Donna: Why are you calling for Mcsame to select Sarah Palin? She is in some serious hot water right now over the unethical firing of the state of Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner. Good lord!

As far as Senator Obama goes - yes, pick Evan Bayh. They both would ROCK!!!!

I am from Wisconsin. McCain polls are shrinking in our red state. The reason is most of us wanted Mit Romney.
Put Romney on the ticket. How hard it is not to see Obama took all Romney supporters on his tank! Since Romney dropped out, all his supporters became Obama supporters! If McCain picks Sarah palin I won't be so upset because she will be the first woman VP but if he picks a nother male named rather than Mit Romney, I will vote for Obama!

Mit romney should be the VP.
He was a great governor. we miss him.
But for some reason if Mccain does not pick Mit Romney, than he should definitely NOT pick any other MAN! It will backfire on McCain, Romney supporters won't vote for him than, but if he picks Sarah palin that is just fine. Than we can see why he did not pick Mit Romney.
He is after women voters nationwide.
Mit Romney or Sarah Palin

I don't think Mit Romney can enegrgize the conservative Republican base. If I were senator McCain, I'd pick Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She is pro-life. She understands the economy, she is for drilling in ANWR and finally not that I care but in order to win, she can bring mant Hillary supporters to vote for John McCain at every single state.
I agree, McCain/Palin is impossible for Obama to beat unless Hillary is on his ticket!

Senator McCain, please pick Sarah Palin
McCain/Palin 2008

I Thank God, say hundreds of Hail Mary's, that McCain will choose the best candidate for VP, and that is the young staunch Republican, Bobby Jindal. He is the brightest person I have heard or seen, he makes sense and is a pragmatic person.Jindal is an Up and shining Republican star, pro-life, loves his country, is a real Christian, Catholic. He is intelligent has a photographic memory, can speak on his feet and knows more than Obama, Obama cannot speak on his feet without a teleprompt, says ugg, hum, ugg.....etc. and he does not make sense when he speaks. Jindal has more experience in his little finger than Obama has in his suit. Obama cannot speak up without 300 advisors on his cuff. Bobby Jindal has a clean record and he is honest. His youth should not be detrimental, because Obamas Youth was not detrimental to him when winning the Democratic nomination. McCain, Jindal is a match made in heaven.....Please NO TO MITT ROMNEY, HE WILL BE A BIG NEGATIVE TO MCCAIN, HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED FLIPS FLOPS REMINDS ME OF OBAMA. MCCAIN DOES NOT FLIP FLOP JUST CHANGES HIS MIND WHEN TIME CALLS FOR IT. AND HE SAYS SO.

No way will Obama piss a US senate seat up against the wall by picking Bayh. This should be clear to anyone.

As I've focused on the VP "tryouts" on TV and in the press, Romney comes across as rather superficial and cocky. Maybe that comes with the big checkbook? Pawlenty seems to have a command of the issues and comes across as honest and workman-like. Similar to McCain, he seems to have a self deprecating humor about him and a maverick streak. I bet McCain goes with the smart, loyal, hard working Pawlenty with whom he apparently fond of, rather than with Romney who seems to "want this position" a bit too much - regardless of his checkbook size.

Evan Bayh, Chris? And Mitt Romney?

For starters, while Bayh fulfills some yearnings for some Obama's fans, will America stand for 2 Senators on a ticket? Doubtful.

Obama probably needs a woman Governor or a military man.

And as for Mitt "I'll flip flop on ANY issue" Romney, that's one sure way for John McCain to lose the election. Guaranteed! OsiSpeaks.com

Anyone who thinks Kaine and Bayh are boring have to remember the Al Gore was a boring pick but was a great pick and VP.

A VP should be "boring" and not outshine the Top of the ticket.

John Edwards would not be selected as VP as some would hope. The Obama and Edwards personally get along fine but Edwards does not bring alot politically. He is good in many area but not strong in any of them. He is not even that popular in his own state. He was a 1 term US senator and never had a chance to really build anything at the state level. He not a conservative Democrat which means he can't help get the white southern vote.

C. Powell and C. Rice have already said they have NO interest in the Republican VP spot.

I personally think it will be Bayh. He can make it a young Midwestern ticket sort of how Bill and Al made it a young southern ticket. He'll probably also help push Iowa back to the Dems. He probably also can help in Rural Missouri and neighboring OH and MI. He from a Big Farm state and most of the rural Midwest is farm country. He is on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

chris you did read that Foxnews story about how each person on the overseas trip can bring one staffer...

Obama brought Biden's.

I know I read your reasoning but again...I am pretty positive the deal is done. Kaine and Bayh are a little too unknown/Wimpy

and I was starting to think a slight possibility of Reed and then I saw the pic of he and Obama in Afghanistan...the guy looks shorter than McCain. Sorry I am a short guy and I think he looked really...well not like someone who would be President of the US. He may make Obama look taller...but the two of them together look like a cartoon.

Bayh has Romney's looks like a weatherman...too pretty issue... if he was going to go that route he'd pick Edwards.

chris you did read that Foxnews story about how each person on the overseas trip can bring one staffer...

Obama brought Biden's.

I know I read your reasoning but again...I am pretty positive the deal is done. Kaine and Bayh are a little too unknown/Wimpy

and I was starting to think a slight possibility of Reed and then I saw the pic of he and Obama in Afghanistan...the guy looks shorter than McCain. Sorry I am a short guy and I think he looked really...well not like someone who would be President of the US. He may make Obama look taller...but the two of them together look like a cartoon.

Bayh has Romney's looks like a weatherman...too pretty issue... if he was going to go that route he'd pick Edwards.

If "Steven Reed"'s post is right and Ms. McCaskill is the veep pick, Joe should get credit at least for a "show" since we had her at No. 3. If this is true, this is a great pick. Ms. McCaskill is by far (no one else is close) BO's most intensely supportive supporter (frankly, on TV, she seems kind of goofily "gone" on him -- but that's a good thing, not a bad thing ... I guess). Have a great Sunday. Below is Joe's final BO veep long list:
____

What I believe to be BO's current long list (in order of preference) follows. Continued good news for her supporters; HRC is still in it, sort of.
1. Tim Kaine
2. Wesley Clark
3. Claire McCaskill
4. Patti Solis Doyle
5. Jim Webb (Note to staff: keep calling him)
* * * * * * * * *
299,398,475. Omarosa M-Stallworth
299,398,476. Kwame Kilpatrick
299,398,477. Carolyn Kilpatrick
299,398,478. Robert Vesco
299,398,479. Larry Craig
299,398,480. Ivan Boesky
299,398,481. Paul Reubens
299,398,482. Daniel Baldwin
299,398,483. Ms. H.R. Clinton
299,398,484. Mark Fuhrman

McCain has the luxury of seeing who Obama picks first. The Democratic convention is first so McCain gets to wait until Obama picks before McCain picks his choice. That being said, who will Obama pick? How will Obama's pick affect McCain's pick?

If Obama picks a woman: Hillary Clinton, Claire McCaskill or Kathleen Sebelius. If Obama picks McCaskill or Clinton then there are 2 senators from the inside of Washington DC on a ticket in a year when congress approval ratings are lower than ever. In that case, Tim Pawlenty would be the best choice for McCain. A popular governor of a purple state that has balanced a budget and coined the term "Sam's Club Republican". If Obama picks Sebelius, then at least Obama has some executive experience as well as his inside the beltway Washington experience. Then, for Obama, there is no foreign policy experience at all on the ticket. With an Obama/Sebelius ticket, I think Tim Pawlenty would still be the best pick, but Rob Portman would deserve some consideration, too. Pawlenty's record vs. Sebilius matches up pretty well for McCain.

