Welcome back for more speculation! Today we'll continue the final elimination series of possibilities for Obama's v.p.
This series began with the bottom 14 names, and eliminates the bottom vote-getter(s) and replaces them with new name(s) from just up the list, reaveraging as we go (so each thread's bottom vote-getter[s] may not be the ones cut--who's cut will be determined by the new averages generated from this series's votes only). I hope that'll be complicated enough to dissatisfy and confuse everyone equally. I'm hoping we'll have five or six candidates left when Obama picks and see if the DKos wisdom of crowds is. It should take about 14 threads to get all of the top candidates in the poll again, out of the 28 or so total threads. Fmr. Sen. Max Cleland (GA) and Rep. Chet Edwards (TX) were eliminated in the previous round, and Sen. Russ Feingold (WI) and Fmr. Sen. Sam Nunn (GA) rotated in to replace them this time.
Please discuss any v.p. candidates in the comments. The most correct format would be to simply state their name, unless you have further comments. "Oh my God, where's Jane/Johnny Politician?!" would be a bit alarmist, don't you think? I'm sure they're fine. I'm happy to hear all ideas, and of course I'm no official gatekeeper, so play nice.
(continued below the fold)
My personal favorite running mates for Obama remain Fmr. Sens. John Edwards (NC) and Sam Nunn (GA), in that order. I still think Nunn has a slight edge in likeliness. I'm convinced the GOP v.p. nominee will be Gov. Mark Sanford (SC).
I'm also not including some who might make good choices, but probably not in 2008, though I know some may disagree, notably: Sen. John Kerry (MA), who I like for Secretary of State or Defense or another position, Govs. Christine Gregoire (WA) and Brian Schweitzer (MT), who need to run for reelection and Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA), my senator who I like, while not always agreeing with her on everything, because I feel that ticket would be too easily caricatured as the most liberal ticket in the universe and etc., etc. I know, I shouldn't be influenced by that likelihood, but I think that ticket would have too many liabilities not outweighed by possible electoral strengths. (I think that about some other names I've included anyway, but they've done very well in polling, so that's how they got their pass.) I also haven't included Sen. Evan Bayh (IN) yet, because...zzz...Wha?! What happened? Maybe I'll run him in the poll sometime if I don't fall asleep typing his name....And Govs. Ted Strickland (OH) and Ed Rendell (PA) have completely ruled out serving, as have senatorial candidate Fmr. Gov. Mark Warner and Sen. Jim Webb (VA), and Gen. James L. Jones seems to support McCain, so they've been retired from polling here.
I've made the editorial decision to keep Sens. Joe Biden (MBNA) and Jack Reed (RI) active despite their revealing that they had not been asked to submit information to Obama's v.p. vetting team at a certain recent point. I may still eliminate candidates based upon their own Shermanesque statements in the future.
Here's the remaining 28-candidate field we'll be considering over this elimination series, in order of average votes in every thread from #1 through #44:
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (KS)
Fmr. Sen. John Edwards (NC)
Gen. (Ret.) Wesley Clark (AR)
Gov. Bill Richardson (NM)
Sen. Joe Biden (MBNA)
Sen. Chuck Hagel (NE)
Fmr. Vice President Al Gore (TN)
Gov. Tim Kaine (VA)
Rep. Robert Wexler (FL)
Sen. Russ Feingold (WI)
Fmr. Sen. Sam Nunn (GA)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO)
Fmr. Sen. Bob Graham (FL)*
Fmr. Gov. Howard Dean (VT)
Caroline Kennedy (NY)
Gov. Janet Napolitano (AZ)
Fmr. Sen. Bill Bradley (NJ)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)
Sen. Jack Reed (RI)
Fmr. Sen. Max Cleland (GA)*
Gen. (Ret.) Anthony Zinni (VA?)
