July 17, 2008
Obama VP Search: Hill Vet Or Change Agent?
Washinton Post: One Would Bolster Ticket Credentials, The Other Its Message
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Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., stresses a point as he speaks between former senator Sam Nunn and Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., during a panel discussion on national security at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., Wednesday, July 16, 2008. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
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In-Depth VP Hot Sheet: Obama CBSNews.com ranks the top contenders to be Obama's running mate.
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In-Depth VP Hot Sheet: McCain CBSNews.com ranks the top contenders to be McCain's running mate.
From Our Partner:
Sen. Barack Obama campaigned in Indiana yesterday with a pair of potential vice presidential picks and will travel abroad with a third, the latest round of high-profile appearances coinciding with a search process that could be critical to his chances of winning the White House in November.
Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.) and former senator Sam Nunn of Georgia joined the presumptive Democratic nominee at a panel discussion on national security threats at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Obama is expected to head to Iraq and Afghanistan soon with Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), a West Point graduate considered a dark horse to join the Democratic ticket because of his military expertise.
Unlike several high-profile prospects, such as Sen. Jim Webb (Va.), former governor Mark Warner (Va.) and Gov. Ted Strickland (Ohio), all of whom have taken themselves out of the running for the job, both Bayh and Nunn seem interested, although neither would comment on whether he had been contacted by the campaign's vetters. "Certainly I would talk to Senator Obama if he wanted to talk about that," the 69-year-old Nunn told reporters.
Bayh, 52, who had endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primary, praised Obama and said the speculation is "good for my ego." Campaign officials said Reed, Bayh and Nunn were asked to appear with Obama because of their foreign policy knowledge, not as part of the vetting process.
Despite their differences in age and geographic base, Nunn, Bayh and Reed all fit well in the experience column among contenders for the No. 2 spot on the ticket -- Washington veterans with deep résumés and credentials in government. But Obama is also considering individuals who are more in his own political mold, fellow outsiders who would reinforce his message of bringing change to Washington.
As they weigh their options, Obama advisers and prominent supporters are divided as to the wiser course. The vice presidential sweepstakes amounts to a cost-benefit analysis intended to determine which running mate would help the most in the largest number of states. While Obama is known as a pragmatic decision maker who trusts his instincts, he has dropped few public hints about his preferences.
Joe Trippi, who managed the presidential campaign of former senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) earlier this year, drew comparisons to the way Democratic tickets came together in 1992 and 1968. In the more recent case, Bill Clinton chose a fellow youthful Southerner -- Sen. Al Gore -- in a decision that "amplified his message instead of broadening it," Trippi said.
John F. Kennedy, on the other hand, opted for a rival and his senior, consummate Senate insider Lyndon B. Johnson, a purely strategic choice aimed at expanding the geographic, ideological and generational reach of the ticket.
But like Clinton and Kennedy, Obama has youth and relative inexperience that add to the stakes in his decision, which should provide a window into the candidate's perception of his own strengths and weaknesses, as well as his taste for political risk.
"In every campaign, there are a few decisions that can make a difference in the outcome," said Jill Alper, a Democratic consultant with Dewey Square Group. "And this could be the one that will demonstrate his fitness to be the biggest fish in the biggest pond in the world."
Information on the process has begun to trickle out, as Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, who have been designated to screen potential vice presidential picks, request detailed background information from a pool of prospects.
Clinton has not been contacted to turn over her information to the Obama vetters -- despite a vocal group of Clinton supporters pushing for her to be part of a "Dream Ticket" in the fall. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (C0nn.) acknowledged recently that he had been contacted. "There's been some inquiries, yeah," Dodd told the Associated Press. "They ask for a lot of stuff."
Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), believed to be high on Obama's list, said in an interview that he had not been contacted by Kennedy or Holder.
In the change column, two top contenders include governors of traditionally Republican states, Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia. Both endorsed Obama early on and have found success in regions where the party hopes to expand its reach.
They are also both Irish Catholics, a demographic group with which Obama proved weak during the primary season. And both have intangibles in their favor. Sebelius is an Ohio native and the daughter of former governor and congressman Jack Gilligan. Kaine was a missionary in Latin America, speaks fluent Spanish and shares roots with Obama in the same Kansas town.
Neither Kaine nor Sebelius -- nor Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, or any of the other new wave of Democratic leaders whose names show up on prospect lists -- would alleviate voter concerns about Obama's lack of foreign policy and national security experience. But many close to Obama say that he does not view his brief tenure on the national scene as a deficiency and that he may be more inclined to use the vice presidential pick to underscore that he is a different kind of candidate.