Now, Obama could decide to go with someone like Jack Reed, Joe Biden or someone with strong national security credentials. He could choose a white male from a fairly Republican state who has executive & Washington experience: Sen. Evan Bayh. Your top pick, CC. Bayh could fight hard in Ohio, Michigan, Pa. & Indiana for Obama & campaign hard in the South. Bayh is soft spoken, pretty crafty & has alot of experience. If Obama goes this route, I think McCain's best choice is Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

I believe that McCain's short list right now really is:
1. Tim Pawlenty
1. Sarah Palin
A tie and the pick will be made depending upon who Obama picks as his VP.

Obama really has the choice as to define the debate. McCain has 2 great choices to fight it, though.

scrapster, do you really think a female VP trumps a black President?

I think the need to choose a VP that covers your weaknesses (economy for Mccain, military for Obama) is overrated. Do people realise the President has dozens and dozens of advisors and specialists in the government who know more about the military than Reed and more about the economy than Portman. 'Presidetial' quality and a decent relationship with the President are more important assets than covering policy weaknesses. My personal favorites at the moment are Obama-Bayh (youth,clinton ally,they like each other) and Mccain-Jindal(youth,minority,they like each other).

Breaking News

(Chicago) Insiders at the Obama campaign staffers say that he has decided on Claire McCaskill "because she thinks along the same lines and can help articulate his issues". The announcement will come by the end of July......

http://www.goclairevp.4t.com/

"Colin Powell's name has not been mentioned often in the GOP VP chase. He will add the excitement and credibility that the GOP so desperately needs. Good-bye Obama; McCain-Powell is a winning ticket! Posted by: Tom Benson "

You've got to be joking. Powell held his silence all through the run up to the war in Iraq, knowing full well how poorly it was not even being planned. Took his deceptive speech to the U.N. and dutifully gave it.

Colin Powell is tacit approbation for George's policy of lying like a rug at every opportunity.

Okay, my picks for Obama's running mate have changed slightly over the past few months but my top picks are still the same.

5. Evan Bayh
4. Chris Matthews
3. Joe Biden
2. Bill Richardson
1. Chuck Hagel

Why is Jack Reed on the list? The Rhode Island governor is a Republican. For Senate Dems who are thinking of 60 seats, they can't afford to put a safe seat at risk.

Definitely agree with Joe Biden. Here's my take on him:

http://www.theseventen.com/2008/07/veepstakes-joe-biden.html

As for the Republicans, Romney seems like the most sensible candidate, but he doesn't do much to shore up McCain's socially conservative evangelical base. That would allow Obama to continue to make inroads in places like Missouri and North Carolina.

Here's my take on Romney:

http://www.theseventen.com/2008/07/veepstakes-mitt-romney.html

for all who say obama is moving to the center

read this:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11880.html

I couldn't care less who McCain picks for two reasons: 1. I've been in Obama's camp all along, and 2. McCain's going to lose.

Whom for Obama? The perfect choice would have executive experience, strength to bring in states that Obama doesn't already have a lock on, appeal to voting blocs that were not among Obama's strongest supporters in the primaries, and foreign policy experience.

Two words: BILL RICHARDSON.

I'm kind of surprised that John Edwards isn't on this list. There isn't a chance in hell that Obama is going to put HRC on his ticket. He ran on a platform of change, and she is as Washington as Washington gets. So is Joe Biden...Biden will be asked to be Secretary of State but he won't be a VP on the Obama ticket. "In Delaware, the Indian community has grown so much you can't go into a 7-eleven without a slight Indian accent." He is a loose cannon...totally uncontrollable and won't know when to shut up. But he's brilliant, he was right about a lot of things on Iraq and the broader "global war on terror," (whatever that means now).

I think Obama likes John and Elizabeth Edwards. I heard Michelle in an interview say that the VP would be someone that the Obamas liked and respected. Granted he was on the ticket in 2004...I would argue that the failure to capture the South wasn't that John Edwards couldn't but that there was a tax and spend liberal from Massachuetts with a lunatic wife leading the ticket. I think a national strategy (which is what John and Elizabeth Edwards tried to get the Kerry campaign to do) is suitable for someone like Edwards. He would be a great compliment to Obama...it would strengthen him substantially.

Chris, a suggested edit: After "Palin's name doesn't appear on many vice presidential lists" put a period and delete the rest of the paragraph about her. The 11:49am post tells us why she's not on anybody's list.

Palin might not be such a good choice after all.
She fired a very well liked state trooper commissioner because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband. Palin said that she wanted the department to go in a new direction. What direction is that? Alaska residents are still waiting for her response.
On top of that Palin's husband, Todd, has been following former brother-in-law around at a level that could be considered stalking.
McCain needs all the help he can get and to suggest Palin might be that dark horse isn't possible now. Palin's gone way out of her way to get a state employee fired over a child custody case that she fears might not go her sister's way. Poor judgement and not something McCain is looking for.

Mayank: On BO's most recent long list for veep (as we understand it), Hillary came out ahead of only one person: Mark Fuhrman. Hillary wins BO not a single state that he couldn't win handily on his own. And she hurts his ability to put in play red states like Virginia (where the big four -- Webb/Warner/Kaine/Wilder -- have turned VA at least purple). (Let's be honest: a lot of her "supporters" were folks from Limbaugh's Operation Chaos (which was far, far more successful than the corporate media let on).) And she steps on BO's central themes: "hope," "a new kind of politics," "turning the page," "ending the politics of diversion and distraction," etc. And she brings in more baggage than Mayflower could handle. Does the country really want to spend four years wasting time talking about (regardless of whether the narratives are true or not) Miss Dolly Kyle Browning, Miss Lencola Sullivan, Mark Rich, and the rest? Do you really want a re-investigation of what happened to Mr. Foster at Fort Marcy Park? As McEnroe says, "You can't be serious." Out of respect for the good things she's done, give her a non-Supreme Court judgeship or ambassadorship (Fiji's nice this time of year) and call it a day.

In order for Obama to win ... he needs Hillary Clinton...
There is no way in hell for him to be the next president of America without the help of clinton's.....

My choice:

Obama-Hillary
&
McCain-Rice

Sue, where to start? First, turn off the caps lock. It's on the left hand side. And throw in punctuation now and then (just to change things up). More importantly, though, the reason you never meet any BO supporters is because, well (let's be honest), you don't meet anyone. By the time you leave the bar by the RR tracks at 3am, there is no one to talk to. Venture out of the bar, or your survivalist compound, now and then, and people would be happy to talk with you about BO and about your personal recovery. Cap
____

Posted by: sue | July 19, 2008 2:37 AM
SO sad,i thank its the blacks that don,t wan,t HILLARy...So help me GOD if all of HILLARY voters will stick together and vote MCcane in 08 we will send this country a message....Blll CLINTON got many of you where you are today,,how can you hate him and HILLARY so much? I am not a repu.always voted for dem.If OBAMA dosen,t choose HILLARY for v.p. how can TEXAS vote OBAMA..it will never happen..No one i have heared say they would vote for him

Barack, face it. Hillary "will not be ignored." Piece of advice: hide any bunny rabbits you have.

