Let's hear from all of you out there -- what are the names you'd like to see (or, failing that, realistically think you'll see) picked as running mates? Who do you want, who do you like, who can you live with? Either party, any reason, whether ideological or practical, who will these guys pick, who should they pick and why, anything and everything.
For that matter, who might have been better party nominees, in your opinion? Show me whatcha got.
5 comments:
Clark, for purely political purposes.
One thought here
Another one here.
Oh, just for the record, McCain has no good choices. Pawlenty? Yawn. Romney brings money to the table, but nothing else, and hurts McCain among the base.
Ridge? Pro-life. Out.
Lieberman? I'm not as gleeful of the prospect as most other bloggers, given the whole "change" theme this year, but Joe won't be very palatable among the Evangelicals unless he decides to switch to an anti-choice position.
I really don't know who Obama should pick as a veep. I guess he'll have to meet the one parameter that has become de rigueur in the Democratic Party since Tricky Dick unleashed the hicks on them: always pick a white guy, preferably with a Southern drawl. Does Mark Warner speak with a drawl?
What I'd like to propose is not a running mate for the Democrats, but a Secretary of Defense. I think Obama should make explicit noises to the effect that, if elected, he'd keep Robert Gates. I believe Gates has managed more than honourably Bush's complete mess in the Middle East; he's got the right ideas about who really threatens America, and what works against them. Third, nominating a secretary of defense is always a huge risk, since you don't know if your guy may not turn out to be a moron, whereas Gates is a known quantity, and a good one at that. Fourth, but not least, it'd greatly upset the Republican mantra of Dems being "weak" on defense and terra.
As to McSame, I'm afraid nominating Romney may be more dangerosu than we think. Corporate America loves the coiffed motherfucker, and the extra money from Wall Street may help McCain significantly. Romney may not get the Jesus retards all hot about him, but neither does McCain, really. The God botherers are generally a bunch of dimwits, but they can tell when somebody is one of them or he just fakes it. And they've spotted that McCain is a Goldwater Republican, not a Tony Perkins type. With or without Romney, I just don't think the wackos will come out in droves to vote for the wrinkly old dude like they did, twice, for Shrub. That's my bet.
And thus we make our own contribution to the artifically ginned-up November horse race. ;-)
There are a number of generals who would make good Obama VP selections - James L Jones, Shinseki, Abizaid(sp?), Riggs, Batiste - all v. bright. Jones would be the perfect dagger delivered since he's, if not actually a friend of, not antipathetic towards McCain. A governor from a swing state is probably the way he'll go, though. The last thing Obama needs is another senator on the ticket.
I'd really like to see McCain pick Jeremiah Wright as second on the ticket just to see Glenn Beck et al. hospitalized for dehydration from excess rabid lather. The mess from tiny heads exploding across the country, however, may be a bit of a chore to clean up.
Joe Biden.
I agree with your following article: Joe should show his _nearly unique_ ability to sensibly analyse foreign policy intelligently and say what needs to be done on tv so folks feel it. (Have you ever heard him talk on meet the press, etc?). I certainly hope he does tear the rethugs a new one over what needs to be done with the Georgia mess, and then goes out on the campaign trail ripping them up over everything. He can do it.
I know I'm left of many of his positions (and those of many lefties I respect), but the guy is _smart_. _And_ an effective speaker. _And_ has half a clue about the great game. OK, go trot out the plagiarism; he can deal with it. When I ask lefties what's really wrong with him, mostly the answers are as vague as most folks' conception of Biden himself.
(Also, being from Delaware, he's inevitably too buddy-buddy with the corporate world -- and wresting control of elections => government from corporations is closer to my heart than any other issue. But I'm willing to take the chance with Biden anyway).
He's gotten very little attention till now. I'd like to see that change.
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