Ted Strickland says he's not interested in being vp

[galaxy21]

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Gov. Ted Strickland says he's not interested in being vice president, no matter which candidate asks.

The first-term governor has been emphatic he has no interest in being his Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee. His favorite candidate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, faces a tough route to the nomination, but Strickland says he remains committed to her and to staying off the ticket.

In recent days, Strickland's name has been floated as a potential running mate for Clinton rival Barack Obama. Strickland says the speculation is a creation of the media.

Strickland worked hard for Clinton's primary victory in Ohio in March. He says she should stay in the race, despite pressure to exit. He has doubts, but still thinks there's a chance she could beat Obama.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com



I don't know if that's genuinely 'I'm not interested'or *wink*wink* 'I'm not interested.' but I thought it was worth mentioned since his name has been floated around.

[onenote]

1. I take it to be an "I'm not interested now but feel free to ask me again later" statement.

There are plenty of scenarios where I could see Strickland on the ticket notwithstanding what he might be saying now.

[NJSecularist]

2. VP candidates always say things like this.

If Obama is the nominee, Strickland is Obama's key to winning Ohio. Strickland has the clout in the Southeastern part of the state to swing the election over to Obama. As the Southeastern part of Ohio goes, so does the rest of the state.

Strickland should be choice #1 if Obama is the nominee.

[murielm99]

3. We will need Ohio. He might be a good choice.

Is his lieutenant governor a Democrat? How does it work there? If he was on a winning ticket, would Ohio have a special election to replace him?

Republicans ran the place for so long that I would hate to see them take over again.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Gov of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius' father was the Governor of Ohio!

and she's catholic.

Sebelius was born and raised in a Catholic family in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended the Summit Country Day School, a Roman Catholic secondary school, followed by Trinity Washington University, a Roman Catholic university in Washington, D.C., and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas. She moved to Kansas in 1974 at the age of 26, where she served for eight years as a representative in the Kansas Legislature and eight years as Insurance Commissioner before being elected governor.

Sebelius is the daughter of former Ohio governor John J. Gilligan, and thus they became the first father/daughter governor pair in the United States after her election.<3> Her husband K. Gary Sebelius<4> is a federal magistrate judge and the son of former U.S. Representative Keith Sebelius, a Republican.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Sebelius

HER FATHER -
John Joyce ("Jack") Gilligan (born March 22, 1921) is a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Ohio who served as a U.S. Representative and the 62nd governor of Ohio.

Gilligan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1939, the University of Notre Dame in 1943 and the University of Cincinnati in 1947, serving in between in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean as a destroyer gunnery officer. He was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in action at Okinawa.

Gilligan won the election for the Governorship of Ohio in 1970, defeating Republican Roger Cloud, and serving from 1971 to 1975. Gilligan lost the governorship to Republican James A. Rhodes in a tight race in 1974. He subsequently served as the administrator of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1977 to 1979. He served as director of the Institute for Public Policy from 1979 to 1986, and taught at the University of Notre Dame from 1986 to 1992. He also served as director of the civic issues forum at the University of Cincinnati School of Law.

In 1999, at age 78, Gilligan was elected to the Board of Education of the Cincinnati Public Schools. He chose not to stand for re-election when his term expired in 2007.

Gilligan is the father of four children, including Kathleen Sebelius, the current governor of Kansas. They constitute the first father-daughter pair of governors in the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Gilligan

[OzarkDem]

9. Strickland isn't going to do it

He's said "no" dozens of times and he's now committed to helping repair a state that the GOP (and some neglectful Dems) have nearly run into the ground.

Republicans still have a stranglehold on money, news media and power in this state. If Strickland were to leave when he's just begun his term as governor, there's a good chance the GOP would seize power again.

[blue sky at night]

4. I hope the hell he is not kidding....

we need him here in OHIO...this place is a disaster zone after all the years of Republican "leadership". I hope Obama leaves him the fuck alone.

[Yael]

6. I can die happy now.

NO to Governor Bobblehead.

[boston bean]

10. there is just no place to low for some. nt

[Yael]

11. Apparently not

If it makes any difference, I don't want my corrupt governor (Rendell) in that role either.

[VolcanoJen]

7. Good. He needs to stay in Ohio, and build us back up again.

Strickland is a fantastic governor and is finally making us feel proud of ourselves again. We had such an awful drought, and this state is firmly behind him.

While I had my issues with some of the stuff he took part in during the primary, I do think he'd add a lot to the ticket. But for selfish reasons, I hope he stays home, here in Buckeye Country. :-)

[mmonk]

8. I think it means he isn't being considered so far.

[AngryOldDem]

12. Ted's got his own problems with the Marc Dann mess.

While that may be over, the memory of it may linger on which may make Strickland unattractive to the nominee. Plus, if Obama gets the nomination, Strickland will have to explain his active support of HRC, as well as deal with the dreaded "Bobblehead" video.

I really don't see him taking a VP nomination, and with all the work Dems need to do here, I hope he doesn't.

ON EDIT: By "here," I mean Ohio. I is a Buckeye. :)

[jefferson_dem]

13. Good. We don't need a bobbleheaded "yes man" as Veep.

Stay in Columbus, Governor.