Why not Dick Gephardt for VP?

[liberalpragmatist]

Honestly, I don't think Obama has too many genuinely great options for VP -- nobody who covers all the major bases and is a good surrogate to boot. Of the names mentioned, I like Biden the best -- despite issues with some of his economics record, he's a good attack dog, experienced and knowledgeable about foreign policy. And the views I disagree with him on don't really bother me, as he's too old to be a plausible heir-apparent in 2016. (Unlike, say, Kaine or Bayh.) I thought Jack Reed would have been the best pick, but Reed took himself out of the running (and he's also a poor debater).

Still, one name occurred to me that I don't believe has been mentioned: has Dick Gephardt been considered by anybody? He seems like he'd be a safe pick that wouldn't antagonize any major wing of the party, he's well-respected, likeable, from a swing state and a Hillary supporter. And, like Biden, he'd potentially endanger less opposition from progressives than Bayh or Kaine because he too is probably too old to run in 2016.

[zulchzulu]

1. He's got Union cred and could swing Missouri and Midwest trouble states

I haven't seen him recently, but it actually could be a good pick.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Because he's as dull as dirt?

I can't think why Obama would choose someone because he's merely inoffensive and harmless; some actual positive attributes, apart from being harmless, would be nice.

Also, Gephardt has no eyebrows.

[Thrill]

3. Old and Boring

[BlooInBloo]

4. I wonder if people actually think about these people before suggesting them as VP....

Or if they're just free-associating.

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=07&year=2007&base_name=post_4141#017099


"ATRIOS ON GEPHARDT. Oh, snap! It's actually interesting how little opprobrium Dick Gephardt attracts from Democrats as it was he, more so than Clinton, or Lieberman, or Baucus, or anyone else, who undercut the party's ability to oppose the Iraq War. When he signed the Rose Garden compromise with Bush, he ended the ability of other Democrats to unite behind alternative plans, like the Biden-Lugar legislation, that would've slowed the march to war, limited its aims, and increased congressional oversight. One of my pet arguments is that no congressional leaders should be allowed to run for president within five years of holding the speaker, majority, or minority leader positions. Gephardt is a prime reason why."

[KingFlorez]

5. He was terrible as Minority Leader in the House

And an even worse Presidential candidate.

[burythehatchet]

6. An image is worth a thousand words

The Biden/Lugar bill had the votes to pass, on a bipartisan basis. But then Dick Gephardt, in an attempt to appear presidential in a runup to his own White House bid, cut a secret deal with Bush … and suddenly appears in a Rose Garden ceremony giving the president a war bill so expansive in its scope that it allows The Decider to unilaterally wage preemptive war against not only Iraq but any perceived threat.

[dansolo]

7. Fuck Dick Gephardt

I hate him even more than I hate Lieberman. Lieberman was always a putz, so I never expected anything better from him. But Gephardt stabbed the Democrats in the back by making a deal with the Bush Administration on the IWR, essentially eliminating any debate in the House. He can rot in hell for all I care. He has a lot of blood on his hands.

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

8. Why not Gephardt?

Because he NEVER deserves forgiveness for this shit.....

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/16/politics/main588924.shtml

[WinkyDink]

9. Because even a Vice-President needs a personality. That's why no Bayh, either.

I have respect for Gephardt, let me add.

[SoxFan]

10. He makes Bayh look like Flavor Flav

[Runcible Spoon]

12. out of curiosity, what does that banner in your sig line represent?

is there a reason why abortion and euthanasia are lumped in with the rest, Mr. "BlueDog"? :shrug:

[SoxFan]

13. Seamless Garment

The image is of a bumper sticker put out a few years back by the Seamless Garment Network. It's a group of Catholics concerned about social justice at all stages of life. Many of us who espouse this viewpoint see abortion and euthanasia as inconsistent with an ethic that respects the dignity of every person and respects life at all stages.

http://www.consistent-life.org/

[Runcible Spoon]

14. uhuh.

I don't give a shit what you believe as long as you don't infringe upon a woman's right to choose. Deal?

[SoxFan]

15. No deal

I happen to give a shit about my beliefs. You and I obviously come at this issue from very different perspectives, and while I respect and understand your viewpoint, I can't simply accept the conventional pro-choice stance on this issue.

I don't say this lightly. As a Democratic elected official, my stance on abortion has cost me tremendously in terms of advancement within the party ranks, and has greatly hindered my chances of seeking higher elected office. It would be very easy to simply pay lip service to the accepted party line, but I can't, in good conscience, do so.

[eleny]

11. Nobody would wake up in time to go vote

[Motown_Johnny]

16. I voted for him in the 2004 primary., I would love to see him in public service again

But it seems unlikely he is being considered for VP