Gov. Brad Henry (OK)*
Fmr. Sen. Tom Daschle (SD)
Sen. Bill Nelson (FL)
Fmr. Gov. Ray Mabus (MS)
Rep. Chet Edwards (TX)*
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (NM)*
* ELIMINATED
Gov. Brad Henry (OK) - ROUND ONE
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (NM) - ROUND TWO
Fmr. Sen. Bob Graham (FL) - ROUND THREE
Fmr. Sen. Max Cleland (GA) - ROUND FOUR
Rep. Chet Edwards (TX) - ROUND FOUR
I had meant to have written out my pluses and minuses for every candidate by now, but still haven't had time (and I also don't really want to write one for Hillary for fear of getting yelleded at). So I'll run as many as I have for today's field below, and try to get more going later, especially as we get to the top 14 overall (feel free to build your own below, and I'll be happy to steal and edit it!). I do want to run the ones I do have finished, though:
Pluses and minuses:
Fmr. Sen. Bill Bradley (NJ)
+ Economic populist, strong fiscal conservative who could give Obama budget-responsibility cred, previous presidential campaign elevated his national stature, Missouri roots, early and vocal Obama supporter, unique chemistry and affinity with Obama as effective surrogate, outspoken attack dog potential
- Presidential campaign in 2000 somewhat anemic though respectable, caricatured as a "too-cerebral liberal" (even against Al Gore!), comes from relatively safe Democratic state, ticket with Obama might be too congressional, out of office since 1997
Sen. Russ Feingold (WI)
+ Reputation for integrity as a reformer and Bush administration foe, would make border-state ticket with Obama like Truman / Barkley and Clinton / Gore, comes from swing state which he could help carry, Jewish heritage could appeal in more states than just his home state, rumors he might run for president over the years have elevated his national stature, great speaker, outspoken attack dog potential
- Unmarried, Senate seat would be filled by special election with no interim appointment by Democratic Gov. Doyle of Wisconsin, ticket with Obama might be too congressional
Caroline Kennedy (NY)
+ Author of books on civil liberties, editor of volumes of poetry and writings on American history and public service, attorney, founder of the Profiles in Courage Award of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, a director of the Commission on Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, reputation for integrity, appeal to women, New York and Massachusetts roots, early and vocal Obama supporter, unique chemistry and affinity with Obama as effective surrogate, family experience with campaigning and governing as daughter of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, niece of Sens. Robert F. and Ted Kennedy (for the latter of whom she worked in an internship on Capitol Hill), Peace Corps director and Democratic vice presidential nominee Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver (also founders of the Special Olympics) and Amb. Jean Kennedy Smith, cousin of Reps. Joseph Kennedy II and Patrick Kennedy, Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and California First Lady Maria Shriver, outstanding speaker, excellent on television
- No experience in elected or appointed political office, could create backlash among Hillary Clinton supporters as woman candidate with less direct experience in politics
Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO)
+ Would make border-state ticket with Obama like Truman / Barkley and Clinton / Gore, comes from swing state which she could help carry, early and vocal Obama supporter, unique chemistry and affinity with Obama as effective surrogate, very good on television
- Short length of time as senator, bad FISA telecom immunity vote, could be replaced by appointment by Republican governor, ticket with Obama might be too congressional
Fmr. Sen. Sam Nunn (GA)
+ Foreign policy/national security expertise, diplomatic experience, work on "loose nuke" issue particularly complementary to Obama's, strong fiscal conservative who could give Obama budget-responsibility cred, military veteran, likely to help carry home state and region as popular Georgian and Southerner, rumors he might run for president over the years have elevated his national stature, relatively early and vocal Obama supporter, unique chemistry and affinity with Obama as effective surrogate, outspoken attack dog potential
- Some Democrats still angry over authorship of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, possibly still homophobic, very conservative voting record in general decidedly mixed blessing, board member of corporations Chevron, Coca-Cola, Dell Computer, GE, ticket with Obama might be too congressional, out of office since 1997
Please cast your vote, speculate away, offer new names or general ideas about how Barack Obama should pick his running mate and who it should be. You could pick your favorite of the listed names and agitate for someone else below, or vote "Other" and agitate below. Again, "You're stupid for not including..." ain't nice.
Now on to today's poll....
Thanks,
Alex
Choose Our President 2008