Obama Not Basing VP Pick On Geography

Politico: Says He Will Choose His Running Mate Based On Compatibility And Ability To Govern

(The Politico)  This story was written by Mike Allen.

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Barack Obama said he’ll give his vice president substantive work and will choose his running mate based on ability to govern, not to help win a state in November.

Obama listed the qualities he’ll be looking for: “I’m going to want somebody with integrity. I’m going to want somebody with independence - who’s willing to tell me where he thinks, or she thinks, I’m wrong. And I’m going to want somebody who shares a vision of the country: where we need to go - that we’ve got to fundamentally change not only our policies, but how politics work, how business is done in Washington.”

In an interview taped in London for NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Tom Brokaw asked Obama about the “old rules” of picking a ticket mate based on electoral strength in some region, and “someone who is stronger in some policy area than you are.”

“I think the most important thing, from my perspective, is somebody who can help me govern,” Obama said. “I want somebody who I’m compatible with, who I can work with, who has a shared vision, who certainly complements me, in the sense that they provide a knowledge base or an area of expertise that can be useful. Because we’re going to have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do."

“I’m not interested in a vice president who I just send off to go to funerals,” he continued. “I want somebody who’s going to be able to roll up their sleeves and really do some work.”

Obama made complimentary remarks about both Clintons, even breaking his self-imposed rule of not talking about his “short list” for vice president.

“Hillary Clinton would be on anybody’s short list,” he said. “She is one of the most effective, intelligent, courageous leaders that we have in the Democratic Party. … I would love to have Bill Clinton campaigning for me.”

Obama indicated town halls with John McCain are unlikely: “I think it’s important for us to have some hard-hitting debates. I think it’s also important for us to spend time talking to the voters directly, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Obama turns to the economy with an Ohio bus trip tomorrow, and revealed in an interview with Bloomberg News that he will meet with his own “Big Three” financial advisers - former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

[andylance1]

Obama is too busy in Europe to visit wounded GIs - a trip that had been planned for two weeks.

Obama is too chicken to do town halls debates with John McCain.

He is in a time warp. He thinks he has already won.

[libh8er]

Ubama''s kids go to private schools, yet....he says NO to school vouchers for the rest of you! In fact, he is endorsed by the NEA (largest teachers union.)

Ubama is a loser....as is the democrat party.

[libh8er]

''Obama Not Basing VP Pick On Geography''

Of course not......who would think such a thing?
Sorry about the loss in % over the magical mystery tour you took. Bet you''re scratching your ''nappy'' head over that one! LOL

[samthetvcat]

---"Obama listed the qualities he%u2019ll be looking for: %u201CI%u2019m going to want somebody with integrity. I%u2019m going to want somebody with independence - who%u2019s willing to tell me where he thinks, or she thinks, I%u2019m wrong. And I%u2019m going to want somebody who shares a vision of the country: where we need to go - that we%u2019ve got to fundamentally change not only our policies, but how politics work, how business is done in Washington.%u201D---

ROTFL . . . all he cares about is (1) Image and vainglory (2) Legacy, and (3) Somebody who won''t push him to put anything else above #1 and 2.

Evan Bayh''s got the image thing going for him, but Tim Kaine''s got the pull in Virginia, and Barack seems to assumes he''s got the win in the bag - I think what he''s after is marking his territory all over the deep South. You know like how he was all aggressive over pursuing evangelicals, ad buys in places like Georgia, floating the idea of sponsoring a car in Nascar. Like I think his ego wants to bag at least 1 core red state (even if it has been turning blue lately). I guess that gives Kaine the edge over Bayh?

Also Bayh was a Hillary supporter - nobody ever says it matters to them, but that kind of thing almost always does . . . I guess Barack''s no different from the rest of us in that sense . . .