Hi Jane!

ummm, no ‘Howard Dean’?

Of the three alleged short-listers, Bayh, Biden, and Kane, I prefer Biden.

OK, I don’t have a choice, I’m open to persuasion…

who should I vote for VP?

Um, No Christy Hardin Smith?

Good Lord, I hope it’s not Bayh. Bleech.

Of that list, Sebelius, Wes Clark and Jack Reed are my top three.

Or Emptywheel? ;-)

The war profiteer, clark. obama needs security creds.

this seems to be my week to be a contrarian….

: )

where’s
‘none of the above’?

I know she’s not a liberal, but I think Hillary earned it. She and Bubba are effing rock stars who imho can really help down ticket Dems.

If it’s not Hillary, I think it should be a woman.

votes so far=

Who should Obama pick as his VP?
Chuck Hagel 3% (4 votes)
feedback bar
Bill Richardson 5% (8 votes)
feedback bar
Jack Reed <1% (1 votes)
feedback bar
Chris Dodd 7% (11 votes)
feedback bar
Ted Strickland <1% (1 votes)
feedback bar
Evan Bayh 1% (2 votes)
feedback bar
Hillary Clinton 8% (13 votes)
feedback bar
Tom Daschle <1% (1 votes)
feedback bar
Tim Kaine 2% (3 votes)
feedback bar
Wes Clark 44% (71 votes)
feedback bar
Kathleen Sibelius 13% (20 votes)
feedback bar
Janet Napolitano <1% (1 votes)
feedback bar
Joe Biden 10% (16 votes)
feedback bar
Jim Webb 3% (5 votes)
feedback bar
Sam Nunn <1% (1 votes)
feedback bar
Chet Edwards 1% (2 votes)
feedback bar
John Kerry 0% (0 votes)
feedback bar
Total Votes: 160
Comments (0)
Return To Poll
PollDaddy.com

someone, somewhere, made a compelling case for Montana governor Schweitzer.

Hey, either/or… not too picky :D

I think we desperately need to slash spending on defense. As a former General, imh and relatively uninformed opinion, Sec. of Defense may be a better fit for Clark.

Good Lord, I hope it’s not Bayh. Bleech.

This Hoosier is looking for a stronger word.

Shouldn’t the V.P. at least be a vertebrate?

I agree with you, except that if it’s not Hillary it should not be another woman. That would make it feel like a personal slight to Hillary.

I think the question of whether or not it should be a woman might be sexist
Why can’t we just be focused on qualifications.

You bring up an interesting question…write ins OK?
Just have no conviction on VP after John Edwards poofed I really would like to see Dennis on the list.

I heard Schweitzer on Ed Schultz a while ago and he is really on top of the sustainable energy thing.

I hope my lifelong crush on Caroline Kennedy is not going to hell in a handbasket if I hate who she told Obama is good to go…

Though I would love to see a woman as VP I don’t think it’s a good idea at this time. It would double the hate of the wingnuts – a AA man and a white woman. Imagine the things that would be said. Also any woman is going to be painted as weak on Defense and that is the main talking point again Obama. With the importance of this election I would rather they play it safe. Just my opinion.

That was me, and I still think Schweitzer is the obvious choice.

He’s smart, funny, universally admired in the West, and speaks fluent Arabic.
He’d bring MT along to the party and improve chances in Colorado, which is shaping up to be the key to winning this year.

(Why? Obama needs the Kerry 252 plus 18 more. Iowa (7) is in the bag. Colorado is 9, so Obama needs just CO and ANY other state: NV, NM, MT, whatever.)

Schweitzer rocks. He’s the obvious choice.

Shouldn’t the V.P. at least be a vertebrate?

Bayh puts the ‘u’ in supine

One thing for sure is that we can’t lose a dem senator where a rethug would pick their replacement. That in my estimation is the only thing going against Jack Reed. (Don’t know the law in RI that determines replacement)

I really kinda like Bill Richardson. Aside from all of his obvious qualifications, a Black/Latino ticket would cause mass heads to spontaneously explode.

