comment #1

Mr. Gittes says ...

I think Kaine would be a better choice than wimpy Evan Bayh and Joe Biden. But I like other guy from Virginia, Senator Jim Webb, a lot better.

However, if Obama wants to go for the home run, he'll pick Al Gore. Selecting Gore would send a lightning bolt through the Washington establishment and more importantly, the media. Gore's got experience, rock-star status, and would coincide with Obama's pledge to drastically change our country's environmental policy (or lack thereof).

comment #2

TheJeff says ...

Care to explain why, Jeff?

comment #3

DotTheEyes says ...

Of the people mentioned in the article, I would choose Sebelius if I was Obama. Or Biden.

comment #4

Balthazar says ...

Much like the Oscars, nobody knows anything -- and I sure as hell don't

But I really think it will be (and needs to be) Biden.

Russia ain't going away. It's going to be a top-five agenda item for this election.

comment #5

gruver1 says ...

Wells to The Jeff: Because Kaine looks and talks like a veteran fireman who comes from a long line of firemen.

comment #6

TheJeff says ...

Sound political reasoning. Fuck firemen.

comment #7

Chapman Carruthers says ...

Thomas Frank is probably right on this issue. He said Obama's VP needs to be able to (a) speak to the laypeople, and not come across as some smug, arrogant Ivy leaguer, and (b) shift the focus away from fringe moral issues and back on to the ravaging effects of capitalism on the middle and lower classes. You know, return the democratic party to its basic economic principle.

Al Gore would do a great job securing the base Obama already has. He needs to pick someone like Biden or Sherrod Brown. If there was ever a politician that sounded like, and could speak to, the everyman, it's Sherrod Brown. And he'd also bring Ohio.

comment #8

Count Thread says ...

"Because Kaine looks and talks like a veteran fireman who comes from a long line of firemen."

That is perhaps the most inane thing I've read here. And that includes most of D.Z.'s postings.

Anyway, back on planet Earth, the reason Tim Kaine would make a horrible Veep choice (and a horrible Veep) is that he has no political acumen, no presence, no political experience, not one accomplishment to speak of, and he has no political base (he's the *third* most popular Democrat in Virginia).

But other than that Mrs. Lincoln, he's a GREAT choice for Obama.

But I'm sure he won't get the nod, because he reminds you of a firefighter, which by your tone you seem to place in esteem with whores and rapists. Personally, I'd like Kaine ten times more if he *was* a firefighter by trade-- he'd make a better governor, and a better Vice President.

Then again, I think I'd like you a *hundred* times better if you were just a movie reviewer, instead of an unimaginative political hack.

comment #9

Gaydos says ...

I wonder how many people reading this are thinking what I'm thinking: Obama's VP sounds destined to be a disappointment (based on this list) and I will just have to ignore it and move on, meaning continue my enthusiastic support for his run at the presidency.

Biden, God no. Kaine, God, no. (On the basis that I don't think either of those get him into office).

Richardson, I'm digging that. Gore, awesome. On the basis of both efficacy and good dudes.

Some other surprise, bring it on. As long as it works. We'll know soon.

Meanwhile, anti-FIREMEN? Jeff? Haven't I told you that you are fast becoming the Uwe Boll of political discourse? Now just stop it, before you hurt someone.

comment #10

Gaydos says ...

One more thing, after reading the Washington Post: why aren't more people speculating about Jack Reed? I'd like to place a 20 to 1 bet on the Senator who went to Harvard and to Afghanistan and Iraq with Obama.

comment #11

D.Z. says ...

Gaydos: I'm surprised anyone can really use the words Gore and efficacy in the same sentence, what with his inability to beat Bush and all...

comment #12

Terry McCarty says ...

Al Gore as VP again would send a signal that Obama won't dare get in the way of the multinational corporations' megaprofit-making agendas.

Just think of all the energy that could have been saved by not greenlighting Gore's cutesy "opposites agree on one thing" campaign.

comment #13

Movie Watcher says ...

