In an Odd Bit of Synergistic Irony...
...the talk is now about Barack Obama running with Republican Chuck Hagel and John McCain running with (kinda sorta) Democrat Joe Lieberman. There's a certain amount of logic to both choices, in that they would boost each candidate's preferred brand image, Obama as a post-partisan agent of change and McCain as a "maverick" willing to buck the party line. Neither would likely directly affect the electoral landscape in the traditional sense; Nebraska is still likely to go red and Connecticut blue. And there's the risk to both men at the top of the ticket alienating their bases with ideologically "impure" running mates, though this seems less of a risk with Lieberman who is Republican in the only way that counts these days: slavish devotion to George W. Bush and the Iraq War.
Labels: 2008, Barack Obama, Elections, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, President
posted by The Local Crank | 12:26 PM
6 Comments:
Kinda Sorta Democrat is a fair assessment of Leiberman. I would not even bother to call him a Democrat. However, he was strongly in favor of the US effort in Iraq independent of George W. Bush. Just because two people agree on a few things (out of many) does not mean one is the slavish follower of the other.
I'm already tired of the VP talk, to be honest. The plain truth of the matter is, no VP choice for about the last 40 to 50 years has had any significant impact on a presidential election. And yet here we are, once again, listening to the pundits opine about what states which VP candidates could deliver.
McCain needs to pick someone the country--and especially his party--feel comfortable could take over the presidency if and when he kicks the bucket. Obama needs to pick someone who can lend some serious experience to a ticket otherwise sorely lacking in it. And that's about it. Any other qualities they're looking for in their VP choices are, or should be, of far less importance.
Eric: Yes. And Obama picking Clark would be like when Perot chose Stockdale as his VP. Not a serious move of any kind.
The obvious solution is for them both to select Michael Bloomberg as a running mate. The Democrat-then-Republican-then-Independent New York City mayor would be perfect for either one.
Of course there would be scheduling problems, but McCain and Obama have pledged to run a civil campaign, and I'm sure they could get around a small matter like sharing a running mate. Bloomberg fills both of their needs. He's not of Washington for Obama, and he's kind of mavericky for McCain.
I really think this could work.
That's quite a grand idea!
Also, kudos to Obama for announcing recently he will not waste taxpayer dollars on his campaign.
I feel compelled to point out that I thought of the Bloomberg idea the day before Gail Collins of the New York Times came up with it.
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