Obama's Ideal Veep Choice

[rpritchard]

This week we have gotten a sneak-peek at the 2008 Republican playbook. John McCain is going to be relentless in his attacks, in an effort to bring Barack Obama to his knees. All we are going to hear is that he is naive, inexperienced, and unprepared. McCain is going to hammer away at his lack of foreign policy knowledge and his positions relating to Pakistan, Cuba, and Iraq. Sen. Obama is going to have to be very precise with his Vice-Presidential choice if he is going to win in November.


This week we have gotten a sneak-peek at the 2008 Republican playbook. John McCain is going to be relentless in his attacks, in an effort to bring Barack Obama to his knees. All we are going to hear is that he is naive, inexperienced, and unprepared. McCain is going to hammer away at his lack of foreign policy knowledge and his positions relating to Pakistan, Cuba, and Iraq. Sen. Obama is going to have to be very precise with his Vice-Presidential choice if he is going to win in November.


After giving it much thought, it seems clear the perfect choice for Sen. Obama. He's going to need someone with the ability to go toe-to-toe with McCain on global issues. He's going to need someone with the depth and breadth of experience to make it impossible for McCain to criticize Democrats for being soft on terrorism. He's going to need Joe Biden.

As it seems likely that McCain will avoid issues of the economy, this election may just come down to foreign policy. While neither candidate has officially captured their party's nomination, both have countered one another on issues abroad. The fact of the matter is Barack Obama will be criticized, fair or otherwise, on his liberal position on Iraq. There is no dispute that McCain is going to call Obama out on the threat of Iraq's destabilization. However, with Joe Biden on his side, Obama will be able to tout a fire-proof political solution for Iraq. With Biden Obama will be invincible.

In the past few months alone we have seen truly historic moments around the world. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the fall of Fidel Castro, the Pakistani elections, the independence of Kosovo, the attack on the US Embassy, all of this issues will be high-profile topics on this election, and will be hotly contested. Barack will be well matched with Biden by his side.

If you agree visit:
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Sign the petition for an Obama-Biden Ticket

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. nope

gonna be Colin Powell.

[movonne]

2. God I hope not....he is a liar and a repug...

[Olney Blue]

3. There is no way that Obama would choose Colin Powell!

[blocker]

4. Jim web for VP

Thats my choice!

[Cornus]

5. Did you forget the sarcasm symbol? nt

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. no...and it makes perfect sense.

It brings republicans and democrats together.
It fills a national security need.
If anyone is more respected on military matters than John McCain, it's Colin Powell.
A guy who encourages responsible uses of force.
He's not an ideologue.
He's not looking to upstage Obama.
He regretted the Iraq war and what he had to do with it.
He's not someone who would have to give up a senate seat.
He's respected by almost everyone in Washington.


I could totally see Obama doing this.

[TwilightGardener]

11. I'd sooner see Hagel than Powell--Hagel didn't disgrace himself.

And I'd sooner see Jack Reed or Biden than Hagel, since Hagel is still, stubbornly, a Republican. And two black men on a ticket starts to look like an agenda to suspicious semi-racist white people who might accept one.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

12. I would have severe reservations about that ticket. Thank goodness it

will never transpire.

[skipos]

6. Get ye to intrade.com and makes some big bucks with that infinite wisdom

Make sure you give me 5% for the tip.

[earthlover]

19. Colin Powell is a Republican...we have a more decorated general available among the Democrats....

Wes Clark.

He has more medals of any officer since Eisenhower. Supreme Commander of Nato. 1st in his class in west point. Vietnam war hero. Experience negotiating directly with world leaders. Rhodes Scholar, for that matter. a true progressive. And someone who opposed the IWR from the start and spoke to congress agaisnt its passage.

I have thought for a long time Wes is the best VP. Now that we can see what the McCain folks will try....I feel Wes best even more.

[DJ13]

7. Biden would be a bad choice

While its true most Democrats love the guy, the truth is that too many independants (and the few moderate Republicans we hope votes for Obama) Biden comes across more like a smooth talking insurance salesman than a statesman.

Yes he's smart.

Yes he would make a great VP.

But he brings little appeal to anyone outside of core Democrats who would vote for our ticket anyway.

[Olney Blue]

8. Who would you suggest, DJ13?

[samrock]

10. Agree

Jim Webb

[Alexander]

14. Webb would be terrible. He wrote an article called "Women can't fight"...

Plus he supported Bush and Macaca in 2000. I don't understand why so many DUers want him on the ticket - he'd be terrible.

[TwilightGardener]

15. Webb is all persona--he seems like a "tough guy", and that's why he's

everyone's top choice. He has VERY LITTLE relevant experience, at this point, and has personal flaws that will haunt our ticket.

[Alexander]

26. Too bad they don't consider his sexism or his support of Bush and Macaca in 2000.

Webb should remain right where he is, in the US Senate.

[Alexander]

13. Russ Feingold is the best choice for Obama.

Joe Biden is a gaffe machine and the "plagiarism" crap thrown at Obama would probably stick, since Biden's been accused of the same thing several times.

[Peregrine Took]

16. I don't think so. n/t

[Not the Only One]

17. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

She's female, so it diffuses having Hillary off the ticket.
She's Catholic, which diffuses the suggestions from the rightwing that Obama is a Muslim extremist, and several swing states are quite Catholic: Louisiana, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico.
She's from a red state, so it's harder to paint the ticket as out of the mainstream (her Father-in-Law was a GOP congressman and her Lt Gov. is the former Kansas GOP Party Chair).
She's right on the issues.
She's shown leadership qualities as governor and as head of the Democratic Governors Association.
She gave a good response to Bush's SOU address in January.
She's a DC outsider in a year where change and reform are big issues in the campaign for the WH.

[Colobo]

18. You got it! Obama/Sebelius 08!

[Gore1FL]

20. Absolutely.

She puts KS in play, and probably helps in Missouri as well.

She is an energizing choice that will do no harm while filling in gaps with executive branch experience.

I don't see any merit in Obama picking another Senator.

[Bombtrack]

21. 7 syllables is too much for the dual-Surname ticket

and we shouldn't try to hit every target out of the air with one shot. It's unprudent to try and get the first non-white president in the office and the first non-male on the same try.

[randr]

22. For all the reasons you note--Richardson

International oomph without the banking/credit card lobby.
The West is rising as the new South, politically speaking, and Biden is too East Coast.
Richardson also nails the Hispanic vote.

[Alexander]

25. Richardson's terrible on LGBT rights. Napolitano would be better...

If you want an experienced governor from the western US.

Richardson used the Spanish equivalent of "f*ggot* on Imus and said during one of the presidential debates that homosexuality is "a choice".

Plus, he really screwed up New Mexico's elections with DREs, and hasn't fixed it, despite the 4 years he's had.

[Flabbergasted]

23. Hasn't Biden indicated he didn't want the job? I'm looking at Richardson.

[goodgd_yall]

24. Biden is pro gun control

All the gun rights maniacs will make sure everybody knows it and the Obama/Biden ticket will have its work cut out for it to keep from losing to McCain.

[Alexander]

27. Feingold would be better on gun control issues.

He has a more even-handed approach to gun rights and it's harder to paint him as a gun-grabber, unlike Biden.