From your summary for McC, Portman has a portfolio that one would want for a "president in waiting". And for McC, that becomes the necessary, if not sufficient in itself, criterion.

I think John McCain should consider Condolisa Rice as his running mate. As for Obama, hope it never comes to pass that he would win.

I think John McCain should consider Condolisa Rice as his running mate. As for Obama, hope it never comes to pass that he would win.

I have been leaning towards Tim kaine and Mark Warner for Months. However, Bayh has begun to grow on me. He has the political record. He was considered a rising star in the party before Barak. He gave the keynote at the 1996 Democratic Convention and Barak did the 2000 speech.

Who was the last president to enter the White House with foreign policy experience? Most of our presidents are previous Governors. I think Bush 1 had foreign policy but I would have to double check. Its something that gets mentioned on the campaign trail but voters rarely vote based on it.

The price is probably to high to consider HRC. The co-presidency and probably cabinet positions for some of her suppports and maybe even Ambassadorship for her financial backers. A smaller Electoral college win without her is better than a blowout with her.

juan

Biden for VP

i

If OBAMA is such a great choice to lead our country why is he having so much trouble trying to get votes? If he is getting most of HILLARY voters which i don,t thank he is and never will..I like him but i will not vote for him because he and all the blacks hate HILLARY.and hes a christain? try and make people thank she on his list,I don,t thank so

SO sad,i thank its the blacks that don,t wan,t HILLARy...So help me GOD if all of HILLARY voters will stick together and vote MCcane in 08 we will send this country a message....Blll CLINTON got many of you where you are today,,how can you hate him and HILLARY so much? I am not a repu.always voted for dem.If OBAMA dosen,t choose HILLARY for v.p. how can TEXAS vote OBAMA..it will never happen..No one i have heared say they would vote for him

It is amazing to read all these suggestions. I doulbt anyone can make up the negatives for McCain. Can't you just imagine him in a conference with world leaders when he gets miffed and he cuts loose with a string of explatives. The guy, while nice, has no self control and is too old to keep under control in the tight spots that are require a President's self control. He has always had a searing-hot temper but these last few years, he domonstrated graphically that he gets totally out of ocntrol at the drop of a hat. Sad, sad, sad.

Oh well so once again Drippy Chris Fizzle
seems to not get it that Democratic
Presidential Candidate Barack Hussien Obama
will name Barack Hussein Obama as his own
Vice President since Obama's Big Ego and
Arrogancem will not allow anyone else to
fill the job now then. And John McCain may
nominate former El Presidente of Mexico
Vicennte Fox as his Veep,since Amnesty John
McCain is out to out pander Barack Obama
for the Hispanic and Illegal Alien Votes!

Being a Hoosier, I would be incredibly excited if Evan Bayh was chosen for VP, but if he is, I'm afraid we'll lose a Senate seat to the Republicans.

Sarah Palin is pretty, pleasant, not corrupt, not mean-spirited, unpretentious and , to quote a Republican Alaskan in a position to know, "dumb as a post." I really don't know a nice way to say it. I sort of like her as a person, but she's over her head as governor of a state of less than 700,000 people. Her first press conference, or at least the VP debate, would be the end of McCain's candidacy. No one would vote for a 72 year old candidate with Sarah Palin as his potential replacement.

The VP must not steal the president's thunder. I just don't see the Billary show as being content to sit in the sidelines. Bill and Hillary both still have major contributions to make....Bill as a Cabinet member, and Hillary as a SUPREME COURT JUSTICE!!!
Obama needs experience that isn't mired in DC politics. Too many of the "obvious" choices are beltway insiders. The VP candidate with the best mix of Experience/Freshness and who brings a couple different and large voting blocs is Bill Richardson. He's a bit of a maverick, with a sharp wit and some different views, but he's proven his effectiveness in a number of arenas, not the least of which is successful international negotiations with some seriously dangerous guys. He's hispanic, and that is a plus for the hispanic crowds and dealings with our southern neighbors and other nations of color, but it's a negative for the WASPs who are uncomfortable with anything too beige. Bill comes across as a bit bland because of his round (hispanic) face and dimpled grin, but that's a good thing for a VP who should be complementing the president, not competing. Remember that
"dull" Bill negotiated freedom for american hostages. Fact is, people of color across the world are more comfortable with other people of color. A mulatto/mestizo ticket would put the USA's "equality" money where our mouths are, and send a clear message beyond our borders.

I like the smartness of Hillary, but the republicans have feared and hated her for so long, that having her on the ticket would mobilize that party and have the opposite effect the democrats desire.

Military men like Clark bring a great deal to a ticket, and they don't frighten the xenophobes as much as Richardson, but do we want a military man as our goodwill ambassador to the world after the Bush/Bush policy of international bullying? I was raised military and active duty myself, but I understand why the world is leery of our militant attitudes, and I can't help but think that a military person as VP would be a mistake at this time. An experienced international strategist would be a wise choice for VP. Someone who's seen the inside of DC but who isn't part of that scene. Someone who has successes in the world arena and who is taken seriously abroad, if not in his own country.
We don't always nominate the best person to run for president (Bush vs McCain was a great example).

Caroline Kennedy would be a good choice if Obama was a more experienced politician. Maybe next time around?

3 weeks to go... Obama/ Hagle, Leahy or Bob Graham -- McCain/ Hunter, Tommie Thompson or Huchinson (depending on polls)

Kaine, Bayh, Reed, huh? You must be joking. Mark it down, NONE of these individuals will be chosen. Chuck Hagel has a very good chance, and I predict that his trip with Obama to Iraq and Afghanistan will seal the deal. The only others who have a chance are Bill Richardson and Joe Biden, but please do NOT put names like Kaine and Bayh on this list because there is really no chance of that happening.

Colin Powell's name has not been mentioned often in the GOP VP chase. He will add the excitement and credibility that the GOP so desperately needs. Good-bye Obama; McCain-Powell is a winning ticket!

I know he has asked not to be considered, but Obama's best pick would be Mark Warner.

McCain-Palin & Obama-Reed

That would be a close election.

hillary ,please only way obama will be the next pres.he needs to remember that many,many love hillary.my vote only will
be for that ticket.a good chilly day to stay home if not.never for mccain.hes another GB and no matter who obama picks
can be as bad as we have now.if he wants to win and win big its got to be clinton.
MY STATE IS NEEDED TO WIN,AND I KNOW

Michelle, I'm sorry but you should get your brain checked. Al Gore has been there and done it very successfully. why would he play second fiddle to an empty suit. When you have Gore, a near President and Obama, a fourth year Senator with no accomplishement under his belt, together, who do you think should be running for President?

Mike Gravel would be a great choice to balance the threat of Obama's Big Government Socialist wrecking machine (although that's the very thing that his votebase is clamouring for) but his dismal showing in the primaries would probably rule him out, sadly.

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Al Gore?! He has alot of credibility, balances the experience and age issues, is well known and well respected by the American people. Let's draft him at the Convention!

My prediction: Obama will pick himself as his VP. In a movie played by Chris Rock as a presidential candidate, he picked his brother. Obama thinks so highly of himself that he would not pick anyone else as his VP. He thinks he is better than anyone but anyone he picks will be taken as having some advantage over him or said to strengthen him. Our King of self-adulation will allow that?