Obama will pick Biden. He has a lot of experience, plus he can go on the attack against McCain, and Obama would be above that. Webb from Virginia would be perfect, but that's not going to happen. Can you imagine if he did pick Gore? O'Reilly and Hannity would be running to the nearest camera! Richardson would be a good choce. Plus he would boost the hispanic vote. Viva Richardson!

comment #14

JHRussell says ...

What happened to the embarrassment of riches in VP candidates in the Dem party? When Joe Biden is a leading contender, that tells me the Dems are scraping the bottom of the barrel...

Bill Richardson was, and still is, the best pick.

comment #15

SaveFarris says ...

Is this the same Bill Richardson that last week was running around the cable shows telling everyone that the UN Security Council should take the lead in the Russia/Georgia conflict (apparently forgetting that Russia has a Security Council veto)?

And there's no way it's Gore, because Mr. Carbon Footprint would never lower himself to taking the second banana slot AGAIN.

Personally, I think they should go with Sandy Berger!

comment #16

JHRussell says ...

"Is this the same Bill Richardson that last week was running around the cable shows telling everyone that the UN Security Council should take the lead in the Russia/Georgia conflict (apparently forgetting that Russia has a Security Council veto)?"

At least Obama and Richardson are on the same page...Biden has been shooting from the hip on Georgia, completely racheted up multiple notches above Obama...pretty awkward for the front runner to have to constantly distance himself from his running mate's rhetoric...

Hey, I am all for Biden because I think it will backfire on Obama when the original "Mr. Plagiarism / Mr Race Card" gets rolling...I can't wait to hear his explanation for what he meant when he described Obama as a "clean and articulate" you-know-what...

comment #17

dinther says ...

It will be Biden, and it will be announced later than they are projecting.

comment #18

Count Thread says ...

The biggest problem with a Biden pick is that he's a decent guy who is, well, *wrong* an awful lot.

Remember his brilliant "Partition Iraq" plan? I'm sure the McCain oppo folks do.

Oh, and the best thing about the Sunday morning news shows this past weekend was the fawning every Democrat or left-leaning correspondent had over Biden, with the constant refrain "He'd be a great attack dog, and fight real hard in the Veep debate" as a positive for him.

Ummm, I forget, how many debates did Joe Biden win in the fall again? How effective was he in campaigning for *himself*, let alone anyone else?

Alas, I'd rather have Biden over Richardson. Richardson is to Biden what a dead cat is to a cat.

comment #19

dinther says ...

CT, whatever you think of Biden, his "Partition" plan has, de facto, already been in effect in Iraq. Although not segregated into formal provinces (yet), the Sunni-Shi'a-Kurd regions have been largely segregated by population (i.e., ethnic minorities have either been killed or have fled as refugees to safe regions).

This is why, in 2007, the oil revenue sharing legislation was such a big deal, as the sunnis and shi'as believed that they were getting hosed while the Kurds received a disproportionate share of revenue. I do not recall whether an agreement was ever reached though.

comment #20

Chapman Carruthers says ...

>>>I can't wait to hear his explanation for what he meant when he described Obama as a "clean and articulate" you-know-what...

Isn't this familiar ground? Biden was asked about this daily during his own Presidential bid, was grilled on it during one of the Democratic debates, and even had the entire panel of candidates come to his defense when one of the moderators, in not so neutral language, suggested he was a racist.

I'm by no means a Biden supporter, but should this really be a topic of discussion? If it is, the media needs to follow up and ask McCain the same sort of questions. Question him about the mildly discomforting comment he made during his 2000 Presidential bid ("I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live."), his hiring of Richard Quinn to serve as his spokesperson in South Carolina during the same campaign, his vote against making Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday, his fundraising activities for George Wallace Jr, the innumerable racist and sexist jokes he makes on the campaign trail (e.g. Why does Mexican beer have two "X's" on the label? Because wetbacks always need a co-signer.), his refusal to release his military records, his use of the word "tar baby" at a town hall meeting, and the statement that members of Al Queda (and presumably most other Middle Easters) "trade in burkas." The list goes on, but I'm sure everyone gets the point.

comment #21

JHRussell says ...

