Obama's VP will be an old white male. Discuss.

[GarbagemanLB]

There have been a lot of posts about either women or other minorities being placed on the ticket. While my first choice for the Democratic nomination was Richardson, I just don't see how he could make the ticket.

In my opinion, the vice president will be older and someone with experience in either Washington or in the military, to defuse worries about 'inexperience' or the national security argument that McCain has a (though ridiculous) big advantage because of his military experience.

In addition, it will be a he, and he will be white. It sucks, but at some point you have to address the fact that history is close to being made, and you don't want to push the envelope too far, because frankly we DON'T know how the public (aside from the Democratic party) will respond in such a situation.

[patrice]

1. Darn!

I should be used to disappointment by now.

[Inspired]

2. I'm thinking Biden. What do you think?

I used to think Clark but I highly doubt that would ever happen now.

[GarbagemanLB]

5. Yeah, I don't know. I do think it will be someone with military credentials, but who knows.

[dansolo]

32. I can't see him picking anyone who voted for the IWR

That eliminates Biden, Dodd, and Edwards

[Muttocracy]

45. yeah, I wonder about that

does that mean he has to go with someone who voted no? or would someone just not in Congress be OK?

At least Biden did come out quite clearly that his vote and his confidence in Powell were mistakes

"I made my pitch for Biden-Lugar, , pointing out the very real constraints it put on the president.

But the president was giving personal assurances that he would try every avenue of diplomacy before he took the country to war. And it was clear that Colin Powell and members of the Joint Chiefs were not eager to go to war in Iraq. With that in mind, I decided to vote for the resolution.

I believed the resolution passed by Congress provided the firm & united support Powell needed to be able to get the United Nations Security Council to pass and enforce a new resolution that got the inspectors back into Iraq, kept Saddam in his box, and thus avoided a war. I wasn't alone in that.

I made a mistake. I underestimated the influence of Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the rest of the neocons; I vastly underestimated their disingenuousness and incompetence. So Bush went to war just the way the neocons wanted him to--without significant international backing."

[Oceansaway]

3. Jim Webb !!...n/t

[Inspired]

6. That could be very good! n/t

[babylonsister]

4. Define old, and don't discount a middle-aged Hispanic guy,

:P

[k8conant]

10. Richardson would indeed be good!

:applause:

[Muttocracy]

27. "define old" was my thought too nt

[Adelante]

7. I agree nt

[k8conant]

8. Why not Geraldine Ferraro?

...for affirmative action :sarcasm:

[saltpoint]

9. Bill Bradley, Gov. Sebelius, Gov. Napolitano, Gov. Richardson... others.

Lots of good choices.

I definitely don't think it's a racial consideration but one that will be based on who he wants to preside over the Senate. We have some very historic legislation to move through the 111th Congress and President Obama will need someone who can move it thru the legislature.

[goclark]

13. What about Barbara Boxer?

She is great and she would certainly hold California!

Then we would really be able to see if the sexism issue is as strong as Hillary has lead people to believe.

I like Boxer!

Obama/Boxer :bounce:

[saltpoint]

14. I got exactly zero problems with Barbara Boxer.

I love her.

[cloudythescribbler]

24. And Obama has many (electoral AND other political) reasons to pick a female -- Boxer iz tops...

Indeed, if NOT Boxer, for whatever reasons, I would think that one of the other women people are considering (such as Karen Sebelius, and others) would be a wise choice. Though the personal disappointment of HRC would still need to be otherwise addressed, it would help unify the party, and Boxer is as good as they come.

I think that it is probably all but inevitable that Obama, if and when he becomes the presumptive nominee, would pick a white running mate. But why male? Actually, that's just following the 'dead/old' white mail meme that the OP author seems to have in mind. I don't see it as NECESSARY that his running mate be "old" (which is also a bit awkward -- if 46 is "young" and 72 is said by many -- surely unjust if McCain were a progressive Democrat, people -- to be too old, the likely age range of most experienced pols falls within a fairly narrow range (after all 46 is only 25 years younger than 72. Since we are then deciding that someone in their 60s is "old" while someone in their late 40's is "young" the meme kind of runs on its own momentum.

I think PROGRESSIVENESS, and other personal qualities (as in Barbara Boxer) are more crucial to discuss than issues like the 'oldness' or the 'whiteness' of the nominee.

[goclark]

47. Progressiveness is an excellent choice

To me, Barbara Boxer is a class act.

I saw her speak during one of those campaign sound bites and I looked at her and said to myself, she would be a great President.

I also noticed the difference between Boxer and Pelosi and really was struck with how much more "forthright" Boxer seems to be.

I'm new to being a Boxer fan so help me if you have more information or thoughts.

[Muttocracy]

28. I would love Boxer, but she might be too easy to paint as a librul treehugger

because of her work on the environment. The whole "OMG, She's a librul from San Francisco!!!1!" thing.

[goclark]

34. I see your point

but I still see that the self identified "feminists" in the party would not take kindly to a White woman not being on the ticket.

I believe that if Obama gets the nomination,the issue of "experience" will not be important - because he will have won over "the experienced candidate" self identified.

By the way, I'm African American and I like Biden a lot.

He has made some slip ups regarding RACE issues but I honestly don't believe that he meant them because he has apologized sincerely for them.

His honesty is different from the approach that HC and Bill have taken in this race.

I can't speak for all my people but I do believe they would accept him for his leadership ability.

