Comment from josh
Time: June 6, 2008, 7:01 am

It’s hard for me to get excited about a one-term senator who couldn’t get re-elected in his own state, who lives in a 30,000 square foot house, and gets $400 haircuts bringing much to the party. For all his courtroom savvy, Cheney, yeah that one, beat him in the one debate they had. And what does he know about the economy and how to fix it? And Obama is not about to concede that he is “wrong” about healthcare. And other than one-term in the senate, he has about as much experience as Obama. On a scale of 1-10, I give him a 3, maybe a 4. He would make a good AG, as Sasha has suggested.

With regard to making the decision based on polls, I’d say that is foolish this far out of the real dynamics of the race. Focus groups would be more reliable.

What I think Obama needs is a Bob Rubin (a solid 10 on my scale) to use the Bill Clinton success on the economy to hammer McBush and to help with the Jewish vote in Florida. His argument is yes, a president can fix the economy. Or he needs someone with defense chops, like the much respected former senator Sam Nunn (at least a 9 on my scale) from Georgia, now an expert on nuclear proliferation. He served in the Coast Guard for six years, so McCain can’t come after the military service of the ticket. Also Nunn is someone who could help carry Georgia, and change the electoral map Georgia would be in play and the Pugs would need to spend a lot of money there. And my final choice would be Ed Rendell (at least an 8 on my scale)to lock in Pennsylvania, help in Ohio, and bring along the white, blue-collar worker. By locking up Pennsylvania, Obama can spend his money elsewhere. Rendell is the classic pitbull type you want in a VP. He has executive experience as a mayor and governor, re-elected in 2004. He is also a former DNC chairman and he was the first Hillary Clinton supporter to put her in her place after Obama clinched the nomination.

PS. I’m off to Maine for four days. No internet access, so I’ll need to catch up later.

Comment from Leftcoast
Time: June 6, 2008, 11:46 am

White. Male. Southern. Military. Repeat after me. Nothing else makes strategic sense. Agreed that a woman would be the worst choice (Obama hasn’t pandered, he shouldn’t do it now), followed by a Jew (sorry, Obama doesn’t need more out of the mainstream ethnic or religious issues). Which BTW: rules out Richardson, who is incredibly qualified and strategic for the Hispanic vote. I’d make him Sec State. Obama’s policy weakness is national security–McCain’s going to run on that all day long and be persuasive. Webb, Wes Clark, pick, ‘em.

Comment from Sasha
Time: June 6, 2008, 12:29 pm

I think Feingold would do great but I think we need him more in the Senate. And that Jewish thing would do more harm than good imo.

Left, I agree with half of your criteria and disagree with half. White and male, absolutely. Southern and military, absolutely not. We won’t take the south anyway so why bother? And why elevate the notion that the Commander in Chief needs military help to make decisions.

Can’t stand Rubin and nobody knows who he is. And there is that Jewish thing again.

I keep telling folks who my best favorite candidate is, but everybody just blows it off. I’ll try again. Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana. A regular folks kind of white guy, Roman Catholic and pro-choice, anti-gun control and liberal as the day is long. Won in Montana to the total dismay of Republicans. He balances that “regular guy” thing that Obama is missing, helps out in lots of those western states, and is one hell of a campaigner.

Comment from timr
Time: June 7, 2008, 9:10 am

I have been having problems with BoB-accessing and both viewing and writing comments- over the past couple of days. Max tells me that he has also had some problems. Has anyone else had these problems?

Comment from timr
Time: June 7, 2008, 9:21 am

My hope is that Obama picks someone totally outside the envelope that people are suggesting. Caroline Kennedy, or someone like her. Or how about someone who has a history in business, or practical knowledge of how the world really works. Forget anyone in the senate-or the house, forget any governor, lets look further afield and get a new face, someone who can really help in the matter of CHANGE. How about Hagel for DoD? He is leaving the senate anyway. I think that he should also go for experts in the field of each cabinet position, without regard to party affiliation. We have so many huge problems confronting the country that Obama-when elected-needs to go with people that even the repigs can’t criticize.

Comment from timr
Time: June 7, 2008, 12:53 pm

just finished listening to hrc’s speech. Started 45 min late. I give it a C- overall. Not much passion, lots of stuff about her-when it started, I thought it was just a replay of her last Tuesday speech, I was listening to streaming video on C-Span at the time. Without watching it, I thought it was one of her poorer speeches, I heard very little passion, very little enthusiasm when she spoke about Obama. Please, dear god, don’t let Obama pick hrc as his vp. It would be all about her. That was the overall impression that I got from the speech. Read a rumor that she was wavering-whether or not to give up- right up until the minute that she left her house 30 min after she was supposed to start her speech.

Comment from Tom Brown
Time: June 7, 2008, 6:05 pm

Brian Schweitzer (Go Sasha!), Mark Warner, Jim Webb (doubt he wants it), Bob Casey, or Bob Strickland (brings in Ohio and solves the Generational Problem). Basically, it has to be a white guy.

Or, in a pinch, Bill Richardson. He’s experienced, respected, qualified, and brings the Hispanic vote. Not a rock star, but Barack has all the rock star cred that this campaign needs.

Comment from Sasha
Time: June 7, 2008, 6:17 pm

Thanks Tom Brown. It should also be a good campaigner. Neither Jim Webb nor Bill Richardson fit that category.

FWIW I hope Jim Webb doesn’t want it. He’s another of those military guys like McCain who dumped the wife who raised his kids while he was overseas for a trophy wife. I’m not the only one who holds that against him. Lots of those Hillary supporters would too.

Comment from I.B.Lever
Time: June 8, 2008, 6:07 am

Timr, for Kriste-sakes the women is exhausted, cut her some slack. I thought you and Lefty had some independent decisiveness remaining in your repertoire, unlike the many “backsliders”, that have come to the fore.

Where is the insincerity in the following e-mail, she sent to those who believed in her representation ?

Dear Ima,

I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.

On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.

I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party’s nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.

When I decided to run for president, I knew exactly why I was getting into this race: to work hard every day for the millions of Americans who need a voice in the White House.

I made you — and everyone who supported me — a promise: to stand up for our shared values and to never back down. I’m going to keep that promise today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.

I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.

I know as I continue my lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world, I will turn to you for the support, the strength, and the commitment that you have shown me in the past 16 months. And I will always keep faith with the issues and causes that are important to you.

In the past few days, you have shown that support once again with hundreds of thousands of messages to the campaign, and again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and kindness.

I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton
…………………………………….

The above may not be adequate to many at BotBs but it is more than suffice for moi . Or, do you think it would be beneficial, to enter this final fray, with a party split by pettiness and news print innuendo ?

Comment from I.B.Lever
Time: June 8, 2008, 6:38 am

Tom posts …..

My grandmother once said, while contemplating who deserved her vote one year, “It’s a shame to put a good man in, because he won’t be no account when he gets out.”

…. Grandmothers are wise beyond their years ….

My choice would be Chuck Hagel, our young men and women will need all the representation they can muster, when what remains of them returns from the “Bush-Cheney” indignities, they’ve suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Comment from Michael
Time: June 11, 2008, 9:08 pm

So let me get this straight.

First – Clinton sells out on his wife

Second – Bush sells out on America

And now Obama sells out on his God/Religion…

Who’s the worse of them all? (The people) For not realizing that Obama just gave up his entire life’s growth in spirituality and relationship with God, to be President. Nice work!

How can you “Believe” in someone that doesn’t believe in his own beliefs?

Michael