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bookemdanno
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
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 Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 5:08 am Post subject: BARACK THE VOTE: Who will Obama pick as his VP? |
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Who will Obama pick as his running mate?
My money's on Senator Jim Webb , the junior Senator from Virginia, a Democrat but former Secretary of the Navy under Reagan.
That brings in the Southern vote.
He complements Obama while compensating in areas where some have doubts, such as foreign policiy judgment and military experience. His veteran's credentials match or exceed McCain.
Like Obama, he has bipartisan appeal too.
Webb's credentials are sterling, to say the least, and he's in the right age range with charisma to boot.
He's also a best-selling author and amateur historian who's married to a Vietnamese American. He speaks fluent Vietnamese and understands Asia. That brings in some of the high intellect and diversity vote.
Read up on him and voice your opinion? If you're a naysayer, who do you think has the best shot at the job?
(Note: Edwards has bowed out and Hillary is dead in the water, so let's not waste our time discussing their chances). |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 6:14 am Post subject: Re: BARACK THE VOTE: Who will Obama pick as his VP? |
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| bookemdanno wrote: |
| Hillary is dead in the water |
that just reminded me of the scene from fatal attraction. Obama gets home to find Hilary in the bathtub with his bunnies in the pot. |
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Pluto
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:08 am Post subject: |
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| An Obama/Webb ticket would be really tempting, but I don't know if I could pull the lever for Obama. I really just wish Obama would give up his 'tax hiking, we know how to spend your money better than you' philosophy. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Pluto wrote: |
| An Obama/Webb ticket would be really tempting, but I don't know if I could pull the lever for Obama. I really just wish Obama would give up his 'tax hiking, we know how to spend your money better than you' philosophy. |
You mean tax-hiking for uber-rich? You mean Bush & Co. know how to spend money wisely? |
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JustJohn
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Location: Your computer screen
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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Tax hiking to give our money to Africans who know how to spend it even less than we do, to be precise 
P.S.
Not saying McCain's policies are any better. Both are mediocre at best. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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I have one of Webb's books, but I haven't gotten around to reading it quite yet.
He'd be fine with me, but I don't know how well it would go over having two sitting senators on the ticket. |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| I don't think Hillary's dead in the water over the VP slot. Having said that, I don't think I want her to have the job, either. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:11 am Post subject: |
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| The Bobster wrote: |
| I don't think Hillary's dead in the water over the VP slot. Having said that, I don't think I want her to have the job, either. |
Neither do I. She'd wield more power in the Senate. |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:26 am Post subject: |
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Webb doesn't really make as much sense as a VP pick as it seems at first glance.
For one, his style does not fit the poltiical needs of the office, nor would he probably mesh well with Obama which would prevent them being an effectiv campaigning team. Also, subtracting a red stater from the Dem caucus in the Senate doesn't make sense because he would be likely to be replaced by a Republican.
He just became a Dem pretty recently and has a history of positions and statements which don't match what Democratic voters nationally are looking for.
Finally, he wouldn't likely bring in the white working class vote nor the Southern vote. Kerry and Edwards didn't get the WWC vote and Gore didn't get the South, even losing his home state of Tennessee.
Overall the VP pick has little influence on an election's outcome, but it is the place to showcase someone who you would like as a future star of the party.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/05/26/how-the-vp-debate-misses-the-mark.aspx
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| One of the most important things a party does is cultivate talent for the future, and selecting a vice presidential nominee is absolutely critical in that regard. It's like deciding what to do with the top pick in the NFL Draft. Are you going to wind up with a Peyton Manning, or a Tim Couch? I can give you three reasons why the GOP presidential field was so weak this year: Dick Cheney, Jack Kemp, Dan Quayle. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:34 am Post subject: |
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| Hater Depot wrote: |
Webb doesn't really make as much sense as a VP pick as it seems at first glance.
For one, his style does not fit the poltiical needs of the office, nor would he probably mesh well with Obama which would prevent them being an effectiv campaigning team. Also, subtracting a red stater from the Dem caucus in the Senate doesn't make sense because he would be likely to be replaced by a Republican.
He just became a Dem pretty recently and has a history of positions and statements which don't match what Democratic voters nationally are looking for.
Finally, he wouldn't likely bring in the white working class vote nor the Southern vote. Kerry and Edwards didn't get the WWC vote and Gore didn't get the South, even losing his home state of Tennessee.
