"Are Kaine and Bayh the best Obama can do?"

[proud2BlibKansan]

Veepstakes

Category: Policy and Politics
Posted on: July 31, 2008 9:30 PM, by Josh Rosenau

Joan Walsh wonders: "Are Kaine and Bayh the best Obama can do?"

No. Conventional wisdom has narrowed the Democratic veepstakes to those two and Kathleen Sebelius. Kaine gets a lot of the DC attention, since he's right there in Virginia, but there's no reason Walsh should blow off Sebelius.

Bayh would be a stupid choice. Obama's strength against McCain is that he was right about Iraq, so his VP shouldn't be one of the war's congressional cheerleaders. The speculation (from Walsh if no one else) that Bayh would be some sort of sop to disappointed Clinton fans doesn't hold up, since there's no evidence in the polling of any substantial residue anti-Obama Clinton voters. Obama has to be thinking about the undecided voters, not folks who were passionate enough about the Democratic party to get into its primary fight. And he also has to think about governing with someone.

Bayh brings a good visual, the all-American white boy from Indiana, but ultimately that doesn't help Obama. Racists won't ignore his skin color and vote for his VP, so the Hoosier in the wings won't win him many votes from that bloc. Obama is a change agent, and the campaign will be stronger with a VP nominee who represents change. Bayh has been in the Senate forever, and comes from a long line of Indiana politicos. That ain't change, nor are Bayh's mushiness on a woman's basic right to choose nor his wrongheadedness on the war. Throw in that nominating Bayh lets Mitch Daniels (R) select a new Senator, and I don't see why Bayh is even in the running.

Kaine is fine, but has a weak environmental record, and not a lot of political seasoning. Plus he's got a Republican Lieutenant Governor, and there's no reason to give Republicans that power, especially heading into redistricting in a battleground state. That said, I don't think there's any compelling argument against him. Virginia's a battleground state, and Kaine could tip it Obama's way. Worry about Kaine's lack of foreign policy experience misses the point. A foreign policy whiz could make Obama look like he's compensating, or would be ceding his foreign policy agenda (the easiest place for a president to make a mark) to someone else.

Kathleen Sebelius, however, has a Democratic LG, has spoken out forcefully about the resources trapped in Iraq, and has a record of defending strong Democratic values in a red state. I'm a bit peeved that she hasn't done more to share her popularity (re-elected with 58% of the vote, but didn't even put the word "Democrat" on her yard signs and bumper stickers). I'd also like to see her run for the Senate seat Sam Brownback is abandoning in 2010. Of course, Jim Slattery is running a great campaign against Pat Roberts this year, and if he doesn't pull it off, he could come back in two years and take the open seat handily. Or Dennis Moore may decide to look at the Senate seat. Sebelius, however, would take it easily, and once there, she could stay for decades, not just for 8 years.

more . . . http://scienceblogs.com/tfk/2008/07/veepstakes.php

[Coexist]

1. I like the idea of Sebelius.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Very good.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. Richardson is my first choice... Sebelius is a great choice too..

I think Richardson bas it all. The best resume of any short lister. Executive experience as Gov. Diplomatic experience, energy policy experience. He also helps in specific western states as well as being a general plus to turning out the latino voter.


I don't think Sebelius can deliver Kansas, or any other state. She may help with women voters but the Clinton Backlash effect is still an unknown.

[ashling]

7. Agreed

I think either of those choices would be great.

[optimisticin08]

16. He is the best choice

Kaine doesnt seem to excite me at all and Sebelius wont give kansas to Obama.

[Cha]

4. But, you don't want Selibus

to leave Kansas, do you Proud2Blib?

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. No I don't

She needs to stay here.

But I thought this piece was interesting enough to post. :)

[Cha]

8. And you were nice enough

to do it:) Thanks.

[JaneQPublic]

5. No, Biden is. (nt)

[nomaco-10]

9. Why not Biden? Just curious. N/T

[JaneQPublic]

I was responding to the OP's question.

The OP asked: "Are Kaine and Bayh the best Obama can do?"

And my response was "no (Kaine and Bayh aren't), Biden is (the best Obama can do).

In other words, I believe Biden is the best choice for VP that Obama could make.

[JaneQPublic]

10. dupe

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. Sebelius: no foreign policy creds and from a small state.

Although she has ties to Ohio and Michigan.

But light foreign policy creds ( Obama) plus zero ( Sebelius) = big area of potential vulnerability.

I think Biden's a better choice.

[snowbear]

12. What's the deal with her son's game he created anyway?

Someone (a brand new member) came on here a couple days ago and was telling us all about some extremely controversial game that Governor Sebelius' son is marketing.

Hardly any of us had ever heard of the game.. or anything about her son for that matter.

Does anyone recall the details of that thread? The new member was really concerned that it could be a potential issue if she were to be chosen.

Must be one hell of a crazy game if he thought that though?

[Smarmie Doofus]

13. He created a dumb board game.

http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2008/01/dont-drop-the-s.html

I'd say it's pretty irrelevant to her VEEP chances.

