Who do you think should be elected in 2008?

[Mari]

That's what I thought when I was quickly reading over it

[hectorberlioz]

Woohoo!

GO HILLARY!

[Mari]

I thought you were for the other party?

[hectorberlioz]

1) I am, but I want McCain to run against Hillary, not Obama

2) If the Dems win in November, I'd rather have Hillary in the WH than Obama. I think she's a far more practical personality than Obama.

3) There isn't this zany quasi-messianic message with her as with Obama

[brownjenkins]

When push comes to shove I think that Obama is actually more conservative policy-wise, but I'll be happy with any of the three at this point. The temporary demise of the evangelical inquistion is good enough for me.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Obama wants us to get invovled in Pakistan. That's bad enough for me...

[brownjenkins]

I'm not sure that's even going to be a choice for us, considering the spot GWB put the next president in. Plus McCain and Hillary will both be looking to nab Bin Laden as well.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

Obama wants us to get invovled in Pakistan. That's bad enough for me...

We already are involved in Pakistan. That was one aspect of Obama's rhetoric last year that I actually agreed with, except the part where you announce it to the world running for president.

[hectorberlioz]

In preperation for an announcement from McCain's campaign of a running mate, I decided to do this little "whos-who" on possible names we might see on the ticket.
These are the names that have been bandied around in recent times for a ticket with McCain, not including fellow candidates (Huckabee, Romney) or fellow Supernames (Newt, Condi)...

Tim Pawlenty: He's the Gov of Minnesota, he's been a McCain guy since before Iowa's Caucus, he's quite popular (I admit I haven't looked up his approval ratings), and he balances out the social conservative aspect of the Republican three-legged stool.
IF HE WERE TO BE VP: he would be the first Vice President to have a "mullet" in the modern definition of what a mullet is.



Kay Bailey Hutchison: She's one of two Republican Texas Senators (and Sen Cornyn has also been mentioned as a possible VP pick), was a strong voice in favor of immigration law enforcement. Rumor has it that she plans on retiring from the senate.
IF SHE WERE TO BE VP: She wouldn't be the first woman vice presidential pick (that would be Geraldine Ferraro, on Walter Mondale's ticket in 1984)...but she would be the first lovely, hot, sexy, conservative, Texan-woman VP




Sarah Palin: She's the Gov of Alaska. Hardly the pen from whence you choose your VP...and lord knows Alaska needs her more than McCain does. She fought against a very corrupt Alaska GOP Republican machine, run over with the likes of "good ole' boys" a la Ted Stevens.
IF SHE WERE TO BE VP: First serious possibility of having a president from Alaska (and Mike Gravel doesn't count because he was less than serious).

PS: did I also mention that she's really sexy?


Michael Steele: He was the Lt.Gov of Maryland, and then the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate (he lost), and currently the chairman of GOPAC (as is often the case with folks who lose). My only concern with picking Steele (as well as Sarah Palin) is that really don't have all that much experience...either running things (Palin hasn't been Gov for very long), or winning campaigns (Steele). Once he wins elected office and has been around for a while, then we can readily say yes to Steele, ditto Palin.
IF HE WERE TO BE VP: He would of course be the first black GOP vice presidential nominee...but also the first Catholic black gop nominee.



J.C. ("Julius Caesar") Watts: former congressman (House Representative) from Oklahoma. Watts would be McCain's best pick, in my humble opinion. For many reasons: he's a self-made bussinessman, he was in congress for many years (enough to be VP), he's socially conservative etc...
IF HE WERE TO BE VP: He would be the first GOP vice presidential nominee to be a black GOP former football player.



Mark Sanford: He's the current Gov of South Carolina. Truth be told, I'm not all that impressed with Sanford. It isn't that he's not socially conservative enough, but that like McCain, he seems to have an "independent streak". That is not reassuring in a time when Republicans are trying to swallow and vote for McCain.
IF HE WERE TO BE VP: Ummm...he would be the first former 115th Gov of South Carolina? *cough*



(I'm working on a post for the Democratic VP names)

[Acalewia]

I'd rather see Hillary take the Dem Nomination. I think she would make the better candidate. Obama is taking the Hollywood image too far. (That is what I'm calling his tactic). Sure the Younger Americans are taking to him because he's younger, but Hillary has more experience with politics, I think, than Obama.