A second choice: Michelle Obama

Why not Jodi Rell? She is incredibly popular and would be the woman female voters can certainly look up to. Dodd was thinking about running for CT governor and got totally scared away in light of her tremendous popularity. she would also put CT in play. She may be pro-choice but McCain's anti-abortion crudential should allow him to get away from this.

AnthonyJBrady said:

Here is another interesting pick:

http://www.writeidea.org/2008/07/another-possible-vp-choice-for-obama.html

If Obama picked him, it would help reinforce change and help with experience...

This is my dream pick for Obama. I posted my preference last week and I thought I was the only one who thought Chafee would be a good pick. I think a Lincoln Chafee selection shows Obama willing to reach across the aisle. He is relatively young and smart to boot, and I think would generate tons of buzz. I doubt it would anger the base as I am as Dem as you can get.

Obama/Chafee 08

Although Bayh is certainly an interesting choice, Obama's electoral path to victory does not even have to come close to running through Indiana. Nor does it Delaware, but Senator Biden will help secure the Catholic vote in places like New Hampshire. He is expierenced on foreign policy and is a "Democratic Party Elder." The VP's role in the election is really the vice presidential debate. Biden would beat or at least hold even with anyone that the Republicans could offer. He will most likely by the VP but the Obama team will keep him on a very short leash. He has a little habbit of saying the first thing that comes to mind.

Clearly all GOP roads are leading to Palin. I just wish McCain would name her already so the fun could begin (that is, fun watching the Dems and MSM squirm).

Richardson is a frump.

If Obama picks a Senator for VP, he must consider the balance in the Senate. Dodd or Reed, both good choices otherwise, if elected would be replaced a Republican by the governors of their respective states.

I like Pat Leahy, but that pick would infuriate the loyal base of the Republican Party almost as much as if he were to pick HRC. Maybe enough for them to overcome their apathy to come out to vote and tip the election for McCain.

Biden is well known, smart accomplished and experienced. He would make a good pick.

Other than the delight that the R's would have denouncing TWO plagiarists, I see no downside.

I do not see a lot of good choices for McCain. A hard right Republican like Thune or Graham would make more Undecideds tip to Obama.

Nobody seems to like Mitt.

Jindal and Palin are neophyte governors of small weird states.

If you think that Hillary is a rhymes with witch, just imagine Carly.

Fred Thompson looks as old and creaky as McCain, though I do like the idea of (his son, grandson, nephew?) Tommy.

Too bad Arnold cannot run. He is one of the few that would be able to help McCain deliver a Republican victory.

It will be McCain/Romney
vs.
Obama/Richardson

Winner: McCain/Romney
Winner: The Country

Mr. Cillizza: You might as well take Ms. Clinton off the list. Not gonna happen. As a prospect, she is either loved or hated. It doesn't hurt so much to not have her the ticket as it could to have her, as she has such high negatives.

McCain should pick someone with some experience on economic issues. How about Phil Gramm?

That list of possibilities for McCain to appoint is five names that all fit sonorously in the inevitable cry, "Do you REALLY want ----- to take over when the old man drops?"

John doesn't need assassination insurance, he needs a guarantee of longevity, and he is looking worn down now, a month before the convention. The LAST thing he needs is a VP candidate who can't appear on stage with John lest he call attention to how OL:D John really is.

Meanwhile none of the mentionables are sufficiently insulated against the reek of scandal that is rising out of the miasmatic fen of Republican "Openness".

Putting Romney on the ticket would certainly open the door for some Obama victories in the South. Though the evagelicals won't vote for Obama it is doubtful they will come out in any significant numbers to vote for a McCain/Romney ticket.
McCain doesn't really have any good options. He could opt for someone like Duncan Hunter - at least Hunter wouldn't cost him votes among any of the Republican base.

Bill Richardson, Catholic, Blue Blood/Hispanic, multi-lingual, renewable energy savvy, executive, international negotiator, Governor in Southwest. The first to call for out of Iraq in 1 year which today the Iraqi's say they want.

Vice Presidential Calculus is indeed arcane, for instance, even if it was true that Nixon picked Agnew as impeachment insurance, how can anyone explain Quayle? OR Bill Miller?

Still, Bayh makes 48 Electoral votes worth of sense. He needs to deliver just three states, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, and he is more than worth his keep. He could probably cover his territory by hot air balloon and do that.

Timing in the selection of a VP candidate will be interesting. I don't believe Jim Webb would be a good pick for Obama so I thought it was a good thing that he took himself out of the running. His many disparaging remarks about women serving in the military, regardless of how long ago they were made and the fact that Webb no longer has a problem with women serving, would be a liability, particularly given how bitter many HRC supporters remain.

What would really turn this race upside-down would be if McCain were to select Lieberman and Obama were to select Hagel. It won't happen but would be interesting nevertheless. At least either of the candidates will be an improvement over what we have now.

Crist for McCain VP!!!

BILL RICHARDSON!!!

Posted by: Kyle | July 18, 2008 7:17 PM

=====================================

yes Kyle, the killer app is that he is Hispanic... with white America shaking in their collective boots, I think a black and a Mexican would be to much. I, BTW, am a big fan of Richardson, as he will need to be prepping to clean up Condi's messes.

What I believe to be BO's current long list (in order of preference) follows. Continued good news for her supporters; HRC is still in it, sort of.
1. Tim Kaine
2. Wesley Clark
3. Claire McCaskill
4. Patti Solis Doyle
5. Jim Webb (Note to staff: keep calling him)
* * * * * * * * *
299,398,475. Omarosa M-Stallworth
299,398,476. Kwame Kilpatrick
299,398,477. Carolyn Kilpatrick
299,398,478. Robert Vesco
299,398,479. Larry Craig
299,398,480. Ivan Boesky
299,398,481. Paul Reubens
299,398,482. Daniel Baldwin
299,398,483. Ms. H.R. Clinton
299,398,484. Mark Fuhrman
___

Seeing Bayh at #1 makes me ill -- too often he simply comes off as a DINO, not a "real" Dem. We don't need another right-wing Dem on the ticket. Anyone remember the 2004 fiasco?? And if anyone were paying attention, they'd discover that in Michigan, the only Mitt Romney supporters are those who'd vote for McCain under any circumstances. Mitt, sir, is no George Romney. He will do nothing to bring MI to McCain -- and BTW, Obama is doing just fine here. (Many think if the primary had had a redo, he'd have beat HRC.)

Why isn't Lindsay Graham on the Repub list?
He obviously has a total mancrush on McCain.

If I was Obama, I would still give Ted Strickland a call, and say, Governor, I know you don't want it, but your country needs you. Ohio, all those votes. Longshots, Chuck Hagel or Bloomberg. Both would excite people, and might help with the center. Kaine is a possibility. Bayh also, but Biden and Dodd did not excite voters very much (exciting pundits doesn't count).

If I was McCain, my safe bet would be Ridge, can he bring PA along? My long shot would be a female, hey, how about Maria Shriver? Although she has endorsed Obama, she is married to Ahnald, and might bring California into play, and that is the big Kahuna of electoral votes, currently safely Democratic.

Obama needs to reassure voters who are afraid that he is too inexperienced and too different.

McCain needs something to shake up the calculus which currently favors Obama.

Both of these guys are pros, and playing cautious at this point. I doubt either will go for a longshot, but I have been wrong before (LOL).

Obama should pick Hillary for she brings more women, middle class voters, and latinos. People say: "Oh, she brings baggage and Bill." What a laugh. He should wish to have that wonderful woman with her husband.