Won’t happen but Russ Feingold.

except he’s big on coal, and to my knowledge, they still haven’t figured out how to do that without huge environmental damage. Other than that he’s definitely an up and comer. But when asked a while ago about running for senate, I do believe he really doesn’t want to leave Montana for the swamp in the Beltway. I wouldn’t blame him.
.

not after he screwed the pooch last week.

Job #1 is winning. Strickland does more to accomplish that job than anyone else.

Thanks for pointing that out. How unfortunate. Another hero bites the dust.

How exactly?

Well if we were focused of qualifications, abilities, smarts, etc. a woman would have been elected long ago (like maybe Abigail Adams?). But, alas, we don’t.

Second that. It is obvious our counntry is so morally bankrupt when honesty make you not a viable candidate. I am insenced beyond words and the moral majority helped make it happen, A nation of hypoctites blue or red. Russ could turn this disaster around like no one else.
Military stay out of politics.

Unless the short list is all wrong, Biden is the best attack dog among the three. He is also the most knowledgeable on foreign policy and he is a good campaigner. His biggest drawback is that he is a northeastener and the working class/not college educated seem to have a problem with that. He does have working class roots however. I think Biden could take on any GOP VP opponent in the VP debate. I can’t see anyone that McCain might choose getting the best of him.

I found something at a site called stateline.org the other day from when it looked like Craig was going to resign.

It looks like Alaska, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin don’t allow the governor to appoint and Arizona, Hawaii, and Wyoming require the appointee to be same party as the departing senator.

Which means the RI gov (or CT as well being an R) could appoint whomever.

What, no Zell Miller?

Please see the link RevDeb posted at 28.

RevDeb, the entire point of the VP choice is to find someone who will help win on 11-4-08. Of those who are assets, we exclude (1) senators from states with GOP governors, and (2) governors of states with GOP legislatures, except where the state has only a single House district and is immune to gerrymandering on the national level.

Brian Schweitzer likes coal and owns guns, and it doesn’t matter. Obama’s win will come from the West as a result of basic electoral college arithmetic: he needs 11 more EVs. Can he get them from Ohio, with its corrupt elections? Virginia seems risky. Indiana worse. The West, however, is stuffed with states wanting to turn blue. Schweitzer would be the best way to bring them along, and is clearly the best VP choice from the perspective of winning on 11-4-08.

Sen William Cohen. Definitely not the war mongering Clark and none of the many DLCers listed. John Edwards is still my first choice but then I am European and do not get bent out of shape over the occasional peccadillo, I am more concerned about illegalities, flag waving and warmongering.

I don’t think that she is going to have an that big an impact on the political decision of who to pick. She was picked for the vetting job because of impartiality.

You know, that’s similar to the argument I used against Lieberman in 2000. I thought it would be really bad for America’s standing in the world to elect a really pro Isreal Jewish American during a time of such conflict in the ME. I still feel that way.

But it’s time for a woman and an African American to lead us. It’s just time.

I’m stunned at Sebelius’s strong showing. IIRC, her progressive credentials are not so all that good.

Biden often has trouble speaking concisely. I’ve heard him bloviate until the interviewer and everyone watching forgot what day it was and maybe their own name, much less the question that set it in motion.

Ok…a women with a sense of humor…well known…skillfull political attack artist. Hmmm let’s see initials BS.

Barbara Streisand?

It certainly is time but will it fly THIS time. That’s my concern and we absolutely must win this election. I am a woman and know what it’s like. It would being out the whole “iron my shirts” crowd.

It would give the MSM gaffes and that old plagerism charge to talk about for a couple of weeks

hmmm. I thought she was picked because she’s a Kennedy!

Hee hee. Biden and bloviate go together like love and marriage.

You are close. Biden’s mouth will get him into trouble, plain and simple.

Obama doesn’t need that hassle, too.

Biden’s best debate answer: “yes”

Have been turned off by Biden’s plagarism for years and his day-glow blazing ultra-white capped teeth one more irritant but then I grow increasingly cranky daily. ;~(

I thought Republicans had no sense of irony? Seriously though, your comment is similar to what Jimmy Carter said regarding nominating Hillary for VP, it doubles the negatives. He wasn’t criticizing her OR Obama, he was merely pointing out that if you mobilize the racists AND the misogynists to vote for McCain it will make the election that much harder to win.

I have to admit that I am conflicted between wanting to see an integrated ticket and wanting to win by going bland.

