Obama's VP...it probably should be a woman...

[sfam]

I think conventional wisdom has been that Obama needs to pick a white male who's very knowledgeable in foreign policy (someone like a Biden, for instance) or the defense department (Wesley Clark), but the more I think about it, if he wins, he really should be selecting a woman.

Why? Because we've seen an insane turnout in the democratic party, not just from young voters and blacks, but also from women. If Hillary loses, a good number of those women could end up being despondent enough to simply not come out in anywhere near the numbers we've seen.

Worse, if McCain is smart he may very well talk Kay Bailey Hutchison into running with him. If so, he WILL get those despondent voters.

Considering the turnout we've seen in the primaries, its a pretty decent bet to go with the whole "change" message full-tilt, and select an entire ticket that says "NEW DIRECTION."

An executive like a governor would be a nice balance I think. Kathleen Sebelius is a good choice. She doesn't have any of the baggage from the 90s battles (this is why Obama probably won't pick Hillary), so independents will be attracted to her, and she brings well-needed executive experience to the ticket.

[gateley]

1. Barbara Boxer.

[sfam]

12. I don't think you want two Senators...

Plus, I think we have California locked up. Kathleen helps in the west.

[gateley]

26. I've never understood that argument (two senators) - including the

mention of very few senators becoming president.

Could you explain that to me?

Thanks! :hi:

[sfam]

29. They both would have the same world view...same "weaknesses"

If you have a senator and a governor, you have a completely different set of skills with which to attack problems. If both were senators, people might think, "geeze, these guys never got anything done in the senate, why would I pick two of them to run the country?"

Having someone from outside Washington reinforces Obama's message I think.

[gateley]

39. Well that makes sense - thanks so much!! nt

[MonkeyFunk]

52. Plus Ahnuld

would appoint her replacement.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. I Don't Necessarily Agree With Your Position, But I ABSOLUTELY Agree That Kathleen Would Make A

great VP. After her SOTU response, I saw her as someone who could totally be President someday. If she was VP, she'd be in great position to run in 2016, and I wouldn't mind that one bit!

[sfam]

4. Exactly - that would be the point...

The whole concern that people wouldn't be able to see a woman president in their lifetime goes away if you pick someone like Kathleen. If they had a decent 8 year run, she would be the odds-on favorite to win the Dem nomination.

[ourbluenation]

3. as an equal rights for women kind of gal, I say it should be whoever is most qualified, regardless

of gender.

and there's lots of qualified women. :)

[Yurem2008]

6. And Sebelius can make Kansas a Blue state in 2008

[sfam]

8. But that's rarely the rationale for a VP choice...electability is...Cheney...

was the only recent VP I think we've seen who was selected because he was "the most qualified," and look how that worked out.

Incidentally, if most qualified was the rationale, Hillary would probably be at the top of the list, but again, I don't see her as helping with the independents at all.

[skipos]

5. "If Hillary loses, a good number of those women could end up being despondent enough"

to simply not come out in anywhere near the numbers we've seen."

Then why does Obam trounce McCain in the general election polls, while Hillary underperforms?

If McCain picks a woman as a candidate, it will come across as a totally calculated move. Women don't just vote for the woman. Ask Ferraro.
How much to blacks like Bush for picking Powell or Rice?

[sfam]

Kay Bailey Hutchison isn't Ferarro, and there wasn't really a hope in...

'84 that a woman was going to win the nomination. This was never in the cards.

[Karmadillo]

7. Sebeliuzzzzzzzz

nt

[sfam]

13. Call me kooky but I really liked her response speech. It was a great...

contrast to Obama's style I think. Thoughtful, contemplative, measured, etc.

[eShirl]

9. it probably should be the best person for the "backup president" job

be that person male, female, both or neither

[sfam]

11. See post #8 about Cheney...

[eShirl]

15. don't worry, they aren't going to select cheney

cheney selected himself, if I recall, and dumbass was dumb enough to say "duh, ok"

[sfam]

22. Bravo...good point! nt

[LordJFT]

10. I absolutetly agree

[guyanakoolaid]

14. ...or not... or maybe just a good progressive

I think conventional wisdom says we should move beyond race and gender-specific politics and focus instead on individuals, their specific positions and their specific words. Nobody should be excluded from or given exclusivity to a public office simply because of race or gender, and this kind of talk, after Obama and his campaign have done such a brilliant job of not injecting race or gender into the campaign, is frankly just plain backwards. By your reasoning, Republicans in Democratic clothing like Feinstein and Clinton would be better suited to the job than a progressive liberal like John Edwards. Absurd.

[sfam]

18. My perspective definitely is that the VP first and foremost should...

help the top of the ticket get elected. That said, they also have to mesh well with the top of the ticket. To say that Obama will pick the MOST qualified person independent of electability issues is silly.

And again, selecting a non-white-male ticket sends a pretty clear message that change is coming to Washington. This is not such a bad thing to say.

[guyanakoolaid]

30. Is it silly?

This is exactly how Obama is going to get elected. Nobody thought a year or two ago that we'd be ready now for a black president. I even heard Chuck D say this. He wasn't "electable". It's the issues and specifics that attracted me to Obama in the first place, and are one of the reasons he's winning.

But also, to follow your line of reasoning about choosing a VP for electability - it would actually make more sense for him to pick a white male in that case. One white male and a minority certainly seem more electable than two minorities.

