Oh Boy Obama!

There is a lot of back and forth on Senator Jim Webb as a choice for Vice President, and what follows is my reasoning for why he would be the appropriate choice.

1. Jim Webb is a bare-knuckled, principled, individual which compliments Obama's own principled ways, but differs from Obama's more easy going persona. Webb is not a shrinking violet and has no problem facing off with an opponent when he believes the cause is warranted.

2. As a former Republican, disaffected Republicans are likely to relate to him. It would also send a strong message that Obama walks the walk in terms of being inclusive of individuals who don't mirror his opinion on all topics. Webb wouldn't be a parrot for Obama, and though candor has been his hallmark, he wouldn't have been appointed Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan Administration if he wasn't a team player.

3. As I mentioned above, being Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan Administration shows that even though he is a Senator now, he is familiar with the workings of the Executive Branch of government from the inside ... which would be very valuable for Obama in dealing with the Pentagon. Webb would be able to recognize the pitfalls of pressing policy on the Pentagon in a way that would be helpful to the Sec Def.

4. Webb was against both the current Iraq conflict and the Persian Gulf War ... this puts him on the same page with Obama in relation to Iraq from the get go ... no mixed messages.

5. Webb would put Virginia in play for the Democrats, and should he leave the Senate Tim Kaine, the Governor of Virginia would be able to manage the replacement process.

6. Jim Webb, especially in light of his recent comments on affirmative action and rural whites, would send a message to that constituency that Obama "gets it" ... that there are people all over the country that are hurting not just the traditional minority groups. Having Webb to campaign in Appalachia with the Scots/Irish folks would send a message that in an Obama Administration they would have a voice. That would mitigate any fears that they will be overlooked yet again. Webb's 2004 comments on getting rural whites and urban blacks, who share many of the same economic issues, to sit at the same table would move the conversation forward in America in a positive way shows that Webb has put serious thought into what divides us, and what doesn't ... a very healthy sign.

7. Webb has had some negative focus on his comments about women in the Navy and the Tailhook incident. He apologized in both cases. In the area of women in the Navy, as Secretary of the Navy under Reagan, whether he was thrilled with the idea or not, Webb created opportunities for woman in the Navy that hadn't existed before. In his position he could have found ways to stonewall, but he didn't ... words are important, but so are deeds. In relation to his Tailhook comments I can only say that in his era the US Military, when women had minimal support roles, the Military was a boys club, no doubt about it. Anyone stationed in the Pacific knows of the R&R opportunities for our troops in Saigon, the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan, and knows that the accepted view of woman wasn't always respectful ... there again, I think Webb's deeds should be remembered as well, for as women were integrated into the US Military, the treatment of woman improved slightly ... Bar owners in the Philippines felt that integration of women hurt their business because servicemen wouldn't want to be seen going into the go go bars by their female colleagues. On this thought, if you balance Webb's comments against his actions, I think in his own way he has championed the cause of women in the US Military despite his initial misgivings.

8. I like that Webb is a Novelist. It shows me he is creative, he ponders issues deeply, and tries to provide a method of communication of his ideas to an audience in a non-threatening way that can be readily grasped ... I think that is a plus.

9. Webb is a champion of Veterans, a constituency that has been under represented despite our multiple, concurrent campaigns. His GI Bill is long overdue, and desperately needed, and John McCain felt comfortable blowing the GI Bill off.

10. Webb, being a decorated Vietnam Veteran with a son currently deployed in Iraq neutralizes McCain's Super Patriot Points.

11. Webb's wife, Hong Le, is a brilliant lawyer, and, being an accomplished Asian American (she's Vietnamese) would help Obama to reach out to Asian Americans, who have been another constituency that has been a challenge for Obama.

Ok, my first post and I have proven myself to be a windbag ... I hope people will consider some of my points and give Senator Webb a second look.

I totally agree about Schweitzer. Read the write up that Singer (alias Poblano) has on www.fivethirtyeight.com -- he makes an interesting case for why Schweitzer would be a perfect partner and contrast for Obama. He knows agriculture, but also lived in Saudi Arabia for five years doing irrigation projects so he knows middle east and Arabic. He is pro-gun, plain spoken, pretty funny guy. Loves to campaign, whereas Jim Webb clearly doesn't and has some serious negatives in his resume for women.

Consider this: Schweitzer is a Western democrat in a ruby red state, elected for his straight-talk, blue collar style and his pragmatic politics. He has ambitious goals for Montana and he enjoys some of the highest approval ratings in the country. And he's Democrat in MT? How does he help Obama? 1) blue collar: Schweitzer is a first-generation college grad born and raised in Montana, 2) straight talk: McCain's Straight Talk Express has got nothing on Schweitzer, 3) bipartisan: ran for governor with a Republican running mate and get work DONE with an independent spirit, 4) regional appeal: looking to swing NV, NM, and CO into the blue this fall?, and 5) Did I mention he speaks fluent Arabic?