[Muttocracy]

39. thanks for that

When I heard Biden's worst remark I cringed because I knew the media would pounce and it would overwhelm his own announcement. As someone who stumbles over my own words, I would love it if someone called me articulate (which I think of as being able to think on one's feet and say just the right thing) - so to me it was pretty ironic that someone stumbled verbally while praising someone else for being articulate and noone looked at it that way. Then I was listening to News and Notes on NPR and learned about articulate being a code word or snide remark - I'm a white woman who grew up in the south but have spent my whole adult life in the north and I honesty didn't know that.

Obama's kind defense of Biden at the Iowa debate was really nice - like when he helped Richardson out at the debate. Obama never exploited this for an attack on Biden. And Obama's main point - look at Biden's record on civil rights - is how I always approached it.

Biden trips up verbally because he speaks honestly - and that is worth tons to me. As he claims, he tells people what they need to hear, regardless of the consequences. Obama's speech on race was refreshing to me for the same reason - he didn't flinch from saying things that would be un-PC to blacks or whites.

[slick8790]

29. Bradley! n/t

[PaDem]

30. No way under the sun will it be a woman.........

and most certainly not a woman from Arizona. Not a snowball's chance.

[CitizenLeft]

11. Sadly, I agree... I think Richardson would be perfect...

...and it would garnish a large chunk of the Latino vote (which he may have gotten anyway, depending on how much McCain would flip his own policies on immigration to please the xenophobic far right). But I think it's probably too risky to do that.

A white man with foreign policy and/or military experience. While Joe Biden would, on paper, be good, he doesn't bring a state with him. I like Webb, but the flack about his book (you know the one) would resurface and in my opinion, is just too problematic. I wish Edwards had more experience himself, or he'd be my choice... but he's in the same boat, as far as foreign policy is concerned. Kerry, of course, would also be perfect, but I don't see him doing that. And MA, of course, will go blue anyway.

How about Jack Murtha? He's from PA, might very well guarantee that state. Would he do it? Dunno.

[MannyGoldstein]

12. Webb, Zinni, Etc

Obama knows that Iraq is an enormous and continuing clusterfuck that has to be untangled carefully. I expect he'll pick someone with a military background to offset and attack McCain, and to help stanch the bleeding.

[40ozDonkey]

15. I like Webb, he'll pack heat at the ceremonies.

I love the senator, I kid the senator.

Webb's only a junior senator but if I remember right he was Sec. of the Navy in the 80's. That would counterbalance McCain well, but I don't know if it would compliment Obama well.

It's gonna be a tough decision.

[Teaser]

19. Junior senator but former Admiral of the Navy!

.

[sellitman]

16. Who has more foreign policy experience than Richardson?

He is the perfect choice.

[Teaser]

17. Webb?

Why not him?

[Bensthename]

18. Maybe not if it is Richardson. But I think Biden would be best.

[Bread and Circus]

20. Obama's VP will be a white female, probably a governor of a swing state.

[Avalux]

21. Richardson isn't an old white man. Discuss. n/t

[galactical]

22. I was thinking Sebelius a few months ago...

I think obama will probably have to appease the growing resentment of white women for beating their candidate (Hillary). But i don't know, he really needs a military/foreign policy VP. This could go anywhere.

[goclark]

48. Isn't there a better position than VP

for a military man/woman?

All I can think of is that Cheney was VP and he acted like a Defense Secretary to everyone's dismay.

[Beregond2]

23. ?

The conventional wisdom would suggest an old, white, southern military man. But when has Obama followed the conventional wisdom? We'll see. I think we might be surprsied.

[irish.lambchop]

25. I don't know about that -

Obama and Richardson strike me as quite the 'Dynamic Duo'.

[mucifer]

26. Wesley Clark

I know he's supporting Clinton. But, when the primaries are over I could see this happening if Obama wins.

[dansolo]

31. Jim Webb, Bob Graham, or Gary Hart

I would like to see any of those three. They were all opposed to the war, and they all have the military/foreign policy gravitas that you are talking about. I don't think the VP will be any of the other candidates.

[rusty fender]

33. Sam Nunn, in your scenario. n/t

[Milo_Bloom]

35. Richard Clarke?

[tokenlib]

36. How much is the country changing? Richardson might be a good choice...

I've always wanted someone military like Clark or Zinni to see republican heads explode in frustration. But Richardson has good credentials and would enhance the multi-cultural outreach and unifying message of this campaign in a powerful way. My thinking is a bit split now...

[casus belli]

37. I'm not so sure. He's been very clear about a new direction.

I don't know how he could continue to argue effectively that he represents a new day in politics if he selects a fossil as a running mate.

[ecstatic]

38. OK. That's fine, but absolutely no republicans!!

That's my line in the sand.

[LordJFT]

40. It could be female, but probably not a minority

[rocktivity]

41. Wesley Clark?

:bounce:
rocknation

[Perry Logan]

42. Fortunately, some old white guys are awesome.

[Muttocracy]

46. :-)

[Bullet1987]

43. It doesn't have to be someone with experience in Washington

because that implies a Senator. It could be someone with good executive experience like a Govenor.

[GarbagemanLB]

49. Yeah, I agree. It won't be a fellow Senator.

[Tropics_Dude83]

44. George Mitchell!!!!!!!!Home run vp pick!!

George Mitchell is our Dick Cheney. He'd be perfect. TREMENDOUS credentials in foreign affairs, domestic affairs, etc. He's our James Baker, our Dick Cheney etc.