Of course that's just my opinion

[hectorberlioz]

Acally, I absolutely agree with you!

[Acalewia]

That's a first

[hectorberlioz]

From what we're seeing now with Hillary's wins last night, a Hillary-Obama ticket is not unimaginable. That's analyses for another post, but the point is that these folks down below are going to have a tougher time vying for the VP slot than their GOP counterparts.

Also notice another trend: these are all successful Governors. Not a fellow senator among them. That's because two senators on one ticket is a losing ticket (read: Kerry Edwards).


Ted Strickland: Ohio's Dem Gov is the perfect Hillary mate. Like her, he loves inventing Pre-kindergarten school ideas. I think the real problem with Ted is that he is...not all that ingratiating when it comes to personality. *YAWN*




Phil Bredesen: Allow me to make my case (as a Republican) to Hillary and Obama that Phil Bredesen, current Dem Gov of Tennessee, is a genius idea for a vice presidential slot. 1) He's likeable, 2) He REALLY IS a uniter of Republicans and Democrats. There is such a thing as Republicans For Bredesen here in the state. 3) He's very likeable and appealing (not charismatic, but appealing), 4) He's been fighting against corruption, exposing corrupt Dems and Reps alike, 5) and he's very much capable of taking over the presidency. 6) He is fairly socially conservative, but very much Democrat on Fiscal and Foreign Policy (think Bill) issues 7) He's been Gov for a long time, succesful at it, and will go out of office very popular. You can't get better than Phil Bredesen on the Democratic side. Heck, I wouldn't flinch voting for the guy.




Mike Easley: Don't ask why, but his name has been out there as a possible VP pick. Like the two above, he's been a successful Gov...but I don't think he's been around long enough, and isn't going to be appealing personality-wise.



Kathleen Sebelius: the current Gov of Kansas. Very popular, likeable, not the most charismatic Gov in the pen, but more appealing in personality than Easley or Strickland. She's probably the next best bet after Bredesen, IMO.

And she's also very good looking, making her a non-entity for Hillary



Bill Richardson: I think his book is pretty much closed when it comes to VPnes, but I'll mention him anyways. His resume is very long, so "been around long enough" is not an issue. The only thing I would worry about, if I were Hillary or Obama, is the perception of Richardson that people have...and I got the feeling of a very likeable, nice, but incredibly naive person when I watched that first Democratic debate in New Hampshire. Perceptions mean a lot, and so I think Bill Richardson cancelled himself out at some point during the campaign.

[hectorberlioz]

Dinesh D'Souza has some interesting thoughts about "experience" in a presidential candidate here: http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/bloggers/dinesh-dsouza

[brownjenkins]

Obama's non-sequitur is that experienced people have screwed up, therefore experience is irrelevant. Apply this reasoning to other areas and its absurdity becomes obvious. Consider the following extensions of Obama's argument: "The experienced CEO made a bad investment, so let's replace him with the least experienced guy at the company." "The skilled skater fell during the Olympic trials, so let's put a guy on a team who has never skated before." "The general made a flawed maneuver, so let's turn over the company to Pee Wee Herman."

Typical strawman argument. The absurdity is the examples he gives, not the actual thing in question.

The key to being a good president are your skills, not your experience. No one who takes the office for the first time really has the experience of being president of the most powerful country in the world, and that's the only experience that counts.

[Insidious Rex]

As far as VP candidates, which would be a better strategy for McCain: a black VP pick against Obama or a female VP pick against Hilary? My thinking is go black.

[brownjenkins]

I think he'll play it safe and go white male. The vote he will be looking to capture are democratic white males.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

This Phil Bredesen fellow sounds interesting, Hec; I'll have to look him up.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Insidious Rex

As far as VP candidates, which would be a better strategy for McCain: a black VP pick against Obama or a female VP pick against Hilary? My thinking is go black.

Whatever the reasons you want to accuse us of: we have start somewhere. Your party did, didn't it? Now go pick your dead white male VP already, you'll need him.

I am a Barak Obama fan