After clinching a pledged delegate victory, Barack Obama and his campaign are looking forward to the General Election. It is time for Obama to begin the Vice Presidential selection process.
Here at eyesonobama.com we have been looking forward to the General Election for months and one of our favorite pastimes has been playing the Veepstakes game. We even have a new section of the site devoted to it. You should check it out if you haven't already.
We're not the only ones though. The blogosphere has been buzzing with speculation as the nomination battle has neared the end.
Back in 2004, John Kerry claimed to have considered a list of about 25 potential candidates, however, there were really only three serious contenders; Gov. Tom Vilsack, Rep. Dick Gephardt and Sen. John Edwards. So it was no surprise when Kerry selected Edwards as his Vice Presidential running mate.
In 2008 there are more than just three names being thrown around as serious contenders for the nomination. In our Veepstakes section here at eyesonobama.com we have 24 potential candidates listed, and that's before we've even added my personal favorite potential VP, Governor Brian Schweitzer.
Sure some of them are total long shots, but people like Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, Wesley Clark, Chris Dodd and Ted Strickland have all been very seriously discussed as real possibilities. In fact, Wesley Clark has even been mentioned as the most likely according to one of MSNBC's sharper correspondents, Lawrence O'Donnell.
The main stream media hasn't been able to narrow down the number of candidates on the list, although in recent days they have tried to cram Hillary Clinton down our throats and John Edwards' name is often mentioned.
Several times in the past I have discussed the candidates that I would like to see on the ticket with Barack Obama, but with the time to pick a running mate rapidly approaching it is time to discuss not who I want to see as the Number Two, but who's name will be to the right of that slash come General Election time.
So without further ado, here are the four candidates we are most likely to see teaming up with Barack Obama against John McCain in the fall:
Jim Webb: In any discussion about potential vice-presidential candidates balance is an important word. The goal is to "balance" the ticket with someone who covers some of the bases that the person at the top of ticket will have a harder time with. Jim Webb offers more balance than most of the alternatives.
For starters Webb is a decorated military veteran. One of Obama's primary goals is to get out of Iraq, but many are concerned that a quick withdrawal could be dangerous if not done properly. Webb would not only be able to help devise a strategy, but his stamp of approval would add credibility to whatever plan an Obama Administration comes up with. So Webb would pay dividends beyond November as well as in the election.
The election dividends could come in the form of Electoral Votes. Sen. Webb is from Virginia. A state the Democrats have their eyes on this year. Obama has shown he can close the gap on the Republicans in Virginia, but on his own he seems to fall short. An Obama/Webb ticket may finally push the Democrats over the top and hand them Virginia's 13 Electoral Votes which they have not had since Lyndon Johnson beat Barry Goldwater there in 1960.
Finally, what some of Obama's more liberal supporters may view as a drawback, Jim Webb is a conservative Democrat. He even used to be a Republican, but that conservative streak in the Senator from Virginia provides more balance to the ticket.
On the negative side, some have described him as a bit of a chauvinist so his addition to the ticket could further offend many Hillary Clinton voters who incorrectly or not, are angry about a perceived sexism from the Obama camp. That issue alone could be enough to derail Webb's nomination, but if the Obama Campaign thinks it can overcome this, an Obama/Webb ticket is something many people could get excited about.
Ed Rendell: The case that Obama should select a Hillary Clinton supporter as his running mate is a powerful one. There is no doubt it would help soften the blow of a primary defeat for Clinton's fans.
The Popular Governor of Pennsylvania and former Mayor of Philadelphia has been one of Hillary Clinton's most high profile supporters throughout the campaign. Rendell, however, has distanced himself from some of Clinton's more absurd claims against Obama. The Governor is a true Party Man, in the political sense, although I'm sure he'd be fun to have a few drinks with as well.
An Obama/Rendell ticket would all but guarantee Pennsylvania's 21 Electoral Votes for the Democrats. While it seems that Obama can handle Pennsylvania on his own a little insurance never hurt. What is more important electorally however, is Rendell's ability to help out in other rust belt states, particularly Michigan and Ohio.
Michigan could become a bigger target on the Republicans radar if John McCain decides to take Mitt Romney as his VP. McCain has already met with Romney to discuss this possibility and Romney is very popular in Michigan. If McCain selects Romney before Obama makes his choice you can expect to hear a lot more discussion about Rendell.
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh would also be discussed as a counter to Mitt Romney, but both lack any charisma at all and would do more to deflate the enthusiasm of Obama's supporters than to help the chances of the ticket.
Hillary Clinton: Speaking of deflating enthusiasm, it is looking more and more like Hillary Clinton has a chance to force her way onto the ticket.
With a huge chunk of delegates in her corner, Clinton will have the power to threaten the Democratic Party with disaster at the convention in Denver this summer if she doesn't get her way. As she has consistently displayed throughout the campaign, Sen. Clinton will not hesitate for a moment to put her own personal ambition above the good of The Party.
Rumors have been flying in recent days that Bill Clinton is privately advocating the case he made publically months ago, that a ticket with both Barack and Hillary would be nearly unstoppable. Only now the order of the names will be reversed.
There are too many problems with this ticket to list in this post. Many of us here at eyesonobama.com have already discussed these problems in depth, but there is one huge positive to selecting Hillary Clinton as Vice President; this long, damaging nomination battle will instantly come to an end.
While an end to this nomination battle is appealing in the short-term, I don't believe the long-term downside is worth it. I also don't believe Obama or anyone on his staff want Clinton to fill out the ticket for the Democrats, but the pressure may be too great.
Clinton supporters, the Clintons themselves, Party leaders and Clinton superdelegates may demand the VP slot for Hillary Clinton. It will be interesting to see if Obama can resist the pressure and exactly what the reaction from the Clinton camp will be if he does.
Clinton is still not the most likely pick to become Obama's Number Two, but the likelihood of an Obama/Clinton ticket is increasing.
That being said I would never leave you on such a depressing note unless I had to. So I've left the best of the four for last.
Kathleen Sebelius: Sebelius is a natural Obama ally. She has made a political career of bridging wide political gaps while gently nudging a solid, progressive agenda forward in a way which most people, even in conservative Kansas find acceptable.
She will also immediately end the completely unwarranted calls of sexism being hurled at Obama from the Clinton camp.
Furthermore Gov. Sebelius has the honor of being the only potential Vice President on this list who is also on the Stonecipher shortlist for favorite VP picks. Plus she is receiving a growing amount of attention from the main stream media.
Like every other potential VP the Governor from Kansas is not perfect. Some have suggested that her selection will anger some Clinton supporters who will take it as a slap in the face that Obama chose a woman, but not their woman. This seems like a bit of a stretch to me.
Hillary Clinton is not exactly the feminist's feminist. And I find it hard to believe that those who strongly desire to have a female on the ticket would find Sebelius anything other than the ideal female role model
Aside from that the only "knock on her in the media has been that she botched the rebuttal to the State of the Union, her first real national appearance." Well I know a guy who's great at public speaking. And I think he can help her out.
Conclusion: Over the past few months I have discussed many other well qualified candidates to become Barack Obama's Vice Presidential running mate, but when it is all said and done, I believe we'll see one of the above four names to the right of the slash.
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