Veep Watch: Sebelius Raises Her Profile

[mystieus]

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/06/original_message_from_xxxxxx_t.php

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will likely end up on Barack Obama's vice presidential short list, and until Obama makes his pick, her every appearance outside Kansas will generate an unusual amount of interest.

On June 25, Sebelius and fellow potential vice presidential nominee Tom Daschle will host a breakfast for major Democratic Governors Association donors in Washington, D.C.

Over breakfast at the headquarters of the Alston Bird law, Sebelius and Daschle will brief the governors on the DGA's prospects for 2008 and their efforts to control the redistricting process in 2010.

Sebelius was a private fan of Obama's well before she endorsed him in January. The two are said to get along marvelously. In picking her, Obama would not necessarily intend to put Kansas in play or even to reap a political benefit. In his mind, folks who know these things say, she is competent, qualified, young, and he can envision working with her for eight years.

Sebelius has governed from the center, but she is not a conservative Democrat: she opposes the death penalty, opposed a same-sex marriage-banning constitutional amendment, opposes concealed carry laws, and is pro-choice.

That latter position is causing her some trouble. The archbishop of Kansas City forbid priests from offering her communion. She's emeshed herself in questions about her political relationship with an unabashed provider of late-term abortions. Choosing Sebelius would drive the pro-life community nuts.

Sebelius is a youngish 60. Her father was governor of Ohio and her family has deep midwestern roots.

[still_one]

1. The Catholic Church should stay out of politics, as should other religions

or lose their tax deductable status

[hokies4ever]

2. Her father being governor of Ohio might also get the Dems Ohio with her on the ticket.

[symbolman]

3. And the best part is, she doesnt Look or Act like an

Insane Clown thing..

Always is albeit a little boring, on an even keel, not bulging out her eyes, screwing up her mouth and pointing to people like she knows them really well when there's no one there, or its an Aide..

That Clinton was one freaky person..

[Connie_Corleone]

4. She's been my first choice all along.

on edit: And I don't give a damn about the SOTU response she gave. I'm tired of people bringing that up. The woman has won elections and she's a governor. She must be doing something right to get where she's at.

She can always practice on her speeches. In the meantime, Obama takes care of that.

[Political Heretic]

5. I love all our custom made obama logos! :)

[LibraLiz1973]

16. Thing is, you SHOULD care about her SOTU response

For millions of Dems that was the only experience they have had with her and she BOMBED.
That is a MAJOR problem.

Thinking that it wasn't is like ignoring the elephant in the room.

[Eurobabe]

17. I FINALLY get your tagline

Just as long as he doesn't go after him with bowling pins we should be ok.

[RichGirl]

6. Didn't she do the democratic response to the SOTU?

She has the personality of a dish rag. Obama has a softness to him which is okay. He needs a Veep with strength. She isn't it. She doesn't enhance his ticket, she drags it down.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. I agree...

Obama's message appeals to our highest aspirations. He needs somebody who can handle himself/herself in a backroom brawl.

And I'm warming to the idea of Hillary in that role. I keep thinking the Tina Fey bit from Saturday Night Live.

[abburdlen]

11. A democratic govenor

in a red-red state? I'm pretty sure Sebelius has shown she can handle herself in a political brawl.

[RichGirl]

22. Yeah...also...

I think the most depressing thing about the 2004 election is how quickly Kerry conceded when there were so many questions regarding Ohio, etc. I'm afraid that Obama would do the same thing. We need someone on the ticket who is not a quitter...who is more concerned about the country than in possibly making a fool of themselves.

We have to consider that the Veep can become president. Sebellius is not president material. If you picture her as a teacher, she's more like a kindergarten teacher than a college professor. These are not sexist remarks. I would make (and have) the same remarks about male political leaders. I could not picture Hillary as a Sunday school teacher...I could Sebellius.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

24. A good point about Sibelius...

We keep talking about the political calculus of who's on the ticket...but the most important job for any Vice President is the ability to BECOME the President in the case of a national calamity. We can't always be about "which state would so-and-so bring" or about sentimental favorites and symbolic gestures. That's what "Ambassador to Lichenstein" is about, not the Vice Presidency.

[sellitman]

7. I was not impressed with her speech making abilities.

She goes from 0- boring in 45 seconds.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Richardson doesn't exactly get the house surrounded by the police.

Imo.

[sellitman]

12. Richardson exudes warmth and has a good sense of humor.

He has a personable air. I haven't seen that from her yet.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. He's likeable enough.

:)

[LibraLiz1973]

21. ha ha ha ha

Likeable enough will ALWAYS be funny

[Jersey Devil]

10. Didn't see her speech, but when it comes to bad speakers, remember Bill Clinton

as the keynote speaker at the 1988 Dem Convention? He gave a long, rambling, very boring speech that made everyone say that he had no future because he was such an awful speaker.

So I'd like to hear her speak a few times before joining you in concluding that is a weak point for her

[LibraLiz1973]

18. I started to nod off within 2 minutes of that speech.

Remember how people used to say Gore was boring?
The people who said that must have realized Gore was a
party animal compared to her. That was, hands down, the worst
SOTU response I have ever seen- from either party.

[KittyWampus]

14. Sorry, I'm against an equal opportunity ticket, which is what she'd look like

political reality= fucking stupid to put a woman on the ticket.

And putting a woman who is not Hillary would piss off WAY too many of her supporters.

[PoliticalAmazon]

27. ITA. We need the best qualified person, not a token from a voting bloc....

In addition, she is virtually unknown. A GE is not the time to introduce to the country someone who is unknown, especially since Obama had a very low national recognition before he entered the primary race.

There seem to be 5 or more threads each day about Sebilius and, frankly, I'm sick of seeing them. I question the good sense of using one of the Clintons' tactics which turned off so many others--the ham-fisted harranging.

I think you are doing more harm to Sebilius' career than you are advancing it

[LibraLiz1973]

15. Ugh. Her or Daschle would both be train wrecks.

But, whatever.

[ShortnFiery]

19. Kathleen Sebelius as VP? Sounds great to me!

:-)

[Clark2008]

20. I thought she raised it by attending Bilderberg this weekend.

Isn't how anyone gets picked anymore?

[quantass]

23. Although i like Sebelius a lot, i think his taking her would...

make Hillary supporters even angrier since this would come across as pandering to them and a slap in the face to Hillary (indicating she wasn't qualified enough -- only the woman part was important).

[Connie_Corleone]

25. I personally think Sebelius would make a better VP than Hillary.

It's a shame that the ONLY woman who can be considered as VP (according to some Hill supporters) is Hillary. That's not fair to the other women who would make better running mates like Sebelius and Napolitano.

[mystieus]

26. She does have a larger portfolio.