Kathleen Sebelius appears to be the complete package

[mystieus]

http://www.slate.com/id/2192829/



In the fantasy baseball game known as the Veepstakes, Kathleen Sebelius appears to be the complete package. She's a popular Democratic governor in a red state. She stood up to out-of-state insurers to keep health care premiums down. She delivered the Democratic response to this year's State of the Union address. And, best of all for Barack Obama, she's a woman. What better way to win over disaffected Clinton supporters?

Or piss them off. Obama could also privatize health care forever, overturn Roe v. Wade, and order Hillary to make him a sandwich. At least that wouldn't infuriate die-hard Clinton supporters as much as making Kathleen Sebelius his running mate.

It's easy to see the logic for tapping Sebelius. Hillary Clinton put 18 million cracks in the biggest glass ceiling, as she told us in her concession speech. Why should it matter which woman shatters it? If anything, picking a woman other than Clinton reinforces the point that any woman can make it to the top.

"But selecting Sebelius could backfire big time. Among the Clinton supporters"

"If Obama wants to pick Sebelius, he'll have to sell her on her merits, not as a Hillary replacement. Only then will he quiet the refrain among Sebelius' detractors that she and Clinton are not "interchangeable." Given Sebelius' record, Obama has some decent material to work with. But, ultimately, Clinton supporters may be too mad to credit it. Sure, the thinking goes, Hillary Clinton has dedicated her life to putting a woman in the White House. But not that woman."

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. k & r

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6369197

[daninthemoon]

2. whew, thank goodnes she's a woman. no way obama could stand on

merit, right? let's just hope mccain doesn't pick a black or a woman, or that might ruin everything.

[Clark2008]

3. The Bilderberg thing made me dismiss her, in my mind

Although the Bilderberg thing makes her No. 1 in the minds of the elite Dem society.

Sigh.

[Barack_America]

4. Yep. That's my No. 1 argument against her.

That and she probably wouldn't be able to carry her own state.

[mystieus]

9. False, link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=6356415

[Barack_America]

13. That poll does not include VP matchups.

This one does.

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=6e675e3a-c1e0-45f1-a907-ddf7db0a5afa

[mystieus]

14. Which is better.. this is before even asking about adding Sebelius and its in the single digits!

[Barack_America]

21. Unfortunately, if you look at my link, adding in her name does nothing.

And adding her name in for other states actually makes Obama weaker against McCain.

I don't think this is purely a name recognition issue. This is beginning to look more like a "if a woman, why not Hillary" issue.

[roguevalley]

23. me too.

[truebrit71]

5. Read, my, lips...Not.Gonna.Happen.

A black dude and a white chick on the same ticket in the same year..

When I grow teats and you milk me maybe..

It will be a white man, probably from the south or with southern connections and a military background...and NO Webb is not included in this group...

[wmbrew0206]

22. Amen! John Q Sixpack is not ready for a black man and white women on the ticket yet.

[PoliticalAmazon]

6. Yes, we know. She walks on water and farts gold nuggets. n/t

[Bucky]

7. The "complete package" would have national security experience.

Also, the complete package would be a lot less boring of a speaker. This will be a close campaign--he needs a hammersmith: Biden, Clark, Webb, arguably Schweitzer.

[mystieus]

12. why does Obama 'need' someone with FP 'experience'? McCain's 'experience' wants to bomb bomb, Iran

Everyone is saying that Obama's weakness is FP accept him.

[MidwestTransplant]

20. I just hope Clark has improved at campaigning. And this is from a HUGE Clark 04 person.

[helderheid]

8. Did you read about her son's board game "don't drop the soap" ??

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/01/28/dont.drop.soap.ap/index.html

x(

http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2008/01/dont-drop-the-s.html

"Fight your way through 6 different exciting locations in hopes of being granted parole," the site says. "Escape prison riots in The Yard, slip glass into a mob boss' lasagna in the Cafeteria, steal painkillers from the nurse's desk in the Infirmary, avoid being cornered by the Aryans in the Shower Room, fight off Latin Kings in Gang War, and try not to smoke your entire stash in The Hole."

Edited for more details and my stupid "his" instead of "her". UGH.

[mystieus]

10. Old,

[helderheid]

15. She defended it. I have a hard time with that.

[Bucky]

11. "His" son?

It is a tacky way to make a buck. Not as tacky as dumping your physically disabled wife for something younger and better dowered, say, but tacky nonetheless.

[helderheid]

17. I'm exhausted! Oops!

[Imagevision]

16. Never happen - Kathleen Sebelius would cause Hillary supporters go nutz if

Obama said no to Hillary but instead brought in another woman.

[mystieus]

18. I disagree. If Hillary doesn't want to be VP and campaigns for her.

[daninthemoon]

19. you know who would be perfect?

me neither. know who does, or will? only one guy. barrack obama, and i will trust him to make the right call.

[karynnj]

24. Does anyone else think it sexist that any woman has to be defended as not a "HRC" substitute?

Have we ever spoken of any man that way? Would John Kerry have had to defend any Southern male as "not a JRE substitute?" In the first place, it was not HRC who shattered the glass ceiling for women in terms of being VP - it was MONDALE when he selected Geraldine Ferraro.

This is just another HRC team mind game. They argue that Obama could have problems with women - problems that are not showingup in the head to head polls. Then they argue that any woman is a HRC substitute. That is pathetic.

[mmonk]

25. She's a good choice (thought I would help out).

She will fit in perfectly with implementing Obama's style of reaching out as well as being someone the righties will have difficulty in attacking successfully.