Obama not basing VP pick on geography

[catgirl]

Politico article posted on Huffington Post:

Barack Obama said he’ll give his vice president substantive work and will choose his running mate based on ability to govern, not to help win a state in November.

Obama listed the qualities he’ll be looking for: “I’m going to want somebody with integrity. I’m going to want somebody with independence — who’s willing to tell me where he thinks, or she thinks, I’m wrong. And I’m going to want somebody who shares a vision of the country: where we need to go — that we’ve got to fundamentally change not only our policies, but how politics work, how business is done in Washington.”

In an interview taped in London for NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Tom Brokaw asked Obama about the “old rules” of picking a ticket mate based on electoral strength in some region, and “someone who is stronger in some policy area than you are.”

“I think the most important thing, from my perspective, is somebody who can help me govern,” Obama said. “I want somebody who I’m compatible with, who I can work with, who has a shared vision, who certainly complements me, in the sense that they provide a knowledge base or an area of expertise that can be useful. Because we’re going to have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/12083.html

Biden, Dodd, Clark?

[thewiseguy]

1. Not sure if this would be a good idea.

[Skidmore]

4. I suppport it.

There is much work to be done and the last thing Obama needs is someone who will not pitch in and do the work.

[Cha]

20. This is the only logical conclusion

and our candidate is nothing if not logical.

So much work to be done, as you say, and you get someone with a "geographical" qualification but isn't up to fullfilling the job just isn't gonna cut it this time.

[Zynx]

2. Dodd's ties to the banking industry unnerve me.

[Hamlette]

12. What "ties"?

he's on the banking committee and has a bank loan but what ties does he have?

My husband works in the banking industry and is not at all fond of Dodd because Dodd wants to regulate banks. (He feels the same way about Barney. My eyes glaze over when he talks about it so don't ask me for details. His "hero" on this issue is Bob Bennett who is very pro banks, and, as a side note HATES McCain.)

[jobycom]

15. He's had a couple of issues over the years. Nothing bad, but maybe enough for Obama

to not want to take the risk.

Back when Enron collapsed, Dodd was accused of protecting the Arther Anderson accounting firm from fraud liability, after receiving money from them. And this year he proposed a bailout plan for Countrywide, after getting favorable loan terms from them, to the tune of $75,000 in personal savings.

Neither of those is anything bad, but it's all about public perception. The Republicans would love to be able to accuse Obama's running mate of being corrupt in the two biggest financial crises of the last decade. Does Dodd bring enough to the ticket to risk that? I'm not sure he does.

Dodd was my first pick for president this cycle, and I won't be disappointed if he's the VP pick. But I'd be a little surprised.

[Hamlette]

34. I'd be surprised if it was Dodd too but I don't really think those are "ties"

I'd be shocked if a US Senator did NOT get a favorable loan. Hell, I get favorable loans. There is a range of interest rates based on a number of factors including credit rating and the possibility you'll skip out. A Senator is not likely to default on a loan and would get better rates. $75,000 is not hard to rack up when paying over the life of a home loan.

It could cause too much talk but he's not "easy" on banks. Just the opposite.

(I do favor bailing out "banks" because you are really bailing out depositors who would otherwise lose their life savings whether in a savings account or a home.)

I like Dodd but I don't think he adds to the ticket. If it has to be a Senator, I like Biden better.

[catgirl]

37. I totally agree with your thoughts here

Except the "adding to the ticket" part. Obama mentions integrity, which Dodd has. I think he does
pass all the qualifications Obama is looking for (not to mention he is fluent in spanish!). I like
Chris Dodd. I'd be thrilled if he was chosen. As the MSM is starting to say, it's Obama's race to
lose. I don't think his V.P. pick is neccessarily going to hurt him.

[Zynx]

49. That's a distraction from the endemic issues with him:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR2007021501555_2.html

[Muttocracy]

3. I like that reasoning. In a weird DU convergence, I'm playing the video right now

from some other thread, so it's like Obama is reading the post above to me!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25872613#25872602

edit to say - I think the quotes above rearranged and left out a few sentences, so worth hearing the clip - Brokaw keeps trying to get him to trip and give clues.

[Catch22Dem]

5. Which is why Hagel won't be his pick

He needs a pick who shares his ideology. Hagel does not, but would be an asset in the administration in some other capacity.