"The best bet by far is youth and vigor," said Matt Bennett, a former Clinton administration official. "This cycle is, in many respects, looking a lot like 1992 -- a young and enormously charismatic change candidate running against an older Republican who promises more of the same, with the economy in the tank and Americans desperate for new leadership and new thinking."
Sources close to the campaign said Obama also is intrigued by several political veterans, including Biden. The senator from Delaware has said emphatically on numerous occasions that he is not interested in the job, but he has many advocates, including powerful Clinton backers who valued his neutrality during the primary, as well as numerous Senate colleagues.
"He should go for experience," said Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.). "In my state, someone like Biden would send a very strong signal. It would add a lot."
Reed will accompany Obama, along with GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel (Neb.), on an upcoming trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. He laughed off rumors that he is being considered.
"I'm not in the mix, and I don't want to be in the mix," Reed said, recounting his family's amusement at hearing his name mentioned in media speculation. Countered one Democrat close to the Obama campaign, "He's in the mix."
By Shailagh Murray and Chris Cillizza.
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 46 Comments--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Posted by sjbj2322
Yes!! If Obama is willing to disregard the wishes of roughly 50% of voting democrats then he does NOT deserve my vote. We made it clear that we thought Clinton was the right person for the job but Obama seems to think that fact is unimportant. If he chooses anyone but her for VP, he is essentially saying that he doesn''t care what the voters want - he knows best, and that is nothing but the same old song we have heard for the last 8 years.
...The more I see of Obama, the more I feel I need a shower. Posted by SharnCedar
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You very well may need a shower, but hardly because of seeing Obama. The vote on the telecom immunity did not grant immunity from criminal prosecution - only civil action.
When you boil it all down, I think the choice is clear!
Obama/McCaskill %u201908!!!
When you boil it all down, I think the choice is clear!
Obama/McCaskill %u201908!!!
This time neither candidate can afford to do that because they both suffer from inherent weaknesses.
They both need to select the best person they can that compliments them, is respected by the public, and can take over the presidency if called upon to do so!
When you boil it all down, I think the choice is clear!
Obama/McCaskill %u201908!!!
So which vote is the real Obama? Which shows his true colors? The far more recent is the immunity, which was a week ago, and he voted with his whole heart for that provision. His so-called opposition to the Iraq War was before he was in the Senate, and required no actual votes or actions by him, only a few weak-mouthed criticisms of the war. In a strogly Democratic district in Illinois, that may only reveal his sliminess, not his convictions.
The more I see of Obama, the more I feel I need a shower. He looks like a real sneaky little sleaze.
Posted by rudy654
No blame here , just the fact jack
The traditional conservatives are screaming with burning desire in their hearts for Obama to liberate them old ways of thinking that closer their minds tighter. Only the Democratic party can open their minds wider and enable them to see that people can think for theirselves and their country, and not depend on TV and radio personalities to do it for them.
EXACTLY! Well said!
Posted by RowdyWicca at 09:21 PM : Jul 17, 2008
*** Maybe if Mccain offered atleast ONE good idea for the economy other than the exact same policies as Bush, and maybe if Mccain wasn''t in support of amnesty for over 12 million illegals, then maybe I could actually consider supporting him. However, as long as he is the new stooge for big business, I hope he loses in a landslide!
EXACTLY! Well said!
Posted by RowdyWicca at 09:21 PM : Jul 17, 2008
** rowdy defending someone with the screenname Vietnam, I think i''ve seen it all now! If the Democrats had a vast majority of votes in congress and senate, then you can blame them, however, they only had one more vote than Republicans, hardly a vast majority! Bush is still the person who needs to take responsibility for the failure we have gone through recently!
Posted by zoe2006 at 07:35 PM : Jul 17, 2008
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** Yeah, I still think Edwards was the best candidate this past time around, but I can''t blame blacks for wanting to vote for the first black candidate with a real chance to win the white house. I think Edwards really helps out in North and South Carolina, VA, Georgia, and the midwest states. That being said, if Obama really wants to take Florida, I think Hillary would help better there! But everywhere else, and most states, Edwards would be the real help. People need to stop blaming Edwards for losing in 2004. If Kerry wasn''t so *** unelectable, that was the real problem. Edwards tried to help, but Kerry didn''t want to tell off those swift boaters right away!
EXACTLY! Well said!
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