This is my first ever diary here, and I'm fairly new to the community in general. I've considered writing other diaries in the past, though I've never actually gotten around to sitting down and stringing my thoughts together. But tonight, I was motivated by a Mark Halperin's most recent posting over at The Page.
More below the fold.
First, let me make clear that I think it is absolutely an appropriate time to talk about potential running mates for Barack Obama. As every member of this community knows, his pledged delegate and popular vote leads are realistically insurmountable. Hillary Clinton's only path to the nomination comes through some sort of scandal that would destroy Obama's viability. She has essentially become the Mike Huckabee of the Democratic Party, the only difference being the media narrative of a "neck and neck race" and the Clinton name.
Once Clinton faces this reality and withdraws from the race, Barack Obama will fully be able to search for his running mate. There are some potential running mates I like more than others. I'd be pleased with Jim Webb, for instance, given his military background, the votes he could help Obama pick up in Virginia, etc. In general, however, I do not see many good options for Obama in choosing a running mate. It is not that there is a lack of good leaders within the Democratic Party, but rather few who could both seem a natural fit with Obama's message of unity and change while still helping voters put aside any lingering concerns of Obama's leadership abilities.
I had considered Bloomberg as a potential running mate some time ago for a number of reasons. As a registered independent (and formerly Republican and Democrat), Bloomberg would help reinforce Obama's overall message of unity. Bloomberg's politics are most definitely left-of-center socially and more centrist/pragmatic economically would also be a good fit for Obama on policy. A potential stumbling block would be the Iraq War. Bloomberg has criticized the Democrats' timetable for withdrawal, but remember that John Kerry was in talks with making McCain his running mate in 2004 despite their own disagreements about the war. Furthermore, I don't think it's out of the question that Obama and Bloomberg could come to some sort of agreement on Iraq policy. In purely logistical terms, Bloomberg would bring his personal fortune to the campaign, but it seems unlikely Obama would need the funds in any case given his fund raising abilities. And the executive experience, as both mayor and at Bloomberg L.P., would help bolster Obama's credentials.
Nevertheless, I had considered Bloomberg a long shot in terms of being a running mate due to some of the drawbacks of choosing him over another politician (Obama would still lack someone with strong security credentials, Bloomberg's "home state" is one of the bluest in the country, the problem of electing "two firsts", etc.). Now, however, it seems that an Obama/Bloomberg ticket could be in the works. Halperin writes that on Thursday, March 27:
[Obama will be] introduced by Michael Bloomberg at morning economic address....
Of course, it would be easy to read too much into this, and many in the MSM probably will do so. But I think we should all begin to think of how an Obama/Bloomberg ticket would look in November.
UPDATE: I see that Bloomberg is not a popular option here for Obama's VP. I'm wondering if there's anyone who would support Bloomberg as a running mate, so I'm adding a poll. Just to clarify my own position: I wouldn't really dislike Bloomberg as a running mate all that much, but I still need time to consider the prospect. I do think there are probably better options in the Democratic Party, but, again, finding a good match for Obama is hard.