[frogcycle]

6. He just described Joe Biden

To those who don't already know it, Biden's early career parallels Obama's. He was the first member of his family to go to college, managed to go to law school, took a job with a big firm, quit it after six months to go work for a civil rights firm. He was the only white man in the firm. His record as chairman of the judiciary committee before the foreign affairs, on authoring the Violence Against Women Act, and of course his current status as foreign affairs expert...

Oh, and did I mention he tells it like it is?

And doesn't take special interest money?

Obama knows all this, and his description comes so close, I am tempted to read something into it. But I won't. I'll wait and see. I could be 'way off base.

But I will save this post! :)

[On the Road]

8. Biden Would be Good

He comes across and experienced, confident, and likeable.

[Johonny]

7. Oh no

he's going to pick the media's imagine of John McCain

[jobycom]

11. Hehe! Good one. nt

[seafan]

9. Bob Graham: Governor, Senator, intelligence guru, environmentalist, scandal-free career.

A finer running mate will not be found.

[jobycom]

14. AND, just coincidentally I'm sure,

a brilliant regional pick, as well. :)

Graham would be a good pick. His age is an issue, but as VP, that's not critical. Everything else about him is a positive.

[seafan]

19. Amen, jobycom. Sometimes opportunity knocks very softly.

Regarding age and ability:


Vincent Bugliosi is 74 next month. I'd hire him in a heartbeat to prosecute George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney.


Bob Graham will be 72 in November. If he were Obama's wing man, we could be certain of safe, knowledgeable and experienced hands.

[jobycom]

33. It's not that I'm worried about his age myself

It's that the voters might. He's exactly the same age as McCain, and look at all the crap he takes on this board for his age. He's accused of everything from pants wetting to dementia. What happens if our VP is the same age? Jackass DUers treat McCain like that, and we're the nice party. What would the Republicans say about Graham?

It's not a deal breaker, it's just the only real negative I can see. One thing it might do--if both parties had a 71 year old on the ticket, maybe the agist crap would stop from both sides. :)

[newmajority]

30. Age itself isn't a dealbreaker, but I believe Graham has a piece of cow heart in his chest.

That makes him "older" than his chronological age.

My only other problem with Graham is his choice of breakfast companions on the morning of 9-11-01, which were CIA/Bush Crime Family flunkie Porter Goss, and Pakistani terrorist funder Mahmood Ahmad - later revealed to be the guy who was bankrolling Mohammad Atta, alleged 9-11 ringleader.

Sure would like to know the real story behind that meeting.

[jobycom]

31. The real story behind that meeting is probably pretty boring.

People in power are always the targets of rich, unscrupulous people. Ask Obama, with his association with Reznik. People want to get close to you, they promise you money or assistance if you'll meet with them, they try to become your best friend, and they use the relationship for all it's worth, often without you knowing it. To your face they say "I just want to ensure your election because you are the only one trying to do the right thing." To their associates they say "You play ball with me, and I've got a senator in my back pocket who just might make your life easier."

That's why it's so easy to draw a connection between any politician and some unscrupulous yahoo. Unscrupulous yahoos flock to you.

[supernova]

51. Cow heart?

There are a lot of people with replacement valves walking around, and quite a few of them are young.

I don't think heart surgery should automatically disqualify you.

[dansolo]

45. He could agree to be a one-term VP

I like Graham. He is among my top three choices, along with Kaine and Schweitzer. Graham's age can be an issue, but I believe that he could be a one-term VP, allowing Obama to pick a younger VP (and presumably successor) when he runs for re-election.

[jobycom]

48. Nice plan. nt

[PassingFair]

26. He is my choice as well.

When radio stations allow call-ins on this
issue, I always suggest Bob!

The biggest objection seems to be his
propensity towards excessive "journaling".

I think he adds MUCH more than regional advantages,
but the love of Floridians can't hurt, especially
if McCain chooses Crist.....

[Patsy Stone]

28. Always been my pick.

Here's to Bob! :toast:

[jobycom]

10. Standard political answer. Why do people act like he's said something profound

when he just recites the scripts that every other candidate has recited for the last forty years or so?

Obama certainly has his profound, off-the-script moments. This was a stock answer, though, that ranks up there with "There's no I in team" and "It's not about the money."

