So Obama beats McCain on everything but National Security

[Quixote1818]

Seems to me the best VP choice would be someone like Clark, Biden, Anthony Zinny or perhaps Webb. I think if you put a general as VP the general public will instantly feel Obama is shored up on Nat. Security.Not everyone knows Biden and Webb have strong NS credentials. I think Wes Clark is the logical choice because Jo Sixpac, Nascar Dad and white working class testosterone dad, will hear "General Wes Clark" and instantly get a hard on just from hearing the word "general". Not to mention he taught economics and has become wealthy since leaving the military. He seems to be well rounded. During the Kosovo War, NATO claimed to have suffered zero deaths in combat thus making Clark the first US general to win a war without losing a single soldier to combat. How can you argue with that kind of performance?

[FrenchieCat]

1. They can't argue with it.......

so they'll make shit up.

But we will still win.

[gateley]

2. “I refuse ever again to let a Republican conclude that we are weak on national security.”

Biden said that - and I think he can rip them to shreds on it.

I wish he could go up face to face against McCain on this, but he'll have to be fighting from the cheap seats.

[defendandprotect]

3. ...because breaking the military and bankrupting the Treasury works so well---!!!

[Hippo_Tron]

4. I can easily argue with that

I don't want Obama to have to shoulder the perception that his VP will be his "Dick Cheney" and actually run the country in a time of crisis. If Obama wants national security cred, he needs to kick McCain's ass in the debates.

"Lets pick a VP for national security because the polls say we're weak on national security" is a Mark Penn kind of strategy that only looks at the polls and doesn't take a look at the bigger picture.

Also, I don't think most voters rated National Security as their number one priority. Many of the ones that did are probably hard-core Republicans any way.

[jkshaw]

6. Very good point, Hippo

[Quixote1818]

8. However Clark is popular with the Democratic base. Penn ran a campaign

that was not focused on the base but the GE. Clark will make the base happy and shore Obama up on Nat. Security. I agree that Obama needs to kick McCain's ass on Nat. Security in the debates but I also think Clark help Obama on NS and on snuffing out attacks on Obama's patriotism that will come from his connection to Rev. Wright.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. You're missing the point with regard to Penn

The Democratic "base" is made up of several groups and frankly Hillary had a substantial portion of it with the numbers of women that voted for her. Anti-war liberals are indeed a part of the base but they are not "the base".

Penn's strategy was faulty because it was based on conventional wisdom. For the past several election cycles the nomination gets wrapped up on "Super Tuesday" and so Penn followed that wisdom and said "well if we win California and all of the big states the media will declare us the winner". David Axelrod, on the other hand bucked conventional wisdom and planned a strategy to net just as many delegates out of Super Tuesday as Hillary did without the glamor of winning the big states. The key was the the next day Hillary would be bankrupt and Obama would still be rolling in cash because campaigning in Idaho is a lot cheaper than campaigning in California.

Ticket "balancing" is a faulty conventional wisdom strategy that is, in my opinion, outdated. Ticket balancing goes back to the old days of political machines when a popular Senator or Governor could "deliver" a state, region, or constituency to a nominee that was at odds with said state, region, or constituency.

Obama's number criteria for picking the VP needs to be how well he works with that person. Not only will that serve him best when he is actually in office but it will be reflected on the campaign trail. Kerry/Edwards was a poor match and that was reflected on the campaign trail. Clinton/Gore was a match made in heaven (despite later falling out) and while they shared the same age and geographic location, Gore made the ticket much stronger because he re-enforced everything strong about Clinton and they were able to campaign so well as a team.

Obama needs to find his Al Gore and if that happens to be Wes Clark then so be it. If Obama/Clark is a natural fit then the Dick Cheney thing won't be a problem. If it isn't a natural fit then it will show and the media will start calling Clark "Obama's Cheney" and McCain will exploit that to the fullest.

[dailykoff]

5. Right now, he BEATS McCain on national security.

We're losing an unpopular war, remember? He doesn't need generals to make the point. He DOES need to distance himself from all and any saber rattling, or he loses his advantage.

[Mz Pip]

7. I don't get this

Really , I don't. Why, exactly, do the Republicans fare better on national security than the democrats? Everyone seems to just take this statement at face value. Like the comments that were being made by Charlie Black when he said a terrorist attack would help McCain and all the pundits sort of nodded their heads and said it was a bad thing to say but it was true.

Why is it true? Why would a terrorist attack help McCain? Can't we get ahead of this? It will be a talking point and will be hammered into the collective unconscious of the voters by the GOP from now until election day.

But why?

[Quixote1818]

9. I don't get it either. Bush never got Bin Laden and blew Iraq and Afghanistan

Not to mention they blew it on 9/11. They have been a complete disaster on Nat. Security.

[DCofVA]

10. It blows my mind that anyone could possibly think

that McCain and the Republicans are better at national security!
The one thing that really scares the crap out of me is; what McCain would do if he were President and there was a terrorist attack on American soil.

[lojasmo]

11. Obama wins on national security.

In the newest poll.

[Quixote1818]

12. And when Obama's ads start running that show McCain has flip flopped on how difficult

Iraq would be and Torture and a whole shit load of things related to NS, McCain's numbers should plummet. Not to mention highlighting that Obama was against the Iraq war and McCain was for it. That in its self should be enough to put Obama ahead on Nat. Security.

[rufus dog]

13. So Obama goes out and calls Bush and McCain Weak on terror!

That is how you win. Hit them back fast and hard. IT IS THE CHICAGO WAY!

[The Magistrate]

16. Hear Hear, Sir!

[dailykoff]

17. That dog won't hunt. He wins on judgment, not strength.

They're plenty strong, they're just fools, and that's the polite term. That's how Obama beat Hillary.

[TeamJordan23]

15. Biden or Clark. nm