Veep Picks
I open the floor to my loyal readers to get in your predictions for vice presidential choices of the two parties. Please pick one for McCain, and then you can decide how you want to handle the Dems. You can pick someone for each candidate or go out on a limb and make a double prediction (prez and veep).
Here’s a non-comprehensive list of people that have been mentioned as possible options to give you some ideas:
McCain: Huckabee, Olympia Snow, Pawlenty (or as his mom calls him, “who?”), Romney, Arnold (not sure if that’s legal), Pataki, Jeb Bush, Joe Lieberman, Fred Thompson, Condi Rice and Lindsay Graham.
For the Dems (I won’t divide this): Biden, Richardson, Webb, Mark Warner (Va.), Obama, Clinton (no way that happens), Edwards (ditto), Harold Ford Jr. (double ditto), Brian Schweitzer (Montana), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Janet Napolitano (Az.), Mike Easly (NC) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb).
Get your picks in, and you are welcome to have one set you predict, and one you hope for.
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eric responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 1:10 am →
McCain: Rice and Pawlenty. But since Rice had, on numerous occasions, repudiated presidential ambitions. I am not sure she would want to be Veep.
If Obama is the nominee, it would make sense for him to pick a woman. If Clinton is the nominee, well, Obama probably would not be a very good veep choice.
HaoJie responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 5:55 am →
I still would rather Ron Paul wins the Republican choice, but I think McCain is more likely to pick Romney. As for Obama, who I wins the Democrat pic, he should pick Hagel.
Glen responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 6:43 am →
McCain: Senator Kay Bailey Hutichson (Texas). McCain needs a strong conservative like Hutchison to reassure the Republican base. It would also be ironic for the R’s to have a female VP nominee. They could steal some thunder from the Dems. As much as I love Senator Snowe, there’s no way McCain can choose her. The Republican base can’t stand her.
Clinton: She’s managed to master the art of “masculine” language. Her problem has always been likability. She needs to choose someone almost like a John Edwards but NOT John Edwards. It’s vital that it not be a Senator. It needs to be a Governor or former Cabinet member.
Obama: Someone with a strong background in defense.
Josh responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 7:23 am →
@Glen
I like the Kay idea, but you didn’t exactly take a stand with the dems…
Josh responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 7:49 am →
@Haojie
You win the prize for first person to choose an actual name for the Dems.
However, I’m buy you a nice dinner if Romney is the veep for McCain. Ain’t happening.
Scott responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 8:33 am →
Well,
I guess I can throw my personal hopes in. For the Dems, I think Richardson would be a great fit for Obama. Hillary will feel the need to have total control, so she will need a ‘yes-man’. So for her, it needs to be a puppet, so why not Elmo. Besides, I feel Hillary is dead fish, so I am almost giving it to Obama (quick Obama, throw me a water bottle because I am going to stage a faint too). As someone who leans more towards the right (NOT a republican, but conservative tendencies), an Obama/Richardson duo is enough to switch me over. Richardson isn’t a strong presidential candidate, but he has the insights and backroom power to fit nicely into the VP role. Also, with so little known about Obama, I think it would be good for him to have someone who has ‘been around’ (congress, UN, Governor), but isn’t seen as the insider. Besides, he can help with the Latino vote.
For the GOP, I think Hutchinson would be a nice fit, but unlikely. I also like Haley Barbour), but he would be a problem for the GOP if Obama was the candidate (fat white guy from Mississippi, catch my drift). Besides, he just won re-election as Govorner, so I think he should wait until 2012. Lieberman would be great, but would suffer the wrath of both the ultra-liberal groups who feel he abandoned the Dems, as well as the wrath of the ‘Christian Conservatives’ who think McCain is already too liberal (plus *gasp* a Jew *gasp*).
As an independent/centrists, I would like to see:
Obama/Richardson vs. McCain/Lieberman (the minorities vs. the old white men!!)