[silverlil]

14. how can he pick a woman

other than Senator Clinton? Did she not get almost as many votes? I do not see him able to pick a woman other than Clinton. I voted for Obama. And Kaine - forget it, how dull! I am still holding out for Wes Clark or John Edwards. Sebelius is a nice lady, but honestly I do see Obama making many voters angry by bringing any other woman on this ticket. And we cant have her as VP - President Bill Clinton would be in the west wing just like he was back in office - once a President - always a President.

[Cosmocat]

15. He can't ...

for all this would be "he can't pick Bayh because he voted for the IWR" nonsense, he CAN NOT pick a woman other than Hill cause the media will evicerate him for it ... 100 times a day EVERY day it will how he stuck a thumb in Hill's eye ... If he was ahead, it will be despite disrespecting Hill, if he is behind it will be because of it ...

[JTFrog]

24. Ridiculous. The brilliant women in this country wont allow the onus to be put on them for Hillary's

failure.

Hillary didn't lose because she is a woman. She lost because she ran a horrendous campaign that ended millions of dollars in debt while exposing some of her very unappealing tactics and lack of ethics.

The primaries are over. We don't vote for the VP spot. Our Presidential candidate makes that choice. And he's a hell of a lot smarter than those that dismiss anyone on his list because of their gender.

[saltpoint]

28. I don't think true feminists or pro-feminist males cast votes based on

gender, since gender bias is the reason they're feminists in the first place.

Sen. Clinton won many votes in the primaries. That doesn't equal an offer of the vice presidency, IMO.

Obama may choose her, but just as possibly he may not choose her and go instead with Kathleen Sebelius -- not owing to her being female but because she is eloquent, a blue governor in a red state, and possessed of key ties to Ohio as well as her adoptive state of Kansas.

Obama may choose someone none of us has even mentioned. Maybe Patty Murray. In fact, why NOT Patty Murray?

Or he could choose against predictions, going with Biden or Dodd or Kaine or Bayh, or Richardson or Napolitano or Bob Graham over Clark or Nunn.

He could pick Chet Edwards.

He could pick Bill Ritter.

I think Obama has narrowed his own personal list but is keeping it top-secret. Axelrod probably knows. Maybe one or two others.

[NorthCarolina]

17. Both Kaine and Bayh are anti-gay bigots

it's quite telling if what you say is true, that the field is narrowed to these two plus Sebelius.

[saltpoint]

18. This is a dismissive assessment by this blogger. I'm not familiar with the

site.

But some of the points made are questionable.

If Obama asks me personally for a veep rec I would not include Bayh or Nunn or Hagel in my response, preferring deeper-blue picks.

But to date the Obama team has not sought me out for input, so I'm guessing the candidate will be choosing on his own, and it's possible that Evan Bayh is that pick. Or Kaine, or Sebelius, or Richardson, or Biden, etc.

On the blogger's points with Bayh, Mitch Daniels, Indiana's current governor, is a Republican but if Bayh is selected as veep and the Democratic ticket is elected in November -- help me out Indiana DUers -- Bayh doesn't have to resign his Senate seat until Inauguration in January -- I think. Not sure about this, but it is a key point because if Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson defeats Daniels, she's the one who chooses Bayh's replacement if Obama defeats McCain.

If I'm wrong on this, then I'm wrong on this. If anyone knows Indiana constitutional electoral law, set me straight.

It's not clear whether Kaine brings us Virginia or Bayh brings us Indiana, but a case could be made for either state if Obama chooses either of those people as veep, IMO.

I do know that Obama is contesting both vigorously and is not conceding one inch of either state to John McCain. He's got the bucks to do it and the fighting spirit as well, plus Chairman Dean's 50-state emphasis.

Agree with the blogger on Sebelius. She is under-mentioned but IMO brings a great deal to the ticket and to the national dialogue. Blue governor of a very red state with significant ties to Ohio as well, being the daughter of former Ohio Democratic Governor John Gilligan.

[Upfront]

19. Bob Graham Of Florida.

He would help big time in Florida and is very solid on all issues.

[Zynx]

20. Bayh has only been in the Senate six more years than Obama.

He hasn't been in there "forever".

[McCamy Taylor]

21. If Obama does not ask HIllary Clinton he is going to lose.

I know that people here have a grudge against her. Some people would rather lose than do something they do not want to do. Obama might be one of those people. His supporters might agree. I don't like or trust John McCain. I would swallow glass to keep him from being president. But if the man who thinks he can be the next president is scared to have a former president hanging around the White House---well, all I cam say is how is he going to feel when he has to negotiate with Vladamir Putin? That man is really scary.

[JTFrog]

25. Wrong. The World does not revolve around Hillary.

What's with your little scary scenario there? You presume that you know that Obama is scared of Bill Clinton?

JFC.

[saltpoint]

26. Wrong.

It's Obama's choice. It's not your choice. And it's certainly a choice made in a larger landscape than your love for Hillary Clinton.

She's one Democrat among many he could ask onto the ticket, but the choice is his.

A very strong case could be made for any of those other Democrats, a point your post fails to acknowledge.

[Barack_America]

22. I resent the comparison of Kaine and Bayh.

At least Kaine is a Democrat.

[ErinBerin84]

23. Is Joan Walsh the best that Salon can do?

(sorry, I couldn't resist the author's Joan Walsh reference).

[AnnieBW]

27. Bayh was a big HRC Supporter

So I'm guessing that he's in contention as a part of the deal he made with Hillary to campaign with him.