"Isn't this familiar ground? Biden was asked about this daily during his own Presidential bid, was grilled on it during one of the Democratic debates, and even had the entire panel of candidates come to his defense when one of the moderators, in not so neutral language, suggested he was a racist. I'm by no means a Biden supporter, but should this really be a topic of discussion?"

Are you paying attention to the constant specious race card throwdowns by the Obama campaign? Jeff Wells is doing his part here on HE to promote the "racism" of the McCain campaign, too (e.g., the absurd "One" thread last week or so).

Biden goes "full retard" with great regularity...I only pray that he gets picked, because it will be most entertaining to see him torpedo Obama's chances...Obama will have to spend precious campaign time doing damage control on the bullshit that Biden will spew...

comment #22

Mgmax says ...

"shift the focus away from fringe moral issues and back on to the ravaging effects of capitalism on the middle and lower classes. You know, return the democratic party to"

the 1970s.

comment #23

Arizona Joe says ...

Wells, I admire your honesty and frankness with your "firemen" comment. Firemen are tough guys. Firemen put their lives on the line (with assumed risk and steady pay.) But firemen do not produce high value added goods for export, and are incapable of doing research on an enzyme to produce ethanol from cellulose, e.g..

We got enough firemen. Now we need some smart people to compete with China, India, and a united Europe.

Kaine is a fireman, and hence the decision to nominate him would be purely tactical. He'd play well with red state rednecks, particularly in the south. After the election, he would become the Dem's version of Dan Quayle. Webb would be better.

Biden is a very smart guy, who shoots from the hip, and makes off-the-cuff comments too often. I think this owes to his personal history, and only a psychoanalyst could figure him out. I like him a great deal, but no.

Richardson is very experienced, and he has accomplished some things on the international stage. However, he comes from a small electoral state, and his Mexican features will turn off a lot of those on the fence about Obama on account of race.

Gore is probably optimal, but I don't think he would accept the nod. Gore, laudably, is a surprisingly private person. And I think he wants to remain that way.

comment #24

D.Z. says ...

Count Thread: "Remember his brilliant "Partition Iraq" plan? I'm sure the McCain oppo folks do."

It's a made-up country, anyway, so I don't see what's wrong with the idea.

comment #25

bb says ...

How long after a Biden announcement will a tape show up on TV with Biden, during the Senate debate prior to the Iraq invasion, arguing in support of such an action that the US would not be starting a war with an invasion of Iraq, because the US and Iraq were still in a state of war since Iraq had never fully complied with the terms of peace from the previous conflict?

It was a moment I'll never forget. I have a feeling a lot of people will be surprised when they are reminded.

BTW, I thought we all agreed after 9/11 that Firemen were good?

Then there is the plagerism issue that torpedoed his previous run for president.

Oh, this would be so much fun.

comment #26

BurmaShave says ...

Wells you're really out of your element here. Kaine's about the third best choice, but he'd be a good one. He brings states to the table and they mesh generationally and as outsiders to the Washington establishment. He was on fire on Meet the Press Sunday morning. He would be a perfectly able sidekick.

comment #27

JHRussell says ...

"He (Kaine) would be a perfectly able sidekick."

"Sidekick" is probably an unfortunate term describing a guy who looks like Howdy Doody...really bad hair.

Kaine is not terribly popular in Virginia. Mark Warner is far more popular in the state - when you see him deliver the keynote, your first question may be "why the hell didn't this guy run for president, and why isn't he the veep pick?" I think there will be a bunch of frustrated Dems in Denver who will compare the charismatic and accomplished Warner to the Veep pick, and Warner will be the preferred pick...and it will especially sting if Obama picked the wrong Virginian...

comment #28

BurmaShave says ...

Being from Virginia, I will agree with everything you just said. I still think it's foolish to dismiss him because he looks like a potato-fed fireman or whatever the fuck. Warner doing the keynote probably did end his prospects.

comment #29

Dave Polands Gut says ...

If Obama is going to go down in flames he'll do it with Kaine.