Apparently, Both VP Choices Are Going to Be Booooring

[DemocracyInaction]

Matthews has a panel show on ABC, Sunday's a.m. Andrew Sullivan (right winger) said (and all on both left and right agreed) that both VP picks will be rather disappointing to the base because they will be boring because these guys do not want anyone to upstage them and they do not want to start getting other messages mixed up with their own. He said McCain appears to have already made his choice and just waiting for the right time.

The choice is Pawlenty (sp?) of Minnesota (yup, boring). Anyway, there goes MN for us and I believe we need to do some scrambling for the electoral map. I would hope this means we would have to pick someone from a red state that is pushing close to becoming blue and thus be swung over. VA comes to mind. And if they, indeed, want boring, then Sam Nunn of GA is a shoe in. By the way....basically the repukes on the panel have thrown in the towel and given it to Obama.

[Alexander]

1. Pawlenty barely got re-elected in 2006. We're not losing Minnesota because of him.

He's not popular enough to swing Minnesota to the GOP. Not even close.

That is, if McCain picks him, which I don't think he will, because Pawlenty makes him look ancient by comparison.

[DemocracyInaction]

5. I'm more concerned about who our boring guy is

If it's true that they want a backdrop and not someone who becomes the spotlight, then I'm trying to figure who would do the same for us. There are govenors that no one - including the people in their states - even know exist. But I think we seriously have to look at VA or GA or is their someone floating around NC??

[smoogatz]

8. Richardson.

He'd lock up NM for us, and bring in millions of latinos who might've stayed home. Might even put AZ and NV in play.

[sellitman]

12. He also has plenty of experience with Foreign affairs.

He may not be the best speech giver but his pluses are high in critcal areas.

[Alexander]

14. No. He said the word "maricon" which means "f*ggot". We'd lose LGBT votes...

Hand over fist if Richardson was on the ticket.

He then later said being gay is a choice.

If you want someone from the Southwest, Janet Napolitano is a better pick.

[smoogatz]

15. He was baited into it, and he apologized.

But okay, he's not the greatest ever on LGBT issues. I'm not sure that should be an instant disqualifier, but maybe after the whole McCulkin flap, you have a point.

[amandabeech]

24. He also suggested pumping Great Lakes water to New Mexico.

Good-bye Michigan.

Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio might not be happen with that, either.

[musicblind]

27. Gov. Mike Easley of NC

[lojasmo]

11. T-Pawl barely won over Hatch....

Who was a terrible candidate. I agree that T.P. doesn't help McCain in Minnesota.

[crankychatter]

2. oops identical to previous post - delete - nt

[stray cat]

3. Pawlenty may not be able to deliver Minnesota

But here's three reasons why nominating Tim Pawlenty would be a good thing for Democrats, and why Tim Pawlenty can't deliver Minnesota to McCain in the Fall:

1. Governor Carol Molnau -- She's the Lt. Gov and would succeed Pawlenty. Oops--she's also the former Transporation Commissioner on whose watch the I-35W bridge fell. She was run out of her former position by a lynch mob.

Nobody wants "Governor Molnau." The DFL (Democratic Party in MN)can run anti-Molnau ads in addition to anti-war ads to keep MN blue.

Ads that equate McCain/Pawlenty/Coleman/Molnau as a team would speak volumes without even mentioning the I-35W disaster that occured on Molnau's watch.

2. Minnesota is truly an Anti-War State -- Early and often people in the Twin Cities have been vocal in their hatred of the War and George Bush. Demonstrations during the Republican Convention will highlight that. But here's something you maybe didn't know: Minnesota has one of the highest National Guard enlistment rates in the country. All across the state there are swing voters in outer suburbs and small towns who know friends and family that have been jerked from their jobs and sent to Iraq. Independents hate the war as much as Democrats.

3. T-Paw isn't that popular to begin with. Yes, he's won re-election in 2006, a Democratic year. But look it up: it was a one point win over an irritable, sometimes prickly candidate, Mike Hatch (and a Lt Gov candidate who, in the last week of a very close campaign, didn't know what E85 was..very dumb mistake in a farm state.)

There's more: we turned out 200,000+ for the DFL caucuses on February 5th, and we went 2-to-1 for Obama. The Republicans turned out 50,000. The University of Minnesota is one of the largest colleges in the country, with a student body that's been swamping the caucuses and volunteer centers here. Barack Obama is hugely popular in Minnesota.

The North Star state will shine blue this Fall. Count on it.

http://www.mnblue.com/node/1489

[saltpoint]

10. Thanks for the info and analysis. I didn't know much of

that about Molnau, but it sure puts an interesting spin on things for November, and it ratches up the pressure on the Pukes.