We know as much now as we knew before. He's playing this well, turning it into a cliffhanger, generating curiosity and mystery, and flattering a lot of people by floating rumors (or just not denying them) about who he's considering. Smart politicing.

[TwilightGardener]

25. I agree--they ALL say this. To imply that you're choosing a VP based

on winning a state or a demographic is basically to insult your VP choice.

[Awsi Dooger]

35. I agree; I laughed like hell when I saw this thread

I'd have respect for someone who said it's all about 270 electoral votes and therefore changing the course of the nation, and this VP choice allows us the best opportunity.

[catgirl]

38. Maybe it's because Obama will get the 270 no matter who ends up as V.P.

He's kicking McCain's ass in electoral points, so don't knock him for wanting a V.P. with
integrity. One word: Cheney. Okay?

[jobycom]

42. Yep. His lead is almost half of Dukakis's 17% lead in 1988.

So he's inevitable, isn't he?

[Alexander]

50. Obama is clearly a far better campaigner than Dukakis.

At least give him credit for that.

[jobycom]

56. Jesse Jackson, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Gary Hart, Dick Gephardt, Paul Simon

Those are the people Dukakis campaigned better than to win the nomination. And Lloyd Bentsen was his running mate, and got in the greatest zinger in debate history against Dan Quayle. Dukakis looked every bit as strong as Obama does at this point. Afterward, it's easy to say he looked weak, but that's hindsight.

Do you remember that election? George Bush was a laughing stock worse than McCain. Nancy Reagan called him a wimp and insulted him at the convention. Ronald Reagan was hesitant to endorse him. He had no message until the convention, sounding liberal at times, conservative at others. He squirmed over his opinions on abortion, Reaganomics, arms, taxes, and everything. He even squirmed over what state he was from, claiming Texas and New England as home. At the convention he found his message and never looked back.

It's not a completely fair comparison. Reagan was more popular that W, and the economy was stagnant, but not collapsing. And HW had Lee Atwater, and McCain doesn't. But, no, I won't say Obama is a far better campaigner than Dukakis. He has glaring weaknesses. Hopefully they won't come into play and this will be easy, but I won't believe that until it's over.

[catgirl]

53. National polls mean jack shit (but you know that, don't you)

The electoral count is what's important, and Obama is blowing McCain away.
Sorry to give you this bad news. McCain doesn't stand a chance. And the more
he opens his mouth, the more he hurts himself.

[jobycom]

54. They mean something, just not everything

It's hard to measure the EC because state polls are less frequent and less accurate.

But the campaign doesn't begin until the conventions, and in most elections the lead flips at the conventions, and the real race begins. McCain and Obama get 40% of the vote just by showing up. That other 20% decides the election, and in recent elections, at least half of that has voted Republican. That means at least half of them are looking for a reason to do so again. Hopefully they won't find it, and with the economy as it is, they probably won't.

But take it from a Clinton supporter--polls right now don't prove what will happen when the election starts. And don't confuse your conviction over Obama for his actual abilities. You can really, really love the man, and he can still lose. Trust me on that one, I've got decades of broken hearts over election results--primary and general.

So you can be certain of the outcome all you want. I hope you're right. I also pray to the gods I don't believe in that Obama does not share your certainty. As for McCain--every Republican that has won since 1980 has been considered a joke at some point just short of the election, excluding incumbents.

So I'm going to keep working as though we are ten points down and we need every last vote we can scrounge. If I feel foolish on election day, I'll be a happy fool.

[catgirl]

55. That's a good strategy

We can't afford to let McCain slip past and win. I'm with you there!

[Cosmocat]

52. We have a winner ... BO just gave the answer ...

that fits for whatever candidate EVERYONE favors ...

[MercutioATC]

13. Sounds like he wants Brian Schweitzer...

I don't know how compatible they'd be, but if they could work together, Schweitzer fits Obama's criteria.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

16. I think he would be a good pick. Plus, he does impact geography.

Montana, Colorado, maybe the Dakotas. I think he'd appeal alot to folks in Colorado.

[dansolo]

46. I think he would also appeal to rural voters in OH and PA

Schweitzer has a style that could be very appealing to rural voters all across the country.

[Larkspur]

17. I too think Brian Schweitzer is the man for Obama

[catgirl]

40. He'd be great too!

I should have mentioned him too. Very likable all american guy with integrity, brains and
interesting history.

