Did Obama tip his hand this morning?

[President Decider]

Anyone watching Meet the Press this morning heard him say 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.

He then went on to list the qualities he’ll be looking for saying, QUOTE:

“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.”

"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."

“I’m not interested in a vice president who I just send off to go to funerals,” he continued. “I want somebody who’s going to be able to roll up their sleeves and really do some work.”


Now while some of you might be thinking this isn't very telling at all ... in the same intervew he paused when Brokaw mentioned Hillary's name and lauded the very qualities he mentions above.

Do you think he tipped his hand?

[Coexist]

1. compatable.

so I don't see Hillary.

[BklynChick]

2. integrity, don't see Hillary there. I didn't see MTP, but I don't think from your quote he's

talking about her

[ecstatic]

35. lol nt

[Sparkly]

3. I think we can all read into that our own preferred picks!

To me, it's got General Clark written all over it. I could see how someone else might see someone else in it, though.

[jaysunb]

21. Clark is seemingly the one

as he fits the whole criteria laid out by Obama and more.

I've never been a big fan, but I have to give him his props.

[DFW]

28. That sounded like Wes Clark to me, too

[windbreeze]

31. exactly what I said...exactly...n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

4. no I think he very carefully said almost nothing.

[NYC_SKP]

22. Exactly, it didn't reveal a single clue. nt

[xxqqqzme]

30. Exactly - It is worded so it can be

ANY perspn you want it to be.

[BlooInBloo]

5. That description clearly precludes Clinton.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Help him change "how politics work, how business is done in Washington.”

Not Hillary.

[CreekDog]

7. well what would you expect him to say?

nobody says, i picked him to win X state, even if that is the deciding factor.

[monmouth]

8. He paused to refrain from laughing out loud. Obama always uses good judgment..n/t

[dbonds]

9. Its definitely Angelina Jolie

[clydefrand]

10. I think he meant Hillary.

[Muttocracy]

11. he paused to figure out how to be polite without sounding one way or the other

I don't think his description fits Clinton. They are not complementary (and Clinton was far from complimentary in the primaries). She's total Washington creature too.

[jillan]

14. I thought he was describing Biden.

Perfect description of Biden if you ask me :P

[polichick]

12. Nope, he didn't tip his hand imo.

[JackORoses]

13. No. Hillary is not the Change we need.

[babylonsister]

15. Q&A w/Obama and McClatchy:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6546026&mesg_id=6546026

Q: When you get home you have a vice president (running mate) to name before you head into the convention.

A: You'll get nothing out of me.

Q: How's the process going?

A: Going great.

Q: When do you think we'll know?

A: That's all you're going to get.

[Cha]

27. Ha Ha!

It's gotta be someone who's not into the Power Machine thing..it will be someone who genuinely wants to help our country and its peeps.

[krispos42]

16. Sounds like he has a governor in mind

Richardson? Sebilus?

[jakem]

17. it is totally Gore. no Question.

or else Henry Rollins.


one or the other. definitely.

[GalleryGod]

18. Hillary is the last running mate he needs

please ....

[shraby]

19. That's about the same thing he said about

picking a v.p. when he got the nomination. Nothing has changed. He may be looking at someone on the order of a Richard Clarke or a Joe Wilson. People with expertise in their areas and not currently from the establishment.

Someone dissed the idea of Joe Wilson in another thread, saying he was CIA..he isn't/wasn't CIA..he worked for the State Department as an ambassador, was in Iraq during the 1st Iraq war. That's one reason he was sent to Niger in Africa, because he had been an ambassador there and knew who to talk to about the yellow-cake.

edited to add

[Whisp]

41. Joe Wilson? He conducted himself shamefully in the way he talked about Obama

I have a different view of him now.
no way wilson.

[dkf]

20. Sounds like Al Gore to me.

[PATRICK]

23. I'll honor Borkaw's integrity

by simply thinking him an idiot with his lesser mind too far in the Beltway trough to even need talking point orders. He said just the opposite of what Obama was driving at. Anyone else and I'd think it was a clever joke.

[blonndee]

24. No.

"Independence."

"Integrity."

Someone who wants to change "how business is done in Washington."

Sorry, for all of Sen. Clinton's good qualities, those aren't among them. IMO, of course.

[my3boyz]

25. I think it is clear that he was not describing Hillary but that is abt all. I have no idea who he

will pick.

[Pisces]

38. He said independent minded. This sounds like Mike Bloomberg

[newfie11]

26. I sure hope so. Hillary is the best choice

[TwilightGardener]

29. I love how everyone reads his comments as pointing directly to the person

THEY happen to support for VP. Cracks me up.

[Historic NY]

32. Expect the unexpected.

[Motown_Johnny]

33. Hillary's integrity is in question thanks to her performance in the primary. sorry

[high density]

34. Hillary was the anti-change candidate

Plus Bill adds a massive complication to everything.

[Pisces]

36. THat sounds like MIKE BLOOMBERG!!!

[ecstatic]

37. He's still trying to win over spoiled-I mean Clinton

supporters... But I think we both know that those Clinton supporters who still aren't on board will never vote for someone who is not Caucasian. Just my humble opinion, of course.

[hedgehog]

39. You really shouldn't place temptation like this in front of me.

I'm trying to suppress the snark and behave grown-up.

[JerseygirlCT]

40. Nope. I don't. I think he was purposely less than

definitive. All of what he said could well apply to just about anyone he'd be thinking about!

[mmonk]

42. I don't see this:

"that we’ve got to fundamentally change not only our policies, but how politics work, how business is done in Washington.”

just doesn't sound Hillary like to me. Sounds more like Sebelius or Hagel.