Gaming Obama’s running mate
May 29th, 2008 by Jerry BurrisLeftovers from the recent state Democratic Convention:
There was lots of what the pros call “comity” between the enthusiastic Barack Obama delegates and the generally somewhat more politically experienced Hillary Clinton delegates at the convention. Good-natured ribbing and even some serious discussion of what the two candidates bring to the campaign could be heard all weekend.
That naturally led to talk of a “dream ticket” in which Hillary would join Barack as his vice-presidential candidate. That seems unlikely. Clinton could do more for her own important political agenda (and political future) remaining in the Senate than immersed in the “warm bucket of spit” that is the vice-presidency for four or eight years.
And despite Clinton’s obvious demographic appeal and popularity among several subsets of Democratic voters, she would be a mirror image of Obama on most substantive issues. Two liberal U.S. Senators does not make a perfectly balanced ticket.
Which brings us to the latest hot-prospect of the moment: Virginia Sen. James Webb. Webb has been everywhere recently: On the cover of Parade magazine, on all the talk shows and just about anywhere a media outlet wants to listen. Ostensibly he is out there promoting his new book, “A Time to Fight, Reclaiming a Fair and Just America,” which lays out his economic and foreign policy agenda. And Webb is quick to insist he has no interest in the vice-presidency.
But consider this: Webb is a gun-loving, former Republican, war hero and published author. He shares Obama’s opposition to the Iraq war but in many ways is symbolic of the working class Democrats Obama needs to attract to his campaign.
You can get too cute with all this, but the smoke surrounding Webb suggests there might be a little ambitious political fire in his belly.
If not Webb, then who would you like to see on the Obama ticket, and why?