Britney Spears!!! Youthful, sex appeal and has cheeck to fight, good energy policy and a huge I mean huge following she could register millions! Hot choice and looks good on the chaise lounge.
Could revolutionize diplomacy back to Cleopatra’s era. No religious baggage I know of.
Could she get on with Michelle probably.
There your women VP…but will she give up a lucrative career for us?
And the white house parties might actually be fun.

That one got a good laugh.

I think that’s funny that you would care about his teeth. McC could certainly some veneering on his – old, ugly and yellow. I have veneering and it doesn’t glow at all.

Without Ohio’s electoral votes McCain can’t win.

Instills in the Secret Service an increased desire to protect the president.

Looks like we loves us some Wes Clark…

Sebelius is Governor of Kansas. If she showed some serious liberal chops she’d be impeached.

I think unifying and turning out Dems is key to winning, and Hillary as VP would be the best shot at doing so. It’s traditional to give the #2 slot to the runnerup and Obama has already demonstrated that he is not all that different a politician.

The idea that this would energize the rethugs is, I think, a false argument – they’ll come out and vote R anyway, even if reluctantly. The Dem turnout is always more problematical.

I also think a lot of the racists and misogynists are the same people, for what it’s worth.

I read somewhere that McCain goes in every six months for a routine cleaning and sharpening. I think he may be part Ferengi, at any rate he appears drawn to (p)latinum.

Would Obama let him challenge McCains military creds.

The arguments for Sebelius are things like standing up to the TheoCon wingnuts, opposing major energy interests who wanted to build two big coal-fired power plants while supporting the growth of major wind power facilities, and bringing along moderate republicans who can no longer abide being part of the party of the TheoCons and BushCo. She’s got some good progressive credentials, and administrative governing credentials to go along with them.

The argument against Sebelius is her performance as the Democratic response to Bush’s State of the Union.

Better yet, ask Neil Diamond. ;-)

someone put tom harman on that poll

I also think a lot of the racists and misogynists are the same people, for what it’s worth.

Good point.

But can anyone ever remember a good response, besides Webb?

Had forgotten about the Ferengi. Perfect!

You know, given the question, Biden handled that just beautifully!

Good find!

I happen to believe republicans are gonna game this poll and vote hillary, I think they believe that makes the ticket more beatable

I agree with them

I couldn’t pull the trigger on any of the candidates. I don’t know enough about the ones who seem the most obvious choices (Sebelius, for example), and some whom I’d love to see (Dodd) are probably better in the Senate. My guess is that if Richardson is out, it’s between Sebelius and Kaine. I’d put my money on Kaine, if he can swing VA into Obama’s column.

Barbara Streisand?

Obama/Babs! :~)

The argument against Sebelius is her performance as the Democratic response to Bush’s State of the Union.

saw that. yes, an argument against.

While I picked Sibelius, Wes Clark, who’s the big leader in this poll, would be a good choice as well.

Al Gore should reprise his role….
:^)

lol – hilarious.

I look at the list of choices and ask myself why the hell am I a registered Democrat?

Dodd was the only button I could possibly select. Admittedly, I know far to little about Reed.

Obarbara!

I would like to see Obama also name key selections for cabinet. That way he might be able to have his cake and eat it too.

I cannot possibly believe al gore would take a vice presidential spot unless obama informed him personally he was going to pull an edwards and leave the race before the deadline to be removed from the ballot

that ain’t gonna happen

Blue Texan is up top. Be prepared to laugh.

I look at the list of choices and ask myself why the hell am I a registered Democrat?

How true.

Wes Clark, though wildly popular in Arkansas, still may not be able to swing the bigots over to Obama. Obama is not even trying to set up offices in AR. I am in a small but progressive area in AR, and there are only two individuals from my area registered on the mybarackobama web site.

a while back I got my clock cleaned by a respected commenter for tooting the Wes Clark horn, just sayin’.

Dodd as VP would make me wish bad things upon Obama.

I don’t know if I could take that kind of moral dilemma right now.

It’s not clear that Richardson is out.

In some respects he’d be an excellent choice. He’s got decent cred in the Hispanic community. His record as governor seems to say liberal-ish centrist with results. His foreign policy record and energy record are both in the excellent category.

perris, I was being facetious

5 votes for Kerry? Really?

