended up in the pockets of high-ranked members of Vietnam communist party: while corrupt communist leaders such as Prime minister Nguyen tan Dung and President Nguyen minh Triet are billionaires, a regular Vietnamese earns only $1 per day; that is why Vietnam GDP has increased in recent years yet Vietnamese get poorer and poorer due to increasing economic gap between a few corrupt communist leaders and the mass. Because of Joe Biden and other hypocrites’ double-standard view, communist Vietnam, after being admmitted to WTO in 2007, has waged a new crackdown on democracy activists such as Father Nguyen van Ly and lawyers Nguyen van Dai and Le thi Cong Nhan, who were given unfair, harsh sentences of several years for their democracy activities; likewise, communist China, after being granted hosting 2008 Olympics, has waged a new cracdown on Tibetians.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
I am so glad that OBAMA is ahead of McCain so much in California.
OBAMA 2008!