BILL RICHARDSON!!!

Both candidates, I think, will go with the answer to the question: "Who will my supporters be most comfortable with running the country in the unfortunate event that I kick the bucket?"

That's why it will be Biden vs, Romney. And Biden will crush him in the VP debate.

Take it to the bank.

USS Forrestal - too late?

what did we miss?

By the way, if any of you have a chance to see Howard Dean speak, I recommend it. He's no Obama, but is very good and motivating. I had a chance to see him today and he is a lot better than those clips of him screaming.

I'd vote for Obama no matter whom he picked as vice president, but, sadly, it's too late.

reseponse to: (July 18, 2008 6:41 PM)

Yeah, that jibjab bit was a classic. You make some valid points. It seems to me that the very fact that McCain got the nomination, proves that Repubs couldn't scare up any viable candidates this cycle. I know McCain thinks he's a spring chicken, but young voters will have a hard time relating to someone who's two generations removed from them. And while Obama talks about downloading songs on his ipod, McCain apparently hasn't discovered the personal computer yet. He needs someone to soften his image. His "anti-hippy" ad was one of the most assinine ones he could have made. OK, Jane Fonda isn't the most popular person in America. But the Vietnam conflict was nonetheless an unpopular war, and those baby boomers still vote. When the economy is on the decline, in great part due to the reckless fiscal policies of W. and his cronies, you simply don't go around pledging 100 years in Iraq, or singing a$$clown "bomb, bomb Iran" jingles to the tune of Beach Boy hits. The DNC should plaster those clips in political ads, from now until November.
You'd think that after his wartime experiences, McCain would be more cautious in his warmongering. To oppose W.'s wag-the-dog war in Iraq would be the real maverick thing for McSame to do.

maybe i'm being a spoil sport, but is any of mr. fix's comment based on actual reporting from the campaigns? this is all pure conjecture!

mr. cillizza offers no official documenting from either campaign. sure, he's probably talked to a lot of people who soak their head in politics all day, but this is a pure conjecture.

Thanks guys who answered my question. I had forgotten about the Perot factor. But just doing some quick research, he took 18% of the vote which was huge considering that Clinton beat Bush by about 6%.

Its interesting how no one has really run with the national deficit as an issue. I can't think of Obama mentioning it. McCain has mentioned balancing the budget, but that rings hollow as the candidate of the party that racks up the debt. Seems like it would be a good year for either candidate to use that as a point of contention.

Iconoclast:
Your suggestion of Patty Murray: She is also Catholic, a group Obama has trouble with. She voted against FISA, and against the Iraq War. She initially won against an establishment candidate as the change candidate, "a mom in tennis shoes".
Her main negative are some comments she made about al-qaeda a few years ago, that got people in an uproar. Those comments would come back to bite her as a VP candidate.

intcamd1

duh...that would be the same thing Clinton would need going against McCain...

heck almost anyone outside Biden , Dodd and maybe Richardson would need to enhance experience because John McCain is old.

so he's been around...has a lot of experience...but seems he didn't learn enough on that long experience.

if clinton went up against McCain the whole argument for either was experience...if it was just on experience McCain wins.

It's about brains...Obama has shown more brains (as the following of Bush and McCain to some of his policies and plans this week shows).

so enough what a dumb argument.

Of course Obama has to value experience over change in his choice. He himself represents change. The question is: will it be perceived as a change for the better? Choosing someone like Hagel or a Dem with similar credentials would be the way to go. It's the equivalent of having tired, old Zell Miller speak at the RNC convention. To get the Indy/Repub votes Obama needs to win, he has to create some relative parity with McCain on experience/nat'l defense. While his trip to Iraq/Europe will help, it'll be more like an internship instead of on-the-job-training. The election is only 3.5 months away. Though Dick Cheney has the people skills of a pitbull (he didn't have the common courtesy to stand up and shake Edwards' hand at their debate), putting him on the ticket essentially had the same effect for W. Yeah, progressives might lambast Obama for putting someone like Hagel on the ticket, but what better way to garner more Indy/Repub votes, than to send the message that change means an end to the divisive partisanship of Tom Delay, Karl Rover, and George W. Bush. Such monkey business of putting party over country has got to end, to get anything done in Washington.

the jibjab cartoon speaks to what the gaps are

McCain needs someone to make him look smarter on the economy (and government economic policy), younger and a listener...to stand in front of all the bomb sounds and tanks going off.

Obama needs an older attack dog wonkish... blue collar guy who makes his unicorn look like it would kick somebody's a## and makes him look less fairy tale...more noble historic moment and paradigm shift.

so it's going to be Romney, Pawlenty, or a woman CEO that doesn't come across like a jerk...and it won't be Palin...I don't know what people are smoking that she is on a top list there are better women)

In that order

and Obama is going to pick Biden...and then way down the list Reed and then Clinton.

Bayh or Kaine + Obama accentuates the pink horn on the unicorn... rather than the trusty steed... you know what I'm saying?

"2. Tim Kaine: The governor of Virginia drops from the pole position he held last week simply because our sense of the Obama team's mindset is that they are leaning toward experience over change in their veep calculus"

There you have it. Whatever happens in the end, the above sentence captures the flip flopping slimy nature of NObama and his campaign.

After playing race and sex cards endlessly (to steal the nomination from CLinton), and personal smears against CLinton such as "politics as usual" and "change cr*p" in the primaries, NObama knows he is toast in the general w/o experience; hence his desperation to find some one, any one, with more experience than he does (which means any one who held a meaningful job for 2 years).

DDAWD:

In '92, the economy was in recession -- which was a big thing. But, the conservatives were angry about GHWB raising taxes. Perhaps you've heard of the "read my lips: no new taxes" promise GHWB made? Lots of R's were driven to Perot by that and the relatively moderate and pragmatic views of GHWB. Basically, a bit of disarray uncommon in the GOP. However, there were quite a few disaffected D's and I's as well who voted for Perot. In the end Perot got less than 20% of the vote.

It's not clear to me how much Perot's candidacy changed the election. WJC won with 370 electoral votes, though very few states gave him an absolute majority.

Only the gutter rat groupies of NObama are pushing Clinton's candidacy desperately, out of sheer fear that their empty suit hero would be spurned by half of the democratic party.

Any true Clinton supporter would rather die than see Clinton run on the sleazy ticket of NObama. That would be endorsing every race and sex card that the slimy NObama campaign played thru the last 18 months to destroy Clinton.

NObama should pick one of his prostitute media pals - take your pick, Robinson, Dowd, Rich, Matthews, Olbermann.. They enabled him to steal the nomination, and he owes them big time.

I have been doing a little veepstakes research, and I wonder why nobody ever mentions Washington Senator Patty Murray. She is not a perfect candidate (not a swing state, no executive experience, etc), but she does seem to have some positives. For one thing, her long tenure in the Senate and status as a member of the Veterans' Affairs committee should do something to bolster some of Obama's weaknesses.

Sarah Palin has her own merits, but I believe she has been elevated to this pedestal because Alaska's previous governor, Frank Murkowski, brought new meaning to the word "nefarious."

Sarah Palin seems aimed for a long and successful political career, but I can't imagine why she is being considered for vp at this point. The state of Alaska has fewer than 700,000 residents; many American counties are more populous. Alaska truly has unique and challenging political issues, but still, her short tenure as governor of a small Republican state is not adequate preparation for the vice presidency.

