Granted, 2008 is four years off. But, to take my mind off the Jets' bad loss today I did some looking around, and stumbled upon a guy who would make for an interesting ticket-topper.
Meet Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.
The Basics
Age in 2008: 64 - not a spring chicken, but not too old.
Education: BA from Penn, JD from Villanova Law School
Executive Experience: 7 years as Philadelphia District Attorney (youngest in city's history), 7 years as Mayor of Philadelphia, 2 years and counting as Governor of Pennsylvania, fifth largest state in the Union, 2000 Chair of Democratic National Committee.
Other Experience: Partner in private law firm, Taught at University of Pennsylvania, served as 2nd Lieutenant in Army Reserves, 1968-1974.
Pros:
-Significant executive experience.
-Veteran.
-Important swing state leader on the edge of the Midwest (borders Ohio...)
-Crime-fighting experience as city D.A. (he's no soft liberal)
-Dug out of a $250 million budget deficit as Philadelphia mayor.
-cut taxes by 30% across Pennsylvania while investing $1.25 billion in education.
-Re-elected as Mayor with 80% of vote - "America's Mayor" according to Al Gore.
-able to win rural swing voters outside cities as well - big 9 point win over Republican state AG in governor's race, noted for significant number of "Rendellicans" crossing over to vote for him
-"Rendell is considered a natural political salesman, with an inexhaustible determination to achieve his goals. John Baer, a political columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, said that Rendell is 'among the best retail campaigners in the business. A machine. A pol with an instinct to connect.'"
-"regular guy" - big Philadelphia Eagles football fan, son is bassist for a band
Cons (that I know of):
-Lacks significant foreign policy experience.
-Still too urban?
-not popular with unions after cutting city payroll to balance Philly budget
-wife is a federal judge...thorny complications?
-signed bill significantly expanding slot machine gambling availability in PA to raise revenues, irking social conservatives?
Ed on the Issues (more extensive list at VoteSmart):
-Budgetary priorities: Education, Health Care, Environment, urban & rural Poverty
-Pro-Choice, supports programs to prevent unwanted pregnancies and pro-abstinence
-Strongly in favor of campaign-finance reform
-Pro-civil-union, anti-gay-marriage
-Pro 10-Commandments in schools if part of larger display of religions
-Favors status-quo on gun control
-Supports expanding basic access to health care, and right to sue HMOs
-Supports welfare reform w/increased job training & incentives
-Criticized conduct of Iraq war ("a mess"), and underfunding of Homeland Security
I'm thinking if he wanted the job, well he'd have a good shot. Comes off as pretty moderate, lots of politically appealing and sensible middle-of-the-road stances on tough issues, but strong on important ones, and gets the job done. He's a city guy, but a charismatic one (our Giuliani?), enough to get elected statewide in PA, which isn't exactly Vermont. I think the gambling thing annoys social conservatives, but only social conservatives - it's something regular people do to piss away their time and their money, and more power to them if they want to help boost the state budget. It certainly isn't coming off as elitist - he's not out there speaking French or talking up the joys of gay life or anything, he's a tough likable guy, maybe our version of Giuliani plus more experience. Might make a real solid team combined with Obama - give you the Moderate/Liberal (with the moderate leading the way) Midwestern team, PA/IL, might really help in that region, and get Obama involved in the exec. branch ASAP, in a safer spot for his political future than the Senate. Of course, it might also be neat if Rendell were to run for the Senate in 2006 and take out that raving dipshit Rick Santorum for us, before Santorum gets any thoughts of higher office - and it'd help balance the Senate, plus it might add a little nice foreign policy experience to Ed's resume if he thought he needed 2 years' worth. But I think he's pretty good as he is. If anyone had more good info on him, I'd like to hear it.