Um, a poll.

Well now, a poll is just a poll, meaningless numbers, until said poll is interpreted.

This here poll, clearly showing Wes Clark’s ’domination’, by my ’interpretation’ means:

There is a better than even chance that Mc$ame will win.

Now why would THAT appear to follow on the ’results’ of the poll?

For these reasons;

If the ’military’ perspective (pragmatically speaking) is ’What it takes’,
then fear has already ’won’.

Why would the public bother to trust the d’s?

When the r’s are ”Bomb! Bomb! Bomb” all the time.

In which case, historically, if ’fear’ is the ’game’ and its bright object is jingoism, the public have always gone for the ’real’ thing. Why would it be different now? Unless one cares to postulate widespread public awareness, the majority of the voting public will be voting from their emotions rather than from thoughtful consideration, anyhow, especially THIS time.

The ’battle’ is now between the hard-line pragmatists of the d’s and the ’real deal’ warmongers of the r’s.

Dreamers … begone!

*slaps self in the forehead*

Precisely. I looked at the list and again realized why I am not registered with any party. But at least it was the first time today. It’s after 1PM here – I’ve usually had this realization at least twice by now.

Warren Buffett.

My choice starts with someone who hasn’t walking/talking the repug/wingnut/vote for Iraq/Iran stuff…. they are off any list

then will that person leaving their office will it screw their state?
If (heaven forbid) McCain wins, AZ constitution requires the Governor has to pick someone of the same party. Now she CAN pick the most liberal moderate Repug that is in AZ but has to be someone registered Republican

Anybody-But-Bayh Facebook group is up to almost 3,200 members in two days.

Wes Clark is far and away the best choice for veep. Who is better qualified to help deal with the situation in Georgia? Who can neutralize McSame’s military cred. Do you think he made a “gaffe” by telling the truth about McSame’s qualifications on teevee? We could use a lot more “gaffes” like that. Plus Clark has already run for president, though granted he didn’t get much traction. Still, there are no “character” surprises there, I’m confident. And did I mention that he was a strong Hillary supporter, who moved easily to supporting Obama? Obama/Clark o8 works great!

My pick is whoever can help Obama pass legislation and/or shore up his support within the party. Since I have no idea who that really might be, I voted for Clinton as a somewhat symbolic notion of who that sort of person is.

Mostly, I was struck by how many of those people I don’t want at the Naval Observatory.

I voted for Chuck Hagel. He’s a Republican. Wonder if the convention would buy him, were he offered. Do the rules allow them to nominate a non-Democrat? Be quite a dance. Obama wouldn’t want it to get out he asked, especially if Hagel refuses, so Obama, if he’s smart, won’t ask. Be a powerful ticket IMHO, but I don’t see it happening.

Tried to vote for Hagel again to see if I could. I was told my vote had been counted. It’s a really neat capability. Perhaps it can be used for other purposes.

Only three chicks. Wow. I’ll have to go with Jim Webb.

Who’s the best of the bunch.

Has no one considered William Cohen? He was defense secretary under Clinton, is Republican, and is married to a Hispanic.

is he a profiteer?

I didn’t know that.
That is too bad.
he is my first choice though because he has the creds and he’s tough, can counter-attack and take no crap.

Same with Biden.
Love Joe but from what I have been able to glean Clark is more progressive in many ways.

Biden is someone who just appeals to me as a person even if he is more moderate/centrist. He’s funny and tough and makes D’OH moments.

Hillary would be my choice except that I think she can be more effective in the Senate to balance O’s sometimes more conservative positions. As VP there has to be a United front on the outside even if there are “discussions” on the inside. I think she has probably had enough of that as First Lady.

Plus, if God forbid they lose it will be all H’s fault according to the HHaters.

I just hope it is someone liberal/progressive/ to the left of O.
Also someone with some punch. O gives great speeches but his talking/answering questions can sometimes be ummm, dull.
(ducking)I sometimes find myself yelling “spit it out already”to the TV. Plus he is somewhat passive aggressive in his “attack” style which on the one hand gives him plausible deniability but on the other gets tiresome when you KNOW (or at least think you do) what you saw/heard. So someone with some Punch and Pizaaz and who says what he/she means and means what he/she says, no question about it. Of course the wing nuts and crazy bastards will always twist anything and everything to their advantage– as we saw with clark.

whatever.

