Democratic VP Watch

by Chris MC

August 22nd, 2008 · 16 Comments

Washington Week did their weekly Friday night thing in front of a live audience in Denver tonight, and a main topic was the breathless anticipation of who will ride shotgun to Obama and McCain. Obama gets some buzz for, well, creating good buzz - by keeping the decision air-tight and announcing it (when he does) via text messaging. This means that if you are signed up for it (I went to see how, but it wasn’t obvious so I gave up), you will know at the same moment as the gaggle trailing Obama himself.

This is actually kinda cool, and does convey what it intends, that this campaign is taking some new ground, is a more with-it, up to speed operation than campaigns normally are and this is a contrast with McCain’s campaign.

Politico just released an AP report that one of the short-listers is out of the running:

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Democratic official close to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine says Barack Obama has told Kaine that he’s not his choice to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Not a surprise, both because Virginia has a two-term limited Governorship, and former Virginia Governor Mark Warner has a major speaking role in Denver next week.

Tags: Chris MC · In the News · Presidential 2008

16 Responses so far ↓ “Democratic VP Watch”

1 Anonymous // Aug 22, 2008 at 11:52 pm

ah…er… “Not a surprise, both because Virginia has a two-term limited Governorship, and former Virginia Governor Mark Warner has a major speaking role in Denver next week.”

ah…er… Turfie…the surprise??? Please???? Lucy …’splainin’?..Give it up!!!
2 turfgrrl // Aug 23, 2008 at 12:22 am

anonymous 1: I think you were directing your question to Chris, since it’s his post.
3 Chris MC // Aug 23, 2008 at 12:25 am

Not turfie, Chris.

Not a surprise because the rationale for Obama’s VP is that it would be someone who would bring experience and be ready to be President. I didn’t think Kaine, who was inaugurated in 2006, fit that bill. In Virginia you get eight years and you’re out.

Also, Mark Warner is cruising to victory for the Senate and is a featured speaker at the convention - how much representation does Virginia need?

Warner has been on the short list of attractive possibilities for President himself since he was Governor of Virginia, and if he weren’t going to the Senate in 2009, would have been a shortlister for VP for either Hillary or Barack, IMHO. He’s from Connecticut, incidentally.
4 turfgrrl // Aug 23, 2008 at 12:29 am

Ok I’ve got a well placed source saying the pick is Chet Edwards and the AP is reporting Joe Biden has a secret service detail. Bayh is out.
5 Chris MC // Aug 23, 2008 at 12:34 am

why would Biden have a secret service detail?

oh, no…
6 turfgrrl // Aug 23, 2008 at 12:40 am

Yeah the news sites are basically saying its Biden.
7 Chris MC // Aug 23, 2008 at 1:30 am

CSPAN has the AP announcement on a banner across the bottom of the screen…
8 Andrew // Aug 23, 2008 at 7:41 am

Yay its Biden! That’s a great movement of CHANGE!11!!ONEONEONE

Seriously, there were sooo many better picks. He really should have picked a Governor to get someone who wasnt a Washington Insider. But if he were to pick a Senator, it should have been Bayh. He could have pulled some more independents, and a lot of Hillary supporters. Oh to the well!
9 Nonymous // Aug 23, 2008 at 9:18 am

Personally I think Biden is an excellent choice and brings a great deal of much-needed experience and foreign policy expertise to the table. AND I think Obama is smart enough to realize that he’s short on experience and he should listen to the smart people he surrounds himself with, as opposed to Bush who also didn’t have much experience, then surrounded himself with one great guy (Colin Powell) and a bunch of idiots and then listed only to the idiots and public humiliated one of our finest public figures.
10 Aunt Bertha // Aug 23, 2008 at 10:34 am

#9 I agree with your post but will Biden make enough of a impression to the public as a balance?
11 Andrew // Aug 23, 2008 at 11:09 am

Still think Richardson would have been a better pick.
12 anonymous // Aug 23, 2008 at 12:06 pm

I would not have even considered voting for Obama if he picked a Gov. because I do get concerned still about his experience factor. I am glad he picked someone with more experience and that he can recognize his shortcomings. No one can be expected to know everything, except to know enough to know when to ask for help. But I agree with Andrew, I was very impressed with Richardson in the debates and I would have liked to have seen him on the ticket.
13 Anon432 // Aug 23, 2008 at 3:57 pm

What has Richardson done for illegal immigration in his state that you like? I think that is the reason he is not on the ticket.
14 Anonymous // Aug 23, 2008 at 10:05 pm

I find this entire campaign to be very interesting.

First, we have a candidate - Obama - with virtually NO experience working in or with government.

Then we have his pick of an extremely experienced VP running mate.

You know what this sounds like to me?

This sounds like a COMPLETE REPEAT of the BUSH presidency! (it’s like looking at the negative of an actual photo, and how a’ propos! hahahahahaha)

Biden is Cheney and Obama is Bush (except that Bush had far more experience with government than Obama has).

Gee, who would have guessed that in 2008 we’d be voting for the **exact same presidency** that we have been loudly criticizing for the past 8 years!

Who knew????
15 Dubya redux // Aug 24, 2008 at 12:54 am

[…] there in the comments a coupla posts back (entitled Democratic VP Watch), our most prolific commenter - Anonymous - offers an analysis of the status quo. First, we have a […]
16 Nonymous // Aug 24, 2008 at 11:10 am

Aunt Bertha, only time will tell but I know it pushed me over the edge. I was a little leery of Obama’s lack of experience. But, as I said up above, I believe, unlike Dubya, he’s smart enough to recognize what he DOESN’T know and to take advice from intelligent, informed people. So he just doesn’t make me as nervous as Dubya did/does.