MyDD :: Obama for the 2008 Ticket

Obama for the 2008 Ticket

by cargocult, Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 07:51:53 PM EST

There were a number of posts in recent weeks about Barrack Obama leapfrogging from Junior Senator to Presidential candidate.

Personally, I don't think America will ever accept a lanky, jug-eared, smooth-talkin' lawyer from Illinois as our President...uh...

But seriously, for 2008 I do see him as an intriguing VP choice, not because of some electoral calculation but because he seems like the ideal candidate to sweep the shadows from the very institution of office of Vice President.

Also, although some dismiss him as too green to head the ticket, the constitutional role of the Vice President plays to his strength (Think of it as a promotion to 'President of the Senate' and pointman for dealing with Congressional horse trading/sausage making while freeing himself from the Senate vote baggage of longer serving Senators) Although the limitations of the office are often belittled (not least by men who have held the office), in this rare case it could be the springboard to greater things... presidency, supreme court, whatever his highest aspirations are.

The question is, if you accept the premise of Obama as VP candidate, who do you think would be the best Democrat match at the TOP of the ticket for 2008?

For example, Russ Feingold is my early favorite, but assuming Obama as VP my interest in Feingold for POTUS fades (the 'two sitting senators thing' and a hundred other reasons)

I thought of setting this up as a poll, but didn't want to limit range of responses.

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Feingold at the top (3.00 / 1)

with Obama as VP is my dream ticket. I think we could count on that ticket to sweep the Midwest.

Tennesseans for Russ Feingold

by schwompa on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 08:19:44 PM EST

Re: Feingold at the top (none / 0)

and just about anybody else works for me.

by Gary Boatwright on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 10:10:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

balance (none / 0)

Obama's background as a liberal community activist could create some difficulty in a national election - I think it could also have real benefits. He's going to have to balance himself someone who, frankly, doesn't appear to be as urbane, intellecutal, and cosmopolitan as himself. I'm not sure who that would be in the likely 08 field, although Bayh-Obama would be highly intriguing as would be Edwards-Obama and Clark-Obama. Vilsack-Obama wouldn't work because Vilsack would be dramatically overshadowed.

by blueflorida on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 08:29:16 PM EST

Re: balance (1.00 / 1)

"iberal community activist could create some difficulty in a national election"

I don't see this is a problem. Community activist is usually a good qualification for someone running for office.

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for a century.

by jkfp2004 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 08:38:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: balance (none / 0)

Generally, you're right that community activism is a positive. However, Obama did most of his community activism on Chicago's South Side and even ran for Congress in a district currently represented by one of the most well-known former members of the Black Panther Party. Obama's activism was among a very hard-core liberal population more inclined to be critical of Howard Dean for not being radical enough than too liberal.

Now, I want to be clear that I don't know anything specific. I don't know the details of Obama's profesional record that well. But most urban community activism that I'm familiar with involves fighting battles over controversial issues of race, class, and public health. Like working with Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Like working with gang leaders to provide services for urban families. Like distributing condoms to teenagers to fight teen pregnancy. Like fighting gentrification and fighting for rent controls. Like possibly advocating in favor of anti-drug war measures like drug treatment program substitute sentences.

Again, I don't know anything specific. But real urban community activists often will have dealt with any one or all of those issues, and/or more.

Obama, if he was involved with any thing like the above, it could hurt him in more culturally moderate or conservative communities, which is often where elections are won.

by blueflorida on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 09:18:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: balance (none / 0)

Obama, if he was involved with any thing like the above, it could hurt him in more culturally moderate or conservative communities, which is often where elections are won.

Only if the Democratic Party runs away from his record or the DLC attempts to demonize him. Obama made a very smart decision by refusing to allow the DLC to co-opt him when he was first elected.

Edwards/Obama is an interesting choice. Depends a lot on how Edwards adapts his warmonger record. Does Obama have a record on Bush's Iraq war?

by Gary Boatwright on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 10:13:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: balance (none / 0)

Clark-Obama strikes me as a balanced ticket on many levels, but do you see potential integration of these two personalities and portfolios?

by cargocult on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 08:45:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: balance (none / 0)

Personality-wise, I think they mesh. They're both intellectuals, energetic, and youthful (yes, I know that clark is almost 20 yrs older than obama).