[sfam]

47. Welll this is certainly the conventional wisdom, that a white male...

would make people less worried about the change. But again, my concern is that we go "safe" with a white male pick, when clearly there are qualified women; and McCain capitalizes. The newsies would play this up as if McCain is offering almost as much of a change as Obama in that sense.

[bunnies]

16. Janet Reno? nt

[Bucky]

19. !

Bea Arthur for VP!!

[Bucky]

17. As a white male, I'm concerned that people like me won't have a voice with such a ticket

:rofl: Obama doesn't needs to "pick a white male who's very knowledgeable in foreign policy". He doesn't need a woman for a running mate. He needs to pick a running mate who best able to carry on as president should something bad happen to him. This party has used up its LCD demographic cliches through at least the 2016 campaign.

What say we start judging people on... I dunno... the content of their characters for a spell?

[sfam]

21. Welcome to Dick Cheney...how'd that work out?

Seriously, selecting the best candidate who can carry on without him implies someone old with lots of experience. Perhaps this isn't the type of experience we need right now. If so, lets ask McCain to be the VP.


EDIT: And again, I'd feel quite safe/OK with Kathleen Sebelius as president, if horribly, the need arose.

[Bucky]

38. Lemme get this straight. I say judge people on the content of their character & you think "Cheney"?

Try arguing with the points I make, not the points you want me to make. Sheesh.

[sfam]

45. Yeah, you're right...my apologies...

I misread your response. My apologies. I absolutely agree that content of one's character matters. That said, I think the VP selection involves a number of factors.

[enid602]

20. Condi?

How about Condi? I don't think Rush would be offended when he plays the ads on his radio program.

[sfam]

24. Condi would be shark chum...

I don't think McCain picks her. She would get ripped apart for her NSA lapses.

[gateley]

31. Yesterday I heard that there was a "lot of talk" about McCain choosing her as

his running mate. Not sure how many votes she could bring -- do the Reps think she's doing a good job?

[sfam]

46. Most people do...but she is conservative...not crazily so though...nt

The only issue is whether he can convince her to run.

[CK_John]

23. I think he has a deal with Bloomberg for VP. n/t

[Mojambo]

28. I could see that. n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

54. I couldn't

A 4-year Senator and a mayor?

Nah, I don't see it.

[sloppyjoe25s]

25. Sebelius could be a great pick

i don't know alot about her - but I liked her response to the State of the Union Speech from W.

[OzarkDem]

27. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes

Obama doesn't seem to care much for women, he didn't even bother to mention women's issues in his platform.

I can't imagine he'll get many takers. Wouldn't be an enjoyable job.

[tyne]

32. What about

Jane Harmon?

[OzarkDem]

33. A better fit - both funded by the GOP

it would be a genuine GOP - lite ticket.

[sfam]

60. That's quite a perspective you have there...

Not that there's any real rationale for it, but certainly you're entitled to your own opinion. Strange how he's getting close to 50% of the women vote now if that's the case though, ey?

[TwilightGardener]

34. God no.

[billyoc]

35. Jean Shaheen from NH. nt

[onenote]

36. I disagree.

IMO, whether the nominee is Obama or Clinton, the VP pick needs to be someone with enough gravitas, particularly in the area of foreign policy, to counter the inexperience claims.

[Skittles]

37. and of course that cannot be a woman? nt

[MonkeyFunk]

58. Unfortunately

the only woman of national stature with extensive foreign policy experience is Madeline Albright, who's not eligible for the job.

Barbara Boxer is on the Foreign Relations committee, but she'd never be chosen for a variety of reasons, chief of which is that Schwarzenegger would appoint her replacement.

Feinstein is on the Senate Intelligence committee, but she has the same problem, and nobody here would want her.

[sfam]

59. This was why I mentioned a governor..

Obama doesn't have executive experience or massive foreign policy experience. He has to shore one of these up.

[sfam]

51. A woman with foreign policy experience would be fine with me...

[Beausoir]

57. Well, that rules out the women!

[Exilednight]

40. He should pick the most qualified person, gender - race - sexual orientation be damned!

He just needs a VP who can get the job done and help make-up for his perceived weakness.

[totodeinhere]

41. I doubt that many progressives would vote for McCain even if he choses a woman.

And I doubt that a good number of progressive women would either. Are you telling me that they would vote for someone who says we will be in Iraq for another 100 years just so they can get a right wing woman as VP? I don't think so.

[sfam]

43. Hillary has gotten a decent share of republican leaning women...

Its not to hard to imagine that gender might have something to do with this...

[Iceburg]

53. It just might have something to do with her competance,experience

that they are willing to jump ship for Hillary.

[knixphan]

42. I'm with Bucky and Exiled

Pick the best person, by your standards. And let the people back you up.

Richardson would be my 1st...

If I wanted a woman, go McCaskill?

[sfam]

44. Again...would prefer a governor over another Senator...nt

[MonkeyFunk]

55. The only Senator likely to be a running mate

is Clinton.

McCaskill has less national experience than Obama, and she's from a state with a Republican governor - so she's automatically out.

[sfam]

56. I agree with that. I'd take Clinton over McCaskill...nt

Even with her baggage with those who won't vote for her, Hillary brings LOTS to the table.

[Alexander]

48. Janet Napolitano.

[sfam]

49. No problem with me on that...nt

[Alexander]

61. She's been a great governor and is a nice person. I've met her.

[sampsonblk]

50. Wes Clark-nt

[sniffa]

62. I think it should be Cynthia McKinney

Let's drag her back into the party, and just think: Obama will look unbelievably nonthreatening.