The suggestion about Caroline Kennedy for vp is on the money -- Even with articles about her role in the selection committee (now 2 members), nobody seems to ask her if the veep could be another Kennedy. Not even a Shermanesque "I will not serve" in reply. Politically speaking that's a "dream ticket" and I'm no Obama voter. Caroline is 50 now (11/27/57) and a lawyer who seems to have a flawless public record.

GIVE IT TO HUCK AND CHRIS (DODD)

Romney would drag down the ticket. As "Mr. Downsize," he's just what McCain doesn't need in this economy. McCain's making enough gaffes in that department on his own. Romney's prone to verbal missteps, and his Mormonism excludes him from consideration among a considerable number of the GOP base. That's just the way it is.

Portman carries the Bush baggage.

Thune is not well known and wouldn't bring any instant appeal. Same with Palin, but even worse, because she has the same problem as Obama: Lack of experience on the national stage.

Now what would really move the needle is an out of the box selection such as Bloomberg (although the right would cry "traife"; or, if you really want to go unconventional, Rick Santorum. The Pennsy Pitbull would give the right some red meat to chew on, wouldn't it? If McCain wants to ensure enthusiasm among the base, that would do it.

But speaking as a voter, I believe the best choice would be -- Mike Huckabee. He's conservative, he proved his appeal in the primaries, and he's palatable to a broad swath of voters, including some liberals who see him as something of a libertarian. And he plays bass guitar and knows '60s rock. The garage band crowd would approve.

Now on the Dem side, I can't buy Bayh. He's bland, he's nondescript. He's a blue dog who only nips. And he's not old enough to fill the "adult supervision" role. (Biden's old enough, but he would seem to fall short in that category as well for obvious reasons.)

Hillary's a non-starter. First off, she wouldn't do it because she thinks Obama can't win, and she may be right. Second, Obama would feel intimidated and threatened by her, rightly so. He'd have to hire a food-taster.

I still say the man for Obama's veep is Chris Dodd:

A banking expert at a time when banks are collapsing and economy is in the tank;

A civil libertarian who would remind Obama why he's wrong on FISA and the death penalty (with the number of wrongful convictions among blacks, how can Obama want to widen its application?);

And Dodd's got the foreign policy chops that Obama lacks.

If I were a betting man, I'd lay you odds on that it's Dodd.

Of course, you're ruling out a huge Obama gaffe on his foreign trip that could give Hillary an opening for an eleventh-hour challenge. With only a six-point lead in major polling, Obama's on the slide; if this trip goes badly, watch for a Hillary last stand -- and she'd probably win on the second or third ballot, after some blood-letting on the floor and endorsement by the likes of Jesse Jackson, Sheila Jackson Lee, Bob Johnson of BET, etc.

All eyes will be on Obama abroad; but should he slip, better gumshoe Hillary.

IF YOU VALUE OUR DEMOCRACY
AND THE RULE OF LAW, CLICK HERE:

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Why would female Democrats vote for McCain just because he chooses Sarah Palin, another conservative?

Ignoring their Democratic values just because a woman is on the rival's ticket would be sexist, wouldn't it?

Ross:

Here's your T-shirt:

McCain-Lieberman:

ONE'S OLD..
THE OTHER'S
A YOLD! Oy!

Obama: For a out of the blue long shot, how about former Gov. Gary Locke of Washington? Youngish, well spoken, no baggage, no drama. Would do well in the debates, and stay in the background where a good VP should be.

For McCain, I think he will choose Fiorina. She was already trotted out to Meet the Press to represent McCain, and to my dismay, spoke very well for him.

Chris C.

The premise of your story is wrong. neither will pick their vp mate for at least three weeks.

How, with 3 weeks to go, is this the 'final stretch'? It makes the rest of the story a complete waste of Post space and my time for reading it.

THE STORY today is the "Time Horizon" which should highlight the huge FLIPFLOP in policy by BushMcCain as well as future U.S. policy from now to the end of the war once Obama is elected. Why are you not covering that? How the Hell did you get this job? Your political acumen is most definitely lacking!

CaseyJonesed

"Not in 88, but it killed him in 92. 88 was a 'status quo' election. 92 was change. GHWB didn't."

Ok, so I was barely in double digit age at the time, so you guys might have more perspective than I do. What happened to Bush in 92? If I remember, the Kuwait liberation was pretty popular and people thought that Bush did a good job. Was it all the economy? Perhaps something else? Just the contrast in personalities?

Posted by: DDAWD | July 18, 2008 5:49 PM

=====================================

One word... Ross Perot 28%. At the time people were saying Perot would draw equally from Dem and repug, but, they were spinning. Perot took the hard core repug vote, as in my father and two of my brother's voted for Perot, and they are hard core repugs. Ask around, see how many Dems voted for Perot.

""Not in 88, but it killed him in 92. 88 was a 'status quo' election. 92 was change. GHWB didn't."

Ok, so I was barely in double digit age at the time, so you guys might have more perspective than I do. What happened to Bush in 92? If I remember, the Kuwait liberation was pretty popular and people thought that Bush did a good job. Was it all the economy? Perhaps something else? Just the contrast in personalities?

Posted by: DDAWD | July 18, 2008 5:49 PM"
==================================
The economy did him in...

I am a Republican in IL and I like the idea of McCain picking Palin for VP. Her (albeit short) experience as governor has been marked by significant reforms in state government. Her reform credentials paired with McCain's brand will produce a ticket with real reform results to highlight, and totally lay bare Obama's complete lack of any meaningful accomplishments or bipartisan initiatives (speaking as an Obama constituent). Her life story will have appeal where Obama is weakest. The added bonus is that it gives a place for disaffected HRC supporters to go.

The "Hail Mary" for McCain is Lieberman. When do we have a contest so I can win a T-shirt?

"Not in 88, but it killed him in 92. 88 was a 'status quo' election. 92 was change. GHWB didn't."

Ok, so I was barely in double digit age at the time, so you guys might have more perspective than I do. What happened to Bush in 92? If I remember, the Kuwait liberation was pretty popular and people thought that Bush did a good job. Was it all the economy? Perhaps something else? Just the contrast in personalities?

For Obama's VP, governor of Maryland:

Obama - O'Malley - oh my!

mnteng asks
"Is that the prevent offense? Didn't seem to hurt GHWB too much ..."

Not in 88, but it killed him in 92. 88 was a 'status quo' election. 92 was change. GHWB didn't.

I like that, Patrick Leahy. definitely an attack dog, plus he just drives the Republicans mad, angry mad. I also like Graham of Florida. He is very strong on Defense and Foreign Policy, but I don't know him on anything else. He seems a stronger type than a Veep, but with what Cheney did to expand the position I'm thinking he could be a good fit.

Imagine if Obama could find a VP who is instantly respected by the public, who is seen as a strong and competent person, who brings an edge to the ticket in national security through decades of experience defending the country, who agreed with Obama on most of the issues, who is a good, down-to-earth public speaker, who is not in government and is therefore seen as an outsider, and who is popular in the South. This person exists and it's Wesley Clark. There are only two reasons he won't be chosen: 1) vetting reveals something about him that makes him unelectable (but the same could be said for anyone else) 2) his gaffe from a few weeks ago is deemed to be too much of a liability by the Obama campaign. I highly doubt this to be the case, as I didn't really hear about it until long after it passed. It also seems easily dismissed since it was Schieffer who suggested it was a qualification, and all Clark did was set the record straight. If it came up, all Clark would have to do is say "I understand what it means to risk your life for your country. I was shot four times in Vietnam and that's not what qualifies me to be VP. I'm qualified because I'm a four star General and was the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO." QED

why does Kay Bailey Hutchinson never get mentioned for McCain. I'm a democrat but I think she's a pretty well respected and experienced female senator who could help with moderate women and she's from the south which could help shore up those states?

