Tom Daschle for VP ?

[jaysunb]

I think this would be the best choice for Obama.

Many are pitching Strickland, Kaine, Sebilius, Webb etc. but I seem to think we need to keep all our Democratic elected folks in place and go w/ a good choice who happens to be unemployed.

Personally, I'd like to see all fresh faces but I know that won't happen, so Daschle, with his vast experience and likability seems to fit the bill perfectly. There are many more pluses, but I'll let others add to it.

Could this be the perfect ticket ?

[jgraz]

1. No thanks.

A failed senator on the ticket with a less-than-one-term senator? Not gonna work.

[jaysunb]

3. Failed ?

:shrug: defeated, yes. But, failed ?

[jgraz]

Anticipating the GOP spin, sorry.

However, I don't recall feeling that he was burning up the place as majority leader.

[griffi94]

35. that's because he wasn't

in his defense he was from a red state and couldn't go out on a limb too far without going down in flames, but in the end he went down in flames anyway.

[depakid]

12. Failed miserably as majority "leader"

[goldcanyonaz]

2. Yeah, if your goal is to lose.

[rug]

4. No, he's much too aggressive.

[jgraz]

lol

:spray:

[jaysunb]

10. LOL !

I think people are ready to return to the old style VP. The Cheney experiement has not worked....

[goldcanyonaz]

11. HAHAHAHAHA!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Clearly.

[hfojvt]

5. Sure, he could bring us South Dakota's 3 electoral votes

just like McGovern did.

Wouldn't Gephardt be a better pick if being unemployed is your criteria?

[kirby]

6. SNORE!!!! n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

19. Wake up.

Tom Daschle is here.

You'd kick yourself if you missed that.

[tokenlib]

7. I like Daschle..but he is too mild mannered....

...he doesn't seem to like to rumble...

[KittyWampus]

27. he might be good as chief of staff for a one term Senator

[jaysunb]

29. True n/t

[hfojvt]

30. Matt Bivens nailed it pretty good, but I cannot find a link

"If the Republicans were to ever call on Congress to pass a bill to saw off Tom Daschle's left arm above the elbow, Daschle would be the first to agree, earnest and parrot-like, that America desperately needed such a bill. He'd just object to, you know, some of the provisions. What we really need, he'd say -- while his colleagues nodded in thoughtful agreement -- is a Democratic Saw Off Tom Daschle's Arm Act. Then the horse-trading would begin, and soon the Senator from South Dakota would proudly announce bipartisan approval of a "compromise" bill to saw off his arm above the wrist . . ."

Meanwhile Republicans would be bragging that they were still going after the whole arm in the conference committee.

[redqueen]

8. No... two Senators is never going to be anything close to a 'perfect ticket'. (nt)

[last1standing]

9. YES! Because we can never have enough mediocrity.

I mean out of all the choices we have for Democrats who are actually willing to stand up and fight for principles and the American people, why shouldn't Obama go for one of the main reasons so many of bush's* bills like the patriot act and the IWR were able to get floor time in the senate and pass?

When given a choice, it's always best to go with the lesser of two lessers. :eyes:

[jaysunb]

23. Thanks for reminding me why I've been pissed w/ Daschle

lol, but I'm trying to be pragmatic here. Change is what the American people want, and I'm sure most didn't think that change was going to be so great that we'd elect a Black man, so I'm not sure how fast or how great a change folks are willing to go for. Daschle seems be that anchor that may be neccessary. :shrug:

[last1standing]

34. Daschle really provides no boost to the ticket.

He comes from an incredibly small state and even lost that in the 2004 election so his geographical pull would be severely limited. Demographically, I think he's even worse as his upright, proper demeanor would not help pull in any of the "working-class" voters everyone talks about. Lastly, his extremely weak tenure as Majority Leader in the senate would cause nothing short of disgust to those Dems who actually keep up on politics. He was not greatly missed after losing his seat, in fact a lot of us found it to be one of the few reasons to celebrate that year.

I would suggest someone more like Webb or Strickland if we want to gain in these three areas. They both help pull swing states and are willing to stand up to their opponents, something Daschle never could do.

[jaysunb]

38. Mostly agree

and as I and a couple other posters have mentioned, he would probably be a good choice for chief of staff or a Cabinet position.

BTW, I was pretty pissed with Tom back in 02, but did not take any pleasure in his loss.

[last1standing]

39. Sorry, but it was nearly the only good thing to happen in that election.

Daschle seems like a nice guy, and he's certainly intelligent, however, as long as he held his seat he was going to be the majority leader. The problem was that he was the least effective leader I've ever known. He almost never stood up to a whitehouse that was barreling out of control and on the few occasions he did, he quickly backed down. Now some of that can be attributed to the political climate, but we needed a leader who could stand up in the face of popular opinion, not cave whenever a poll showed 50%+1 voters against him. The only way we were ever going to move forward was by dumping this useless figurehead.

I felt the same about Gephart. He was another useless enabler who only made life worse for the vast majority of the country.

[jaysunb]

40. I think you're pulling me back to reality

As I posted below, I'm now reme,bering why I'd been so pissed w/ Tom. Things slip quicker into the past for me these days, but you are right, Geppy and Tom, along w/ almost all the rest, let the Country down big time.

Consider this a " repudiation " of my original post. LOL !

[Avalux]

13. No. I like Tom, but no.

:hi:

[gmudem]

14. Uhhh

Next please. The guy couldn't even get re-elected as Senate Majority Leader. No thank you.

Daschle is a good surrogate to have and may even have a place in the Cabinet somewhere, but he is certainly not VP material.

[jaysunb]

28. He will most certainly be a cabinet member

or top aide.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. How about a liberal to balance the ticket instead?

[anonymous171]

20. Isn't Obama liberal enough? I thought he was going to need a moderate VP?

[rockymountaindem]

24. Without passing judgment, note the anarchist avatar n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

26. He's a moderate promising change. A change would be a liberal on the ticket.

Instead of the usual DLC approved "moderate".

And, no, Obama is not "liberal enough" to my taste. Tho' he has moved from a "no way" (like Hillary) to "possibly".

[Dinger]

17. Bwhahahahahahahahaha!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[jaysunb]

25. Am I being laughed out of the community ?

:rofl:

[Dinger]

33. No No No

It's just that to me, Daschle is a joke. (Not compared to Thune though).

[Overseas]

18. FAR TOO SOFT ! Softer than Harry Reid even. //nt

[Overseas]

21. Tom Vilsack, Gov of Iowa ? //nt

[Clear Blue Sky]

22. He doesn't add anything to the ticket.

[ruggerson]

31. Why not Mr. Rogers?

He's a little more assertive.

Come to think of it he may have died.

Well, regardless, even so, he's still more assertive.

[undeterred]

32. I love Tom Daschle.

I think he would be great, and it would be sticking a finger in the Republican eye. Tom has been an Obama supporter for a long time, and I think he was a great Senator.

Thanks for suggesting him.

[ellisonz]

36. Sorry jaysun...

...but Daschle is a known quantity who doesn't bring much to the ticket.

[jaysunb]

42. I'm not so sure Z

This is going to be very tricky, trying to make big changes all the while coaxing an anxious public to do something unheard of to date. But as you can see by some of my later posts, it might not be such a good idea after all.

:hi:

[tandem5]

37. HOPE! CHANGE!! Daschle?

nah.

[MikeDJohn]

41. No problem about that man, but what does he bring Obama?

You think Tom gives us more than we have already?

Please explain.