One of the message weaknesses that Clark faced in '04 was that he didn't have seem enthused about domestic issues. Obama could take the lead on that ticket as the domestic policy spokesman, providing the cover for Clark to assume a more foreign policy-heavy focus, which is where he's at his best.

If there's difficulty, I think it will be primarily on military issues, where obviously Clark is more hawkish than Obama, and there are almost certainly quotes available where obama and clark are in contradiction on some defense or military action issue.

by blueflorida on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 09:32:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Love this quote (1.00 / 1)

"There were a number of posts in recent weeks about Barrack Obama leapfrogging from Junior Senator to Presidential candidate.
Personally, I don't think America will ever accept a lanky, jug-eared, smooth-talkin' lawyer from Illinois as our President...uh..."

lol that is just great!

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for a century.

by jkfp2004 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 08:32:39 PM EST

Warner-Obama (3.00 / 1)

Mods are happy. Left is Happy. Everybody happy.plus VA NC are in play.

by Democraticavenger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 09:53:39 PM EST

Re: Warner-Obama (none / 0)

More than Va and NC come into play. In downplaying Governor Elect-Kaine's victory the Republicans have been saying that Kaine rode on the coattails of a good conservative, who happens to be a Democrat.
Yeah, that's right, Virginia Republicans have very little negative to say about Warner. They have supplied more than enough audio clips to paint Warner as a moderate to the Souteastern US.

by Bruticus on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 12:37:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]

A Feingold-Obama (3.00 / 0)

kinda overdoes it. 2 from the Mid-west, 2 relatively liberal/progressives... not to mention 2 minorities. I think that if the nominee is anyone other than Feingold, then I would like an Obama-VP candidacy. But if it's Feingold, I'd like someone who brings a lot to the ticket; Wesley Clark would bring in Arkansas and give the ticket a broader national security appeal; I think that Kathleen Sebelius or Janet Napolitano would also be a very good choice for VP too.

by KainIIIC on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 10:37:51 PM EST

Gore/Obama: a compelling ticket (none / 0)

Some earlier buzz.

Obama's Pop. Vote LEAD = 600K | Clinton & McCain = WAR Authorizers

by NeuvoLiberal on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 01:39:37 AM EST

Presidential preference (none / 0)

Obama would be my dream vp pick as well. But not to Hillary. She should drop out of the race eventhough she says she's not running. She trails McCain and Guiliani by 10 points and that is a heavy burden to overcome, even this far out before the election. Everyone else is closer, even Kerry. Remember Al Gore was behind Bush in 1998 and it was 2 years out from the election, and he didn't win, and Hillary is the same distance behind her closest rival in the same time frame. Voters go to the polls and think of themselves as voting for commander in chief, the only country that puts the commanding service rank as the same as the president, evidently, this country isn't ready for a longtime.

by mleflo2 on Tue Dec 20, 2005 at 09:54:41 AM EST

Re: Obama for the 2008 Ticket (none / 0)

I've always liked Al Gore. After "Inconvenient
Truth", I came to understand why - the man is a
scientist in politician's clothing! I went out
and bought a Gore 08 bumper sticker, and started
thinking about who to pair with. As a woman,
Hilary seemed the obvious choice, but other than
being a woman, not much else about her grabs me.
Barack Obama, OTOH, grabs me every time I hear him
speak, both in style and in substance. So I
started thinking Gore/Obama 08.

Problem with this - people who aren't interested
in what Gore has to say don't go to hear him
speak. But they got exposed to what he has to say
when 20/20 asked scientists (professional
scientists, excluding Gore) what they fear will
be the end of the world and aired a special about
the answers. Number 1 answer was global warming,
and all professional scientists state that Gore
got the science right. YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE
ONLINE BACKLASH TO THIS SHOW!!! People dismiss
science as phony or overkill when they dislike the
conclusions (or find it otherwise inconvenient).
Not unlike W, who just fires scientists when he
doesn't like what they have to say. For this
reason, and the possibility that Gore may be seen
as a single-issue candidate, I don't believe he
can win, much as I would love to see it happen.

Barack Obama, OTOH, has the most consistently
unifying effect I have seen in years. As far as
experience goes, as long as he has the WISDOM that
Clinton (Bill) had to hire trusted professionals
and learn from them, Obama will find his way. His
instincts are impeccable, and this country NEEDS
a unifying force like Obama. Question is, who
should be HIS running mate?

by PRDMAMA on Wed Sep 20, 2006 at 03:13:52 PM EST

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