Gov. Richardson all the way.

Executive experience. Hispanic/Latino. From the southwest. A great deal of international experience.

He fits in perfectly with the Obama theme of "intelligent, energetic, minority, and well-respected abroad."

As someone who voted for Bill Richardson in the NH primary, and worked for the Kerry campaign last time around, let me add my two cents on his VP potential.

Richardson was vetted on Kerry's short VP list. Virtually no one on the hill offered words of support for him. Richardson, who is brilliant and a great political strategist, is also short-tempered, verbally aggressive, and an alleged womanizer who would re-ignite Democrats worst memories.

I'm no fan of the Clintons, but there comes a time when Barack will have to decide if he wants to be right, or if he wants to be President. And if he wants the slam-dunk of exhileration - the choice is clear.

It's Hillary.

I don't see how Palin or Jindal help McCain because they would neutralize the inexperience argument against Obama (Senator Obama is too inexperienced, which is why I chose someone halfway through their first term as Governor for veep?)

I have had Sibelius at the top of my Veep list for some time. Besides the "jilted Hillary factor" (isn't that insane, "I am so mad about Hillary that I will vote against a woman as veep"), what is the knock against her? No foreign policy chops?

All you pin heads are going to be very surprised when Obama chooses someone not put up by the post for you to drizzle over. You can pick your nose but you can't pick your veep. The Veep chooses you, that is.... all the candidates the Post throws up have major problems... whereas one (1) was there in the beginning, and fought the repugs in hand to hand while all these are pusses waited for the polls to subside.

You choose your strongest candidate... period.

Leahy - Obama '08

Hillary at #5 because of possible "no vetting" may be a mistake, Chris. Not one of any of the others possibles on either side have an "open book" like Clinton. The right wing attack machine has thrown everything in the book at her and she keeps standing tall. Still don't think he'll choose her, but I wouldn't place much on the "no vetting" rumor.

This transplanted Hoosier can state that Evan Bayh won't upstage Obama. Put him to sleep, possibly, but never upstage. He's still a relatively junior Senator from an adjoining state. Could Bayh help turn Indiana blue? Maybe, but not enough to "bet the farm" on him. Tim Kaine, to me, is a far better choice and could be a big help turning Virginia and both Carolinas blue.

Richardson, Bill Clinton, John Kerry and others belong in an Obama cabinet. Yes, Bill Clinton, as Ambassador to the U.N. He'd report to the Secretary of State, but what a statement that would make. Giving him a "world stage" shows a lot of respect by Obama to a former President who, for all his faults, has done some remarkble things. Gads, I never thought I'd say this.

Wow. Some of the speculation here is just out there. As long as we're going for the theater of the absurd, my choices are the governor of Virginia for the GOP VP slot and the junior Senator from Hawaii for D VP.

Then it would be McCain-Kaine versus Obama-Akaka.

4 Points on Joe Biden (and why he is by far the best choice for BO):

1) Obama is so much change (at least on the surface, where most voters will look), that he does not need to "reinforce" the change message. He needs someone experienced and familiar who will make fence-sitters and old people comfortable, and between Biden's longevity and constant television appearances (not to mention his articulateness) he fits the bill.

2) From a governance point of view (remember that?) Obama needs a Washington mainstay like Biden to knock the legislative branch into line and get an agenda through. Daschle as CoS won't cut it in that department.

3) A tireless campaigner, he's got regular-guy cred despite his eons in DC and could help in Pennsylvania (of which Delaware is effectively a suburb).

4) MOST IMPORTANTLY: Biden's biggest alleged weakness, his "gaffing", is in fact his greatest strength. Every major "gaffe" he has made is the sort of thing that angers minorities and liberal elites, not anyone else. If he were nominated, the media would bring up his race-gaffes ("clean and articulate," "my state was a slave state," etc) and Obama can say "It's no problem; I'm down with that kind of white guy. We don't need him to be PC every minute of the day if his heart's in the right place." This would be reassuring to a lot of white Americans, but because Biden has a sterling voting record on civil rights, it wouldn't hurt him with African Americans or other minority groups. Yes, this argument is kind of Machiavellian, but race IS a factor in this election and that is a way to tackle it head on without sacrificing anything meaningful. Again, if Biden didn't have such a strong record on civil rights, it might be a different story. But he does, so it's not.

Here is another interesting pick:

http://www.writeidea.org/2008/07/another-possible-vp-choice-for-obama.html

If Obama picked him, it would help reinforce change and help with experience...

Pawlenty wouldn't be a good choice IMO. I would like Sanford for McCain.

Biden would be another good choice for Obama. I hear Obama is vetting Chris Dodd. That would be stupid, as Dodd has ethics issues.

I think MT Gov. Brian Schweitzer deserves a look too.

Also Blanche Lincoln from AR.

I hope McCain picks Romney. The man has changed his positions more often than he changes his socks. He was a successful businessman? So was Dick Cheney. It means nothing when it comes to what is good for the country. Romney, with all of his money, did not do well in the primary and there is a reason. He is all fluff and no substance and people sense that.

Obama should do what Bush did last time around, select someone from the VP selection committee, Caroline Kennedy. An Obama/Kennedy ticket would be unbeatable, especially pulling in the women voters.

The list of VP potentials from the Grand Oil Party is staggering in its blandness...and if you consider that McBush has less than a 50/50 chance to survive a first term...downright pitiful!
Fortunately for the US and the World, no filthy republican will even see the interior of the White House for many years.

Hillary's the obvious choice. She's prepared to assume the presidency if needed. She's demonstrated her ability to secure votes from groups that did not/do not/will not support Barack. She's got national security credentials from her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee and her support in the military. She's demonstrated that she can work well with all people, as evidenced by her reelection in New York State where both heavily Republican and Democratic areas voted for her in large numbers. She's been progressive in many areas of public policy for longer than Obama has been active in politics. We need her leadership to complement Obama's, just as Gore complemented Clinton's.

It seems strange to me that so many oppose Hillary. Last time around, people urged Kerry to appoint his strongest opponent, Edwards, and lauded his choice for doing so. If I recall correctly, it was said that Kerry wouldn't do that because of his ego. It would be ironic if one who has campaigned as the messiah doesn't have the fortitude to do likewise.

I would find McCain's selection of Ridge a selection indicating a willingness to reach out to more Independents/moderates and Democrats. While McCain may not have a great relationship with conservatives in the far right of the Republican party, I think conservatives would be more likely to stay home than vote for Obama. Conversely, were Obama to select Kaine, who offers little than perhaps making VA a tad more competitive, I do not believe Obama would be making such a selection to reach out to conservatives. Such a choice would, in my opinion, be more likely to alienate moderates, the votes from whom will more than likely decide the Presidential race this year.

Bill Richardson, no question.

Gov Bill Richardson served in the Congress, not the Senate. Two strikes are, one he is dull as watching paint dry, two he is looked by Clinton die hards as a backstaber.