I see the first as quite possible, but the second very unlikely. After watching Cheney for seven years, it is apparent that the VP can do more than sit around waiting to break a tie in the Senate (wtf did Al and Dan ever do, other than looking like idiots), so more than ever people should look at the combined ticket. Anyway, the 2012 election starts this December!!!
Scott
Jeremiah responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 8:54 am →
Senator McCain…he might need to go with Governor Huckabee. He won’t like it, but it does shore up his support with the southern conservative Christian vote. Romney doesn’t necessarily help him there as much as Huck would.
Obama/Clinton. Assuming Senator Clinton gets the nod, there will be enormous pressure on her to suck it up and beg Senator Obama to be on the ticket, if he’s willing. If Senator Obama wins, I can’t see any scenario whereby Senator either Clinton would be comfortable with Hillary as a #2. In that case, I’d look for the Obama camp to tap Bill Richardson. Governor Richardson is Latino, he’s from a western state, and he has executive as well as foreign policy and national security experience.
Just my 2 cents.
Bobby responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 12:19 pm →
McCain and Rice. That way the GOP would have proof that at least one black voter went for them.
Obama and Harold Ford Jr. Nothing says change like TWO young black politicians.
Clinton and Gore. To save printing costs
canrun responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 3:16 pm →
For the Dems, Richardson is looking like a logical choice:
http://vichydems.blogspot.com/2008/02/is-obama-richardson-in-works.html
For the Republicans…aw, hell, I simply don’t care anymore. Let ‘em choose chipmunk cheek Hayley Bahbah.
Pappi responds:
Posted: February 18th, 2008 at 10:28 pm →
Obama should pick Hillary just to shame her into the VP role, then see if she has the guts to turn it down. Or maybe he should reach across the aisle and choose Lieberman.
As McGluaghlin would said:
“Wrong! The correct answer is, Barack Obama will go for moderation and a military background and pick Jim Webb, the junior senator from Virginia!
Some say the senior senator from Arizona will pick Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
Wrong! The man who holds Barry Goldwater’s former seat will choose libertarian Ron Paul! Wrong! The correct answer is he will pick Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty because he is the best known person in the Republican party without any serious baggage. I never said it was a deep pool.”
Glen responds:
Posted: February 19th, 2008 at 2:37 am →
Richardson doesn’t want VP - he wants Secretary of State.
richard responds:
Posted: February 20th, 2008 at 7:31 pm →
Hagel either way.
McCain needs someone who backs up his thrust on the war and foreign policy. He needs someone to strengthen his message, which Hagel can do. McCain needs to campaign on his integrity, if swinging voters are to vote republican again they will need to be convinced of the candidates commitment to change on the war and integrity; a Hagel.
Obama needs someone who can stop him being too frightening to middle America without looking like he is picking someone who makes him look less frightening to middle America. Selecting a Republican, he avoids looking like a communist or a hippy and by selecting someone who has been against the war he will not lose the greatest part of his support base.
Or am I just guessing?
richard responds:
Posted: February 20th, 2008 at 7:32 pm →
Oh, I just chose not to think about senator Clinton…
Josh responds:
Posted: February 21st, 2008 at 3:40 pm →
Alright, here are my picks. I wanted to wait a while and let people weigh-in first.
Obama: Hagel seems like the gutsy call. He’s a Republican from a red state who has strong foreign policy credentials and opposed the war from the start. He would hit on Obama’s big theme about moving past partisan bickering, while at the same time presenting a united front of anti-war types. And it would put Nebraska into play, which while small, would be like pick-pocketing the GOP. Hagel wanted to run with Bloomberg, but isn’t Obama an even better option?
McCain: I was going to go with Florida Governor Crist (you, know, to placate the Muslim world), but I might have to switch my pick to Vicki Iseman. And yes, she’s old enough this election cycle
Clinton: She can pick whomever she wants in Imaginary Land