Here's also hoping we can get that damned Norm Coleman out of that Senate chair.

The bluer the better, and Minnesota sounds like it's on track to cast quite a few Democratic votes.

[jaxx]

4. After Cheney, boring is good.

[DemocracyInaction]

7. Jaxx--agree and one up it

I really don't want a VP circus going on during the election so that the media whores might find something to sink Obama (and they are becoming desperate). BUT, I'm also in favor of the VP going back to what a VP was in the past. They shouldn't be in some back, dark room making deals with organized crime like Cheney. We've had enough of the Godfather Parts I, II, III, IV, V, etc.

[smoogatz]

6. Pawlenty=collapsing bridges

Folks in Minnesota are pretty displeased w/ him about now, especially in the Twin Cities.

[JohnnyCougar]

25. Pawlenty = asking for another Katrina

That's all you have to say.

[saltpoint]

9. I sent a polite (but firm) e-letter to the Obama campaign declaring

that I would honor the choice he makes for veep but would very, very, very strongly encourage him to choose someone other than Sam Nunn.

I'm not a big Nunn fan, going back for some decades.

A friend of mine was Nunn's golf caddy for a short period of time and described Nunn as "extremely aware of aristocratic protocol," which is quite a nicer way of saying something else.

And the public voting record speaks for itself.

I understand that we don't want the McCain-heads to exploit the national security issue, but there are other ways to address that than by choosing Sam Nunn.

On a strictly personal basis, if it's going to be a Georgian, I'd rather have Max Cleland any day of the week.

[Barack_America]

13. Tim Kaine is both boring and exciting...

He's definitely not going to upstage Obama, but he brings some very exciting qualities to the ticket.

[CanonRay]

16. That's good.

We have enough excitement with Obama, and we don't want them to have any.

[seafan]

17. Governor Bob Low-Key, Mind Like A Steel Trap Graham is available.

Sometimes, opportunity knocks very softly.

[Cha]

18. Democrats who support Obama message

of Change aren't boring. Tweety's panel doesn't know shit.

[Flabbergasted]

19. Pawlenty let that the bridge because he's against spending money on anything. nt

[cloudythescribbler]

20. I support Barbara Boxer for VP -- is she BORING? Who's INTERESTING (and plausible)?

[AlCzervik]

21. after the current one shot his friend in the face i think boring might be a good change.

[ruggerson]

22. Nunn is hardly boring - he would be a very bad pick

[terrya]

29. Short of Obama picking Lieberman, I can't think of a worse choice than Sam Nunn.

[carlotta]

30. Nunn is Joe Lieberman on steroids

There is no worse choice.

[underpants]

23. Pawlenty was a drunk

the story about his wife going to the hospital and his delay, showering , then leaving stinks of being a boozer.

[JohnnyCougar]

26. I highly doubt Pawlenty will be able to deliver Minnesota.

He's not popular there. I think McCain could have made a better choice. Obama's ahead in MN by a large margin already. Pawlenty sure as hell isn't going to close that gap. It may increase Republican turnout by a percentage point or two, but that's not going to be enough. It may hurt Franken, though, who could be in a much closer race in the Senate.

Anyways, once the public finds out more about McCain's flip-flops on marriage vows and every single issue out there, he will be toast. McCain is an airhead, a loser, an adulterer and a common opportunist that is fit to sell used cars, but not much more.

[Skwmom]

28. Now is not the time to go boring. This country desperately needs a ticket

it can believe in. We are going to be going through some very difficult times and Americans need leadership that they can trust. And they don't trust individuals with years of Washington Experience.

Obama/Schweitzer.

It reinforces Obama's message of:

Change
Authenticity
Judgment vs Washington experience.

[Orsino]

31. There are no other Obamas of national prominence.

He could pick someone with new ideas to generate some excitement, but I predict a boring (compared to Obama himself) choice.

And the Republicans? They've got nothing but boring and scary to offer, and even their scary is going to look boring after eight years of Cheney.

[MNBrewer]

32. The second worst thing

resulting from VP Pawlenty would be Governor Molnau. The first would be Pres. McCain.

[Thrill]

33. Kaine isn't boring. The more people see of him, the more they are going to like him

[Hippo_Tron]

34. I would imagine Kaine is being seriously considered...

He's up next year and term limited. Webb just started his Senate career and Warner is about to start his, so Kaine doesn't have much of anywhere to advance. So, I'm sure he's definitely very very interested in the job.