Rules of Thumb for selecting Obama's VP
Every year people suggest informal rules for deciding who should be MVP in the major leagues. These informal rules, boiled down, amount to saying that the MVP is the best everyday player on the crappiest team to make the playoffs.
With that cautionary warning, or irrelevant tangent if you prefer, here are my suggested rules of thumb that Obama should use in selecting a VP.
1. No Senators - an all-Senator ticket is too inside the beltway and undercuts the message of change. Besides, a Senator from a red or purple state puts a seat at risk; a Senator from a blue state is superfluous.
2. At least 5 years younger than McCain - it's hard to argue that McCain is too old if the VP is McCain's age. This rules out Sam Nunn. He's only 3 years younger than McCain (plus, former Senator)
3. Elected to state-wide office. By default, this means
Governor due to Rule No. 1. There are other statewide offices (Lt Gov, Treasurer), but it's hard to argue that a state Treasurer is qualified to be President. This rules out Wesley Clark (or, for the more oddly minded, Colin Powell). A Presidential election isn't the time for campaign training wheels.
4. Democrat - Sorry, I do not think an Obama/Hagel is a good idea. Too many differences in basic policy.
5. Completed at least one 4-year term of office, or 2 2-year terms of office. Otherwise, it just underlies the experience issue again.
6. Can't be an IL resident - Constitution prohibits it - rules out Gov of IL.
7. Can't be foreign born - Constitution prohibits it; rules out Gov of Michigan (damn Canadians!)
So where does that leave us?
Keep in mind, I know little, or nothing, about the following politicians. This is just offered in the spirit of Sports Talk Radio (part BS, part half-serious, part thinking aloud).
1. Gov Janet Napolitano (AZ) - although I don't think she should be selected merely because this might, maybe put AZ in play. To be blunt, she should be selected if she can help pull in women and Hispanics in general, but not the state of AZ in particular.
2. Gov Ruth Ann Minner (DE) - Does a Delaware politician bring any benefits to a National ticket?
3. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (KS) - I know a lot of people are high on her, but I don't think Obama needs to Kansas connections; besides, does he really want to spend time talking about prison rape because Sebelius's son marketed a game about prison rape and used the governor's mansion as a mailing address for it.
4. Gov. John Baldacci (ME) - Sorry, I just don't see it. Hannibal Hamlin he's not (actually, I have no idea if he is or not)
5. Gov John Lynch (NH) - Can probably do more for the ticket running for re-election as Governor than being part of the ticket itself.
6. Gov Bill Richardson (NM) - Don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said
7. Gov Mike Easley (NC) - recently polls show that Obama needs help in NC. A Southerner might help in general (although I'm uncertain how much he would help put the South in play).
8. Gov Brad Henry (OK) - who knew that OK had a Democratic Governor. Bonus, he's an Obama supporter.
9. Gov Ted Kulongoski (OR) - Not sure that Obama needs any help here.
10. Gov Ed Rendell (PA) - insert comment here
11. Gov Phil Bredesen (TN) - started and ran HealthAmerica Corp, but I don't know if HealthAmerica has any skeletons in its closet.
12. Gov Jim Dole (WI) - once again, I'm not sure Obama needs help here
13. Gov Dave Freudenthal (WY) - Wyoming! Good one!
If you know of anyone else who meets the criteria, such as a recently retired Governor, please add that person to the list.
With that cautionary warning, or irrelevant tangent if you prefer, here are my suggested rules of thumb that Obama should use in selecting a VP.
1. No Senators - an all-Senator ticket is too inside the beltway and undercuts the message of change. Besides, a Senator from a red or purple state puts a seat at risk; a Senator from a blue state is superfluous.
2. At least 5 years younger than McCain - it's hard to argue that McCain is too old if the VP is McCain's age. This rules out Sam Nunn. He's only 3 years younger than McCain (plus, former Senator)
3. Elected to state-wide office. By default, this means
Governor due to Rule No. 1. There are other statewide offices (Lt Gov, Treasurer), but it's hard to argue that a state Treasurer is qualified to be President. This rules out Wesley Clark (or, for the more oddly minded, Colin Powell). A Presidential election isn't the time for campaign training wheels.
4. Democrat - Sorry, I do not think an Obama/Hagel is a good idea. Too many differences in basic policy.
5. Completed at least one 4-year term of office, or 2 2-year terms of office. Otherwise, it just underlies the experience issue again.
6. Can't be an IL resident - Constitution prohibits it - rules out Gov of IL.
7. Can't be foreign born - Constitution prohibits it; rules out Gov of Michigan (damn Canadians!)
So where does that leave us?
Keep in mind, I know little, or nothing, about the following politicians. This is just offered in the spirit of Sports Talk Radio (part BS, part half-serious, part thinking aloud).
1. Gov Janet Napolitano (AZ) - although I don't think she should be selected merely because this might, maybe put AZ in play. To be blunt, she should be selected if she can help pull in women and Hispanics in general, but not the state of AZ in particular.