[Cha]

18. I freakin' knew it...and anyone who

paid attention to what Michelle Obama said on The View or actually what Obama is like would have known this.

When asked on The View Michelle said ..

"On whether Clinton should be her husband's running mate: "My answer to this, and people have asked me before, I think the one thing that a nominee earns is the right to pick a vice president that they think will best reflect their vision of the country, and I just glad I will have nothing to do with it."

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/18/1152735.aspx

[Eurobabe]

21. Meet Joe Biden.

:woohoo: :woohoo:

I thought that while I was watching MTP. Obama does NOT want a wallflower.

[cleveramerican]

22. Nobody but Obama really knows WHY

he'll pick any individual.He'll never fully disclose WHY.
I think it would be foolish as well as bad form to ADMIT that geographical or electoral concerns are paramount.
But its also foolish to think for a second these are meaningless attributes.

He gave the smart PR answer in the op.

[windbreeze]

23. Wow...

Does this mean Clark?....hmmmmm....born in Chicago...raised in Arkansas....has all those attributes...and degrees in...Philosophy, Politics, Economics and a Masters in Military Science....hmmmm...this sure sounds like Clark to me...integrity, and independence, who'll tell him when he's wrong...yep, sure does...please, please, please...wb

[catgirl]

39. Could be

I'm sure he's in the top two or three.

[Douglas Carpenter]

24. IF that is REALLY the case....Dodd has by far the most progressive record of those whose names have

been mentioned.

Sen. Dodd's record on domestic issues is as impressive as anyone else.

Sen. Dodd's record on foreign policy issue almost brings tears to my eyes because it is so much better than any one else being considered:

From Vote Smart link:

http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53277&type=category&category=32&go.x=7&go.y=8

Foreign Aid and Policy Issues

2007 In 2007 Citizens for Global Solutions gave Senator Dodd a grade of A+.

2007 Senator Dodd supported the interests of the Council for a Livable World 77 percent in 2007.

2007 On the votes that the Latin America Working Group considered to be the most important in 2007, Senator Dodd voted their preferred position 75 percent of the time.

2007 Senator Dodd supported the interests of the Peace Action West 88 percent in 2007.

2007 In 2007, The Genocide Intervention Network--Darfur Scores assigned Senator Dodd a grade of A based on voting records, bill sponsorship and other activities related to ending the genocide in Darfur.

2007 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation's position, Senator Dodd received a rating of +1.

2006 In 2006 Armenian National Committee of America gave Senator Dodd a grade of A.

2006 In 2006 Citizens for Global Solutions gave Senator Dodd a grade of A

http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53277&type=category&category=32&go.x=7&go.y=8

[newmajority]

27. Richardson fits that criteria as well.

And I don't think flipping the formerly red states in the West would be a bad thing either.

[Barack_America]

29. Integrity, vision, change...well, there go the DLC prospects.

:evilgrin:

[mloutre]

32. Any of the OP Three would be fine by me.

And I do trust Dr. Obama to make the best possible choice according to his lights, so I will wholeheartedly support whomever he ultimately selects to be his running mate in any case.

[President Decider]

36. DID OBAMA TIP HIS HAND BY SAYING THIS?

In the interveiw when Brokaw mentioned Hillary, Obama paused and lauded Hillary on her leadership and her passion and her tenacity .... the very criteria by which he said he will be picking his VP.

Interesting development.

[jmowreader]

41. It's got to be either a governor or a general

McSame is going to take either a very right-wing governor or Colin Powell as his running mate. If we run two senators against that ticket, we're screwed in that the election could become close enough to Diebold.

The general's easy: Wes Clark, mainly because Paul Menoher wouldn't do it. The governor's a little trickier. I've always said Brian Schweitzer would be a good president--I especially like his Middle East experience. If not Schweitzer, try Kathleen Sebelius or Mike Easley for experience, or Christine Gregoire for tenacity.

[Larkspur]

43. I heard that Colin Powell is voting for Obama

I doubt it would be Powell. The GOP base doesn't want a black man in the #2 spot.

[jmowreader]

44. The GOP base doesn't want McCain in the #1 slot, either

His other two "general" choices are Schoomaker and Petraeus.

[darius15]

47. pft

It's not like he needs to pick someone to win a state. Even in a worst case scenario, Obama would win the election if it were held today.