Veepstakes: America's other pastime

[question everything]

Veepstakes: America's other pastime


Cliff Schecter
guardian.co.uk,
Wednesday July 30 2008


Vice-presidential predictions are a quadrennial sport in the US, reaching a fever pitch among all manner of political observers during the dog days of summer, or, to be more specific, an intensity level that among the general populace is only reserved for the really big things, like pictures of Brangelina's new octuplets or each decade's OJ trial.

And at the centre of that potpourri of prognostication is current Virginia governor Tim Kaine. Kaine, a Harvard-educated Catholic who won comfortably in an erstwhile red-tinted state, one that Barack Obama just happens to be targeting to turn indigo, brings a lot of potential assets to the Democratic ticket. The problem is that with a record of opposing abortion rights and without a foreign policy background, this pick could anger a key constituency Democrats are trying to win over after the Clinton-Obama Thrilla in Manila, namely women, while also providing more fodder for those questioning Obama's experience when it comes to foreign affairs.

Other big names being mentioned recently are Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius, Indiana senator Evan Bayh and longtime Delaware senator Joe Biden. All are interesting choices, with Sebelius showcasing success in a state that still doubts evolution, Bayh sporting perhaps even better hair than Mitt Romney and Biden probably holding the world record for longest uninterrupted sentence. On a more serious note, they are all accomplished politicians who would bring political savvy to the ticket, not to mention gender (Sebelius), a key swing state (Bayh) and foreign policy gravitas (Biden). In short, all are vice-presidential calibre. But it is important to remember that there are a variety of reasons these names are being floated: to flatter, to placate, to test the waters, to mess with John McCain's head - not that this effort could necessarily add to what is already rattling around up there.

(snip)

The final choice is not going to be made until much closer to convention time, in hopes of a large post-convention bounce (the exception could be on the McCain side, should they continue to lag in the polls and think they need something to change the overall media narrative or perhaps just to wake McCain up from an afternoon nap). So sit back, enjoy that barbecue and root for the NY Yankees to overtake the Boston Red Sox in the American League East standings.

That's what I'll be doing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/30/uselections2008.barackobama