[Rumor] Bayh, Daschle, Clark not VP

I think it's John Kerry. Flame away if I'm wrong.

Biden has said far too many controversial things in the past. His addition would be a negative, and he would help in a grand total of zero states.

 

^^Take the best[/b

I'm glad it's not those three. Still crossing my fingers for Sebelius.

 

^^Take the bet Chicken_Jorge!!!

I'm glad it's not those three. Still crossing my fingers for Sebelius.

(this is what my first post was suppose to be like. Got to trigger happy )

 

It's looking more and more like Biden is it.

 

I could go for Biden. He is a good balance for Obama in terms of age, experience and style.

Obama needs someone reassuring. Biden fits the bill.

 

and McCain will pick Larry Craig. Write that in stone. Flame away if I'm wrong.

 

it won't be gore, but i've always wanted to see a 3rd term VP. it's not something you see everyday.

it's interesting that obama's list has been whittled down yet there is still speculation and the names are all over the map.

 

I hope Obama picks Claire McCaskill. She's the female Joe Biden, without the moronic quotes and the Clarence Thomas fiasco. She's on the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees. She's no-nonsense midwestern values right there. A great pick for Obama.

 

I think Biden is setting himself up more for Sec. Of State.

An infinitively more interesting and higher profile job than that of VP.

 

I still think it's Al Gore.

I would have expected to see him as a possible speaker at the convention.

With energy and Obama's experience as an issue, Gore is a pragmatic choice.

Obama is proving to be very pragmatic.

 

I was wondering about this too - why isn't Al Gore speaking at the convention? For all the talk about energy policy and renewable energy and all that, you'd think he'd be at the forefront of it. One possible explanation would be that he'll be speaking Wednesday night in the VP time slot - he doesn't need much vetting, and he and Obama have been in regular contact, so it wouldn't have had to leak. That said, I still don't think it's likely, but I have no idea why Gore isn't prominently speaking.

 

If it's Hagel, I will croak. I still say there ain't no way in the world he gets it. I think the notion of a bipartisan presidential ticket is great but Hagel would be hard to swallow for the Dem faithful, especially the hard-core partisans. It definitely won't be Kerry, who may as well walk around with the word "LOSER" tatooed on his forehead in capital letters.

I guess we'll know in the next couple of days, if not today.

 

Interesting. Gore would be great. VP might be a good place to lead the fight for renewable energy and the environment. Gore would unite the party and create a lot of excitement.

 

No way in hell it's Gore. To me, the campaign is going balls out for Virginia. If Obama takes VA, then Ohio and Florida become irrelevant. So with the Mark Warner keynote, followed by Governor Kaine as the VP choice, it's a homerun with Virginia voters.

 

Hasn't Gore been quoted as saying he's not interested in the VP position?

I understand circumstances change if opportunity comes knocking but Gore seems to have his hands full with the environmental agenda. He's making boatloads of progress there and has essentially become the "face" of this movement.

 

Gore has some serious monetary ties with some green VCs. If elected as VP, he would be accused of self dealing on any alternative energy proposals.

Gore would make an excellent choice for Obama.

 

If Gore wanted an executive seat, I imagine people would see him as prez and Obama as VP

 

The more I think about it, the more it makes perfect sense - if Gore would want it (which I suspect he doesn't). You solidify the base - the one major Obama weakness. You get instant credibility on energy and national experience. And people who think they made a mistake with Bush get a sort of chance to "undo" it.

http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=15550

OBAMA AUGUST SURPRISE - OBAMA/GORE ‘08?


Here we are in the doldrums of August. The summer Olympics are more than half complete. Michael Phelps is predictably on his way to winning the most gold medals in a single Olympics. So, what’s left to talk about at this weekend’s cocktail parties, charity events and dinners? Politics of course. At NYSD we like to create a bit of journalistic stir while providing some political insight and speculation. Let’s talk about a vice-presidential pick- specifically, Barack Obama’s.

The question about politics I am most often asked is, Could it still be Hillary Clinton?” Unfortunately for Hillary’s supporters, I think not. To her credit, she brings formidable assets, and she proved from the New Hampshire primary onward that she can be a superb campaigner. I personally feel that as a candidate she was far superior to the campaign organization behind her. The current Atlantic Monthly article by Joshua Green on HRC’s campaign memos seems to affirm my observation. Second, there never seemed to be a serious effort by the Obama team to vet her financials, and particularly those of the Clinton Library.

OK, so who will be Obama’s choice? The most often mentioned names are Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Senators Evan Bayh (Indiana) and Joe Biden (Delaware). I think none of the above.

Here’s why: they are all too predictable, and they do not bring enough to the ticket to guarantee a win in November let alone a landslide victory. So whom? Here is where we have a little fun, because I believe after Obama’s V.P, choice is announced, many in the mainstream press will look back and say. “Why didn’t we see the signs that were in front of us?” Here’s what I’ve observed about Obama over the past year:

• His campaign is tremendously capable, disciplined and rational. They know their strengths and weaknesses.

• Barack Obama has a flair for the theatrics.

• Obama, as an accomplished street basketball competitor, knows how to lead with a head-fake, throw his adversary off guard, and move in the opposite direction.

Over the past week, Obama has been questioned by the political pundits for a number of moves he has made. Here are a few:

obama-veep-2-4.jpg

• Obama allowed Bill and Hillary Clinton to speak at two nights of the Democratic Convention in prime-time leading the pundits to predict that the Clintons will make speeches about themselves, and thereby overshadow Obama and his running mate. The wags are saying that with Bill and the V.P. choice speaking on the same night, the latter will get buried.

• Why would Obama plan a one week vacation when there were less than eighty days remaining before the election? My answer to that criticism is twofold: Obama feels confident in his V.P. choice, and he does not want to compete with the Olympics in the news with his choice.

• Why hasn’t the Obama camp been more forceful this past week in their responses to the daily criticisms from the McCain campaign? My reaction is that none of these criticisms will be remembered in ten days.

Let’s go back to my earlier point about Obama and his team (notably his Chief Strategist, David Axelrod) being capable, rational and disciplined. For any of you marketing professionals out there, you know that for a product to be successful (and Obama while being a candidate is also a product) has to have two consumer benefits: functional and emotional. The functional benefit is the product’s utility and the rationale for the purchase.

obama-veep-2-5.jpg

In the presidential race, McCain trumps Obama with the functional benefit of “experience.” Conversely, Obama overshadows McCain on the emotional benefit scale. With a product purchase, emotional benefits are the driver to get the consumer to buy.

In politics, they are the driver to get people enthused, involved and mobilized to vote (and also give money). Some would say that Obama’s campaign is largely based on emotion, or as the McCain campaign likes to assert: all celebrity and little substance.

Barack Obama and his team need to accomplish several major goals over the next seventy days to win the election. First, they must put forth a ticket that puts to rest any doubt that an Obama Administration will be experienced, yet forward thinking, and oh yes; a large dose of strong ethics would go well after the last eight years. Second, Obama needs to present a ticket that the McCain campaign cannot match- either in terms of substance or excitement. Third, the Obama camp needs to quickly bring together the Democratic Party for the final sixty day push, and convince enough independents to vote for their ticket.

So where does that leave the vice-presidential selection, and why did Barack Obama take a week off at such a critical time? Either it was uncharacteristic hubris if Obama is choosing from the troika of Bayh, Biden or Kaine. Or more likely, he is feeling very confident about Obama/Gore ’08.

 

That may be the first time the name 'Gore' has ever been used in the same sentence with 'excitement'.