2. Gov Ruth Ann Minner (DE) - Does a Delaware politician bring any benefits to a National ticket?
3. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (KS) - I know a lot of people are high on her, but I don't think Obama needs to Kansas connections; besides, does he really want to spend time talking about prison rape because Sebelius's son marketed a game about prison rape and used the governor's mansion as a mailing address for it.
4. Gov. John Baldacci (ME) - Sorry, I just don't see it. Hannibal Hamlin he's not (actually, I have no idea if he is or not)
5. Gov John Lynch (NH) - Can probably do more for the ticket running for re-election as Governor than being part of the ticket itself.
6. Gov Bill Richardson (NM) - Don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said
7. Gov Mike Easley (NC) - recently polls show that Obama needs help in NC. A Southerner might help in general (although I'm uncertain how much he would help put the South in play).
8. Gov Brad Henry (OK) - who knew that OK had a Democratic Governor. Bonus, he's an Obama supporter.
9. Gov Ted Kulongoski (OR) - Not sure that Obama needs any help here.
10. Gov Ed Rendell (PA) - insert comment here
11. Gov Phil Bredesen (TN) - started and ran HealthAmerica Corp, but I don't know if HealthAmerica has any skeletons in its closet.
12. Gov Jim Dole (WI) - once again, I'm not sure Obama needs help here
13. Gov Dave Freudenthal (WY) - Wyoming! Good one!
If you know of anyone else who meets the criteria, such as a recently retired Governor, please add that person to the list.
Advertisement
Just to nitpick: the Constitution does not prevent the President and Vice President from being from the same state—it just prevents that states' electoral college from voting for both of them. Not that we want this particular handicap, but I thought I'd clear that up.
May 23, 2008 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
No need to apologize for nit picking. I appreciate it.
May 24, 2008 9:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not a really inspiring list to tell you the truth.
May 23, 2008 9:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you saying that the idea of an
Obama/Freudenthal '08
bumper sticker doesn't put a Mathhewian tingle in your leg?
May 24, 2008 9:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
You left out Strickland. I mean considering that Ohio is a swing state and all and that Obama might be having difficulty with it although, the new Survey USA poll says he's up by 9 which is the best number coming out of Ohio for him by far.
May 23, 2008 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mike Easley. Pffft. Every bit as much a nonentity as Libby Dole.
In the SUSA lineups, Sebelius who I like a lot, and Hagel who is, of course, a Republican both cost him points, a lot of points, in battleground states.
The Sebelius thing confused me. Maybe its the Hillaroids being all "if we can't have the woman we want, we don't want any woman at all," and maybe its just the "whoa, whoa, too much change there, hoss" factor. Or both.
May 23, 2008 10:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought being a nonentity was a good thing for a VP? You know, VPs were supposed to be like children, seen, but not heard.
On a more serious note, would having him on the ticket help the Democratic nominee for NC Senate?
May 24, 2008 9:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm going to go with Richardson, and it's not just because I'm from New Mexico. He's got a fabulous resume and an outstanding record of accomplishment as Governor: Balanced budget, health insurance for all children in the state, a brand new light rail system connecting Albuquerque and Santa Fe, among others.
If you want to beat John McCain at the foreign policy game, Richardson is the trump card.
Sure he's got a few skeletons in his closet; He supposedly claimed that he was scouted for the major leagues as a college pitcher, when apparently he wasn't. Then there's a woman who claims Richardson made sexual remarks to her or something. If they aren't big enough stories to make the local news, their probably non-issues for the general election.
May 23, 2008 11:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Strickland is in his first term as governor. He's had less than two years experience as chief executive of Ohio. Naming him Veep might expose the ticket to more "inexperience" charges. The ticket would have candidates with only four and two years experience in "high political office".
May 24, 2008 12:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why not two Senators? 'inside the beltway' sounds awfully like an excuse. I have seen different effects of VP candidates on polls, but since most of the VP candidates are much less well-known, that heavily impacts how the ticket would look.
I have a criterion -- Obama should run with someone who NEVER supported (even if they didn't actively oppose) the Iraq War Resolution. Sebelius apparently never supported IWR, but I don't know about Napolitano.
I favor Sen Barbara Boxer, but Sebelius, Napolitano and possibly Sen Stabenow of MI sound interesting. I totally reject the idea of a woman on the ticket as "too much change". It's almost as sexist as the 'we shouldn't nominate a black -- b/c OTHER people are racist' meme. This year, I think a woman NOT HILLARY for VP is a matter of realpolitik as well as principle.
May 24, 2008 2:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you have a good criterion about choosing someone who never supported the AUMF because otherwise, it undercuts Obama's theme that he has better judgment.
As to my 'No Senator' rule of thumb, it's just that. To get back to the baseball analogy, every year the CW is that the MVP should be on a playoff team. Yet, from time-to-time, the writers choose an MVP from a cellar dweller.
May 24, 2008 9:19 AM | Reply | Permalink