McCain's VP has to be seen as a capable replacement for him because of his age. Yet Palin, Jindal, and Crist all suffer from inexperience: none of them have finished their first terms as governor. Give them a few years, and anyone of them (particularly Jindal) may be a star. But not this year.

bsimon writes
"Thune isn't a 'short pass', he's a run up the middle when you're buried deep in your own territory with time running out & the other team's ahead."

Is that the prevent offense? Didn't seem to hurt GHWB too much ...

JLF - that doesn't make sense - i'm guessing you're pro-choice and you're saying that you would prefer a ticket with a pro-choice at the back (Ridge) rather than at the front (Obama in the case he chose Kaine)?
I don't get it

Bill Richardson who is now a Governor of New Mexico, was a Senator, Cabinet member, UN representative for the U S, negotiator for prisoners held in other countries and a Hispanic, is my #1 choice.

Carly Fiorina ex HP CEO who was 'dismissed' as CEO fits MacCains mode of spying on workers, and probably other not so nice ideas.

what about gov bill richardson? wouldnt that solve the spanish vote problem? that could put obama over the top.

Re: Your Commnents on Mitt Romney

Why do you (or anyone) assume that someone who can run an organization aimed one or two simple goals, primary of which is profit-making (in the short run) cabn run an economy that serves ALL the people in the long run? It seems to me that the Enron, Halliburton, S&L, banking (1980s and again, now), audit firms failures to audi, etc., ad infinitum, ALL show that the interests of individual profit-maximizers are NOT the interests of the nation as a whole.

The fact that Kaine is anti-choice would be a liability for Obama and I am surprised that fact is not brought up more frequently when Kaine is discussed as a possible VP pick. Such a pick would, I believe, alienate more fence-sitters, especially if McCain were to pick someone such as former PA Gov. and the first Homeland Security Sec. Tom Ridge, who is pro-choice. Yes, I realize chances are McCain won't choose Ridge. However, as a fence-sitter myself, if Obama chose Kaine and McCain chose Ridge, I'd probably vote McCain-Ridge.

Obama would do very well to pick Bayh as VP. He is a moderate from a midwestern GOP leaning state. It would reassure independents and cross-over Republicans with a low key VP after the horrible Cheney-Bush years.
McCain needs to pick someone in the"outside of the box" mode. I like Palin, but Bobby Jindal of Louisiana would be the right pick. He has the endorsement of Rush Limbaugh and would excite the base.

Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?

Obama is a three-year senator without a single important legislative achievement to his name, a former Illinois state senator who voted "present" nearly 130 times.

As president of the Harvard Law Review, as law professor and as legislator, has he ever produced a single notable piece of scholarship? Written a single memorable article? His most memorable work is a biography of his favorite subject: himself.

It is a subject upon which he can dilate effortlessly. In his victory speech upon winning the nomination, Obama declared it a great turning point in history -- "generations from now we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment" -- when, among other wonders, "the rise of the oceans began to slow."

As economist Irwin Stelzer noted in his London Daily Telegraph column, "Moses made the waters recede, but he had help." Obama apparently works alone.

Obama may think he's King Canute, but the good king ordered the tides to halt precisely to refute sycophantic aides who suggested that he had such power. Obama has no such modesty.

After all, in the words of his own slogan, "we are the ones we've been waiting for," which, translating the royal "we," means: "I am the one we've been waiting for."

Amazingly, he had a quasi-presidential seal with its own Latin inscription affixed to his podium, until general ridicule -- it was pointed out that he was not yet president -- induced him to take it down.

He lectures us that instead of worrying about immigrants learning English, "you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish" -- a language Obama does not speak. He further admonishes us on how "embarrassing" it is that Europeans are multilingual but "we go over to Europe, and all we can say is 'merci beaucoup.' " Obama speaks no French.

His fluent English does, however, feature many such admonitions, instructions and improvements. His wife assures us that President Obama will be a stern taskmaster: "Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism . . . that you come out of your isolation. . . . Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."

For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was: Who is he? The question now is: Who does he think he is? We are getting to know. Redeemer of our uninvolved, uninformed lives. Lord of the seas. And more.

As he said on victory night, his rise marks the moment when "our planet began to heal." As I recall -- I'm no expert on this -- Jesus practiced his healing just on the sick. Obama operates on a larger canvas.

Dr k.

Unlike many past candidates, Obama doesn't need to make a statement with his VP choice. HE is the statement in this election, so he shoudl go with someone who covers perceived gaps in his experience. Biden, Reed and Bayh would all fit this bill.

knock knock
who's there
Barack hussain Obama

THAT'S NOT FUNNY.

I hope Nunn is asleep, he looks it.

Where is Sam Nunn?

The presidential race in Virginia is now dead even, with Barack Obama and John McCain each drawing 44% of the vote, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state. If "leaners" are factored in, McCain leads by a statistically insignificant one percentage point 48% to 47%. Despite the close race, one potentially worrisome fact for the Democratic candidate is that nearly one out of two Virginia voters (47%) now view him unfavorably.

just wait to see those numbers plummet once we get to know the "REAL" Obama. you know, the one that is being refined - no wife, no friends, loves guns, loves money, hates abortion, might not surrender immediately.

That Obama, not the other one.

and Obama needs an attack dog...not Prince Charming...with a pretty resume.

Washington - A Republican challenger to Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania has raised more money than the incumbent in recent months, but also has more debt and has raised less overall. William Russell, a former Army lieutenant colonel who relocated to Murtha's district to run against him, raised nearly $670,000 in the fundraising quarter that ended June 30. Murtha, a Democrat, raised more than $119,000.

and so it begins. the total flop of the Pelosi congress is about to be retired. If we get rid of all the crooked Dems, there won't be many left.

He needs to secure experience and familiarity over everything else.

and knowing oBama he will pick the person that will be the safest image for a back-up ...heaven forbid something happened to Obama.

I agree with the commenter who talks about this "personal friendship" thing... that is so far down the list...and so is the "wimp factor" meaning someone who doesn't speak up...that is really a made up argument and flies in the face of the image obama wants to portray of strength...he's already got the youth and charm. He needs change...but the change has to do with policies.

sorry I am trolling at this point sorry. just love to hear and think about these ideas put up

sorry but it is...

"If he picks a true conservative (a Thompson or Gingrich) he will please the small base but drive away Hillary's voters and still wary Independents."

You're presumably talking about Fred, but I'm wondering about Tommy. Younger than McCain, but with a couple terms as WI governor. Knowledgeable on domestic policy issues (former Sec o' Health & Human Svcs). Competent moderate. Yeah, ok, he's got that whole Wisconsinite thing going on, but if Pawlenty's on the list you can't rule him out for that. Plus putting Tommy on the ticket is arguably a stronger move towards turning WI than Pawlenty is for MN.

why would obama pick bayh? i know he has to pick someone from a state he thinks he can take from the republicans (like IN), but bayh isn't really a headlines grabber and doesn't seem to do much to reinforce the "turn the page" argument. it seems like he would drain excitement even though he's a nice (conservative) guy.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, picking bayh is essentially giving the republicans a senate seat when the democrats are trying to get above 60. we need a non-senator on the ticket so we can ADD democrats in the senate. remember that lieberman can easily pull a jeffords.

Wow, the only Rebublican name I recognize is Mitt's. I guess I am a true Democrat, hahahahahah!!!!

Chris, your commentary on this has been driving me crazy lately. I just wrote an email about you to someone