Who Should Be VP?

[70Chip]

Assuming that Obama and McCain are the candidates who do you all think should be their running mates?

-Should Obama choose Hillary as his running mate?

This would ensure victory, IMO, but I think he hates her and her husband and would rather take his chances on his own. He figures he can win anyway and then he won't have those two breathing down his neck.

-Does he need an insider with foreign policy experience like Biden?

Biden's foreign policy credentials are really overrated. He's no intellectual. He seems to have anointed himself the Democratic Party's foreign policy elder statesman. Nobody who understands the world at all would steal a speech from a loser like Neil Kinnoch. If you're going to lift from a British Labour leader, try Wilson or Atlee - everyone knows this.

-Will he shock the world and pick someone like Colin Powell?

Interesting. I think he's more likely to pick a white woman, say, Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of Kansas. She's as liberal as he is and it would help him regain the support of some women. He needs to win women overall by 5 to 10 points, to make up for white men, whom he will lose by 20 points.

-Does McCain need to appease the far(ther) right by selecting Huckabee?

No. Huckabee isn't that much more popular with conservatives than McCain. Evangelicals feel some kinship with him, but the Grover Norquist types and the Buckleyites can't stand him.

-Should he try to appease "centrists" by selecting Charlie Crist?

I think he figures he can win Florida without him, so if he wants a candidate that can help him carry a swing state, Romney and MIchigan would make more sense. If McCain wins in Michigan, the math gets very tricky for Obama.

-Will he shock the world and pick someone like Lieberman?

Only if he wants to speak to a crowd of about 30 people at the nominating convention. Lieberman's position on social issues would cause a full scale revolt among the various people who care about these thiongs. If he wants an out of the box, novelty choice he should pick Bobby Jindal, the Governor of Louisiana. (apparently the only one in that state's history that wasn't hopelessly crooked) Jindal is the one person I see in the conservative landscape that gives me some hope for the future. Certainly you must be following him closely, SS.

What do you all think they should do?

See above. Obama/Sebelius and McCain/Jindal.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

-Should Obama choose Hillary as his running mate?

This would ensure victory, IMO, but I think he hates her and her husband and would rather take his chances on his own. He figures he can win anyway and then he won't have those two breathing down his neck.

Hate can be overcome. See Kennedy/Johnson, Reagan/Bush, Kyer/Lee... I don't know that Hillary would truly accept being a VP though. As much as she seems to say she would

-Does he need an insider with foreign policy experience like Biden?

Biden's foreign policy credentials are really overrated. He's no intellectual. He seems to have anointed himself the Democratic Party's foreign policy elder statesman. Nobody who understands the world at all would steal a speech from a loser like Neil Kinnoch. If you're going to lift from a British Labour leader, try Wilson or Atlee - everyone knows this.

What about Webb, or even Wesley Clark? The former seems a better choice, the latter is just as "green" if not more so about Washington politics than Obama. As much as candidates like to say they're "not part of Washington" it helps to have that "in" Someone who understands how the system works behind the scenes. Some up here have speculated Chris Dodd. That'd surprise me. And of course there was that, now dying, talk of Richardson

-Will he shock the world and pick someone like Colin Powell?

Interesting. I think he's more likely to pick a white woman, say, Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of Kansas. She's as liberal as he is and it would help him regain the support of some women. He needs to win women overall by 5 to 10 points, to make up for white men, whom he will lose by 20 points.

She's certainly a front-runner.

Does McCain need to appease the far(ther) right by selecting Huckabee?

No. Huckabee isn't that much more popular with conservatives than McCain. Evangelicals feel some kinship with him, but the Grover Norquist types and the Buckleyites can't stand him.

Fair enough

Should he try to appease "centrists" by selecting Charlie Crist?

I think he figures he can win Florida without him, so if he wants a candidate that can help him carry a swing state, Romney and MIchigan would make more sense. If McCain wins in Michigan, the math gets very tricky for Obama.

I don't know what to make of Romney as a VP candidate. I think he's a smart guy who has shown the ability to problem-solve on the grandest stages but I don't know what he offers as a #2. It would also depend on what McCain envisions his VP's role would be.

Will he shock the world and pick someone like Lieberman?

Only if he wants to speak to a crowd of about 30 people at the nominating convention. Lieberman's position on social issues would cause a full scale revolt among the various people who care about these thiongs. If he wants an out of the box, novelty choice he should pick Bobby Jindal, the Governor of Louisiana. (apparently the only one in that state's history that wasn't hopelessly crooked) Jindal is the one person I see in the conservative landscape that gives me some hope for the future. Certainly you must be following him closely, SS.

Bobby Jindal certainly would be an exciting choice for those of my ilk. But once I get past that, I simply don't agree with him on many issues. It could be a good choice for McCain though if he wants to win

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Bobby Jindal certainly would be an exciting choice for those of my ilk. But once I get past that, I simply don't agree with him on many issues. It could be a good choice for McCain though if he wants to win

Your ilk is an interesting position to not only save the Conservative movement in this country, but perhaps mankind itself. They are a natural bridge. And, who else could have gotten the British to just walk away for no apparent reason. That commands a man's respect as oppose to say the Palestinians, who have no sense whatsoever.

What issues do you disagree with JIndal on? Do you think that Louisiana was better off corrupt? I suppose it's the abortion/gay business.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

Your ilk is an interesting position to not only save the Conservative movement in this country, but perhaps mankind itself. They are a natural bridge. And, who else could have gotten the British to just walk away for no apparent reason. That commands a man's respect as oppose to say the Palestinians, who have no sense whatsoever.

What issues do you disagree with JIndal on? Do you think that Louisiana was better off corrupt? I suppose it's the abortion/gay business.

yeah well you don't eff with Gandhi

Various issues, will expand on them if he's chosen as a running mate

[saden1]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

Your ilk is an interesting position to not only save the Conservative movement in this country, but perhaps mankind itself. They are a natural bridge. And, who else could have gotten the British to just walk away for no apparent reason. That commands a man's respect as oppose to say the Palestinians, who have no sense whatsoever.

What issues do you disagree with JIndal on? Do you think that Louisiana was better off corrupt? I suppose it's the abortion/gay business.

Come on, you're smarter than that. Don't do my man Gandhi and the people who made so many sacrifices like that.

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by saden1

Come on, you're smarter than that. Don't do my man Gandhi and the people who made so many sacrifices like that.

I think you misunderstand me. I have enormous respect for Ghandi and what he did. My point is that the Indians, et al are in a unique position geo-politically. They understand Western Values, Eastern Values, and are economically viable. We and the Chinese will be struggling to be their best friend for some time to come. They are the diplomatic hinge of the next 20 years, IMO.

Perhaps the phrase "no apparent reason" was overstated. Ghandi gave them good reasons to leave but they were enlightened compared to what happened with, say, the French in Vietnam. He more or less talked them into leaving. If Arafat were half the man Ghandi was, the Israelis would never have been able to maintain their presence in the West Bank all these years. Likewise if Ghandi had been a corrupt, venal, thug given over to violence, the English would have stayed out of spite, probably another ten years at least. v