You know.

Bill Gates

Well,

He supports the Death Penalty which is something I find abhorrent.
He wants “stricter penalties for drug criminals.” (which ones?)

End parole for violent repeat offenders– which I can understand but I think some kind of rehabilitation in prisons would be a better position to take. Its the bleeding heart liberal in me. If after getting some kind of support to be able to change their lives they repeat, then what the hell, he does believe in the death penalty…
(Noooo, black humor.)

on the issues http://tinyurl.com/6o6pg9 doesn’t have his stances on a lot of the issues but there are some.

He doesn’t take Pac?Special Interest money but I think that is a big hoax, they all find a way to say that but get it anyway.

“I know whe’s not a liberal…”

govtrack is a site that does analysis of every one in Congress using their votes, sponsored and co sponsored bills etc. They rank her far left. More liberal than Obama who is considered “rank and file.” Dodd is also rated far left.

I’ve never understood how this meme came about that she was not a liberal.
I guess it was the “war” vote. Plus the atmmosphere was poisoned by the neocon slime machine in the ’90’s.
Oddly attitudes become part of the “reality” after awhile.
That whole repeat it and repeat it till its true mentality. I read some horrendous stuff about HRC and Bill over the course of this election cycle that were lifted right out of the neocon rumor mill. Progressives repeating this crap, like Vince Foster for instance really was demoralizing. I don’t think pmany eople do real research.

Not saying Clinton is some perfect enlightened being by any means. Lots to disagree with but not the demon she is made out to be either.
I grew to really like her the longer the Primary went on. The contrary in me maybe. LOL
But the longer it went on the more time I had to do research and found myself really liking and enjoying her. I did switch my support to her after awhile.

Still, I don’t think VP is the best place for her.
In the senate she can really do more I think.
Hey, What do I know?
not too much really.

Yeah, I was wondering why Feingold wasn’t on the list.

Rachael Maddow, even better.

William Cohen is a republican weapons lobbyist who supported bush’s war. Wes Clark is against the Iraq War, just said on CNN that the Georgia-Russia situation doesn’t call for military intervention, and currently Clark is the director of a wind-energy company.

I’m from Maine…please no Cohen.

If foreign policy were Obama’s strong point, then there are several pols who would be fine–Clinton, Dodd, McCaskill, Richardson (would be good to get a Westerner), but Obama is much clearer on domestic policy and all of those might be better placed either in the Senate or in a cabinet position. For me, Webb and Clark are a bit martial in their approach, though Clark might be someone good for NSC. Biden has been around in the foreign policy zone, knows people, is flexible. He might not be that good campaigning, though he could be persuasive on foreign policy and security issues in a way that might defuse the bs that McCain is strong in these areas, but if elected, Biden could do a world of good around the world, and he would be a familiar face in the Senate.

Obama has said he’s more confident in his foreign policy chops than domestic. So, what’s coming down the pike on the domestic front and who could handle them best?

The Housing Crisis isn’t over. There’s a lot yet to see from 2009-2012. That points us to Chris Dodd who handled the Housing bill this year.

Health Care Reform has been on the agenda for some time as a way of controlling the huge shift of resources from YOUR wallet to insurance companies. That points us to Howard Dean or Hillary Clinton.

The Green Revolution screams Al Gore, but he’s more into the climate change part of it and the ‘alternative energy’ part of it doesn’t seem to be connected to anyone in particular (that I know of). Anybody know who is more involved in alternative energy?

As for general political skills, conviction, Progressive/Liberal tendencies and all the other good things we like, the list is very short after John Edwards dropped from the picture.

It might not make a lot of sense to most people, but I’d want to know more about Gray Davis (of California). The west is often underrepresented and a lot of our current issues (home mortgages, energy, environmentalism) are going to be strongly Western-focused.

So, that gives us: Dodd, Dean, Clinton, Gore and Davis

Which could step in to be president if needed? I don’t know enough about Davis to say, but I’d guess any of them would be pretty good.

Sherrod brown