Overall the VP pick has little influence on an election's outcome, but it is the place to showcase someone who you would like as a future star of the party.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/05/26/how-the-vp-debate-misses-the-mark.aspx
| Quote: |
| One of the most important things a party does is cultivate talent for the future, and selecting a vice presidential nominee is absolutely critical in that regard. It's like deciding what to do with the top pick in the NFL Draft. Are you going to wind up with a Peyton Manning, or a Tim Couch? I can give you three reasons why the GOP presidential field was so weak this year: Dick Cheney, Jack Kemp, Dan Quayle. |
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Clinton I think would be really good as a vp candidate. She seems to have a weird power where she is able to change the debate in midstream and fluster her enemies, and the media goes along with it. It's really quite fascinating. As vp candidate she would be all "John McCain is a" one week and when McCain adapts to that she'd be all "When I said John McCain is a I really meant b" and the media would be all "Is John McCain b? Let's talk about that for the next 24 hours." Then in the meantime Obama could stay on message while Hillary kicks the *beep* out of McCain.
After they win, who knows. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:02 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Overall the VP pick has little influence on an election's outcome, but it is the place to showcase someone who you would like as a future star of the party.
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This is true. Other factors are regional balance and some liberal/conservative balance.
Obama may be looking for a governor from either the South or the West. Richardson of New Mexico could also bring in the Hispanic vote, but that might just be one too many 'ethnic' candidates for one ticket. Too bad Montana has such a small population because they have a Dem governor.
If not the executive experience, then the military background should be considered. Besides Webb, there is Clark. He'd be a strong candidate. A general can be marketed as an executive as well. |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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| I like Richardson, too, but the Hillary crowd see him as a turncoat. Actually, I don't know who can do the job that will make them happy, except the woman in question herself. A lot is going to depend on what Mrs Clinton does, how strongly she rallies her people to support the party. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: BARACK THE VOTE: Who will Obama pick as his VP? |
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| bookemdanno wrote: |
Webb's credentials are sterling, to say the least, and he's in the right age range with charisma to boot.
He's also a best-selling author and amateur historian who's married to a Vietnamese American. He speaks fluent Vietnamese and understands Asia. |
Wow, I dont' know much about Jim Webb yet, but this alone has me very intrigued about him! I gotta read more about this guy.
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Extensive military career. A member of his ancestors has fought in every U.S. war that has ever been.
Married THREE times. The Vietnamese just happens to the latest one. Has had kids with every wife.
Has written five military-related novels. He studied law.
Much more of him on here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb
Ahmm...I am unsure what to think about him yet. I liked Wes Clark quite a bit. Unsure about Jim Webb.
Last edited by Tiger Beer on Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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married three times... the religious right will tsk tsk Webb but make little hay with independents on that score
if the Democratic ticket has someone who openly scorns Bush and outexperiences McCain militarily then that ticket will get punched in November and they will pass go
his pro-gun, anti-immigrant positions may not mesh wholly with Obama but neither of those issues are high on the agenda apparently |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
married three times... the religious right will tsk tsk Webb but make little hay with independents on that score
if the Democratic ticket has someone who openly scorns Bush and outexperiences McCain militarily then that ticket will get punched in November and they will pass go
his pro-gun, anti-immigrant positions may not mesh wholly with Obama but neither of those issues are high on the agenda apparently |
Thats my take on Webb as well. He seems more Republican than Democratic.
Openly pro-gun and multiple marriages...
He has also written 5 military-oriented novels. Several of them deeply criticized:
| Quote: |
| In October 2006, the Allen campaign issued a press release quoting several passages from Webb's novels with sexual content, including graphic references to female anatomy and purported pedophilia, homosexuality and incest, citing a passage in which a Southeast Asian father ritually places the *beep* of his young son in his mouth. The press release said that the passages showed a "continued pattern of demeaning women".[ |
Personally, I think Webb would be a mistake reading this for your regular Democratic supporter. He might complement Obama to gain some white southerners, but I doubt it.
I think his character is just questionable enough that would you really want the guy running for Presidency 8 years from now.
Well...maybe I just read the negative stuff on Webb...and my mind might change later. But some of this stuff on wikipedia doesn't make me interested in him, for sure.
He's probably better off as a Democratic Senator in Virginia where he just NARROWLY won that last time. He's just Republican enough to maintain this position for that state as well into the long-term. |
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