Oh please oh please, do NOT choose HIllary Clinton as VP, Obama!! She is trying to box you in right now and is at the height of whatever power she has, but if you wait a few weeks, things will die down and hopefully you can choose someone fresh and new to the political scene. Her two biggest liabilities are all the awful things she said on the campaign trail about you, plus all her negatives from before, plus her husband's latest diatribe against Obama including his accusation that you slimed Hillary. You have won this fair and square, and you deserve to be able to choose a person who comes to you with a minimum of baggage. It's not like the party officials helped you out all that much -- many of them hung back or supported Hillary until the last minute, but the PEOPLE who have supported you from the beginning are the ones you need to please.

Colin Powell was given an opportunity to speak truth to power, and he threw it away. Instead of acting in the best interest of the American people, he made the garble of lies and misinformation about the need for a war with Iraq as palatable as possible and served it to us in front of the U.N.

He may be superb at taking orders, but he has shown himself to be weak and unprincipled when caught between a rock and a hard place.

He needs to remain a voter.

As a West Point grad, Vietnam vet and a reformed conservative, I have always respected Gen Powell. I would have supported him if he had run for office earlier. I am concerned today by his lack of forthcoming attitude on Iraq. His chief of staff has been very vocal. Why has Collin not been out there?

I suspect that he may agree with me that there is no place for politics in the military and the military should stay out of politics. This applies particularly to career military officers. We have a tradition of an apolitical military establishment in this country and it should stay that way, IMHO.

Sen Webb on the other hand has a military background, Purple Heart and civil administration experience. He can take on the incompetent Bush Administration on many fronts and has done so in his short tour as Senator from Virginia.

He has also shown the creative imagination that will be needed to match up with Obama's idealism to solve the many problems that this country will face in the next 4 years.

I would love for Barack to pick John Edwards, but in reality it's not a very smart thing to do. Edwards did not deliver for John Kerry, and he also did not do too well in his own quest for the presidency this cycle. I think Barack could pick a strong self made woman, such as Kathleen Sebelius or Janet Napolitano. Not only will this help with a key demographic it will give the ticket more executive type experience, as these two are governors. I hate to say it, but Hillary on the ticket will cause me to think differently of Obama. In the end though, I will Barack the vote, and take the good with the bad. The ultimate choice for VP, would be Joe Biden. As mentioned earlier, he does highlight one of Barack's weaknesses though. I like Joe Biden though, his wife's a teacher and he's good at what he does. Not to mention he doesn't mind going at John McCain with decency but still hitting hard.

I think that Barack needs someone of the stature of Al Gore to counter the argument that he doesn't have enough experience in foreign relations and defense. It would be nice to have someone who can speak to the more rural areas of the country, and still intellectually hold his/her own with Barack (not an easy task!). Does anyone know about Sam Nunn? I think Jim Webb is interesting, but would not be an asset with the female vote. Two young guys in the White House would be awesome.

Chuck Hagel
A Republican senator who has fought with Bush tooth and nail over the Iraq war, Hagel is one of three Republicans who voted with the Democrats over a withdrawal plan. He also has served on the Banking, Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. Hagel has also said he's considering endorsing Sen. Obama.

Pro: Broad Senate experience. A living embodiment of Obama's commitment to work with like-minded Republicans. Also is a veteran with experience in Reagan's administration

Con: He is still a Republican (especially on abortion and health care), which would not sit well with a lot of Democrats

These two represent change, by crossing the line for help!

I voted other. They have to be able to work together. Most people don't vote for a candidate because of who the VP is. John Edwards couldn't even carry his own state. Hillary sucks for too many reasons to list and a Hill surrogate is more likely to be an insider in a campaign that is about change. It will not be easy making the pick but I trust Barack to get it right. He and his people have pretty much done everything else right.

My dream machine is Obama/Edwards. He says no but hell, it's politics. It ain't over till it is.

I totally agree with you. He should pick someone for the right reasons for a change, someone who could even run in 2016. Possibly Edwards, possibly Biden, definitely not Hillary.

Cheney's usurpation of the Presidency as the VP could only happen when an imbecile like Bush headlines the ticket. It was the perfect storm of Cheney's lust for power matched with his unelectability and Bush's cluelessness that allowed this presidency to be co-opted by a snarling fascist.

Obama considers his defense/foreign relations knowledge one of his strengths, but he's had little or no experience actually governing. I heard Mark Warner (Virginia) being interviewed some months ago by Charlie Rose, and from what I hear he is very well respected in his state and would be a help in carrying Virginia, has had experience governing, would make a good President eight years from now, shares many of Obamas views on inclusiveness and transparency, changing the status quo. So, if anyone should ask me, Mark Warner gets my vote.

I think the most important factor for Obama to consider is whether the candidate reinforces his message of change. He should do what Bill Clinton did in 1992, and pick someone who amplifies his message.