The state Democratic Party wants to know who you think Barack Obama should pick as his running mate.
Dwight Pelz, state party chairman, delivered an e-mail to those on the list (two times if you’re on there twice) saying,
"Every day I’m hearing new buzz about whom Barack Obama may pick for his running mate. If one of the top candidates is even in the same town as Barack, the blogs go crazy with news that an announcement is coming."
If you go here , you can vote, too.
I voted "other." (My personal choice is Bob Meadows.) Apparently 6 percent so far are with me that Bob is the best choice.
I also voted "other" on the question of what is the most important thing Obama should consider in making his selection. My choice (I think a vice-president should have shown an ability to make intelligent and enlightening comments online. It would erase the credibility gap Obama suffers from his inability to maximize benefits from the Internets.) is shared by 19 percent, though I’ve since discovered by reading the comments that it doesn’t mean there is a groundswell for Meadows.
About 1 percent think race should be the most important factor.
A couple people suggested Caroline Kennedy, because "She has the business and political knowledge. She would grab the women’s vote. She would grab the Camelot generation. She would grab the environmentalists. Her on the party ticket might unite the nation."
There’s also the contention that the 200,000 people who watched Obama’s speech in Berlin were actually there for a free concert and free beer. From what I can decipher, the concert was free, but the beer wasn’t. Based on every stereotype I’ve ever heard, offering free beer in Germany is a sure path to bankruptcy.
If it would have been true, it wouldn’t be the first time a candidate encouraged votes with liquor. From Virginiaplaces.org :
George Washington was rejected by the voters of Frederick County, in his first attempt at being elected to the House of Burgesses, in part because he had cracked down on local taverns selling alcohol to the Virginia Regiment troops that he led on the frontier at the start of the French and Indian War. Alcohol was an essential part of colonial Virginia elections, which offered rural farmers a rare opportunity to gather, see their neighbors, and party. In Washington’s second attempt at office, he made sure to treat the voters liberally to an alcoholic punch to honor their participation in the electoral process – and to obtain their support.
This gets into the question, though, of whether people went for the concert or Obama. There are those within the right-wing circles who want to claim that it’s the concerts drawing the crowds.
In Portland the 75,000 people on the waterfront that attended an Obama rally also heard a concert from members of the Decemberists. Now, I’m among those who’d go to a free Springsteen or U2 concert even if I had to endure a timeshare presentation to do it. So I suppose in Berlin there were a fair number of people who happened to be there. But they stuck around after the music ended.
The Portland gig seems to have clearly been an Obama-driven crowd. There may have been some there strictly for the Decemberists, though the campaign billing didn’t list the band’s name, only the band’s members. If I were a Decemberists fan I could probably recognize the band by the individual players, but I don’t know many folks who love the band so much they know the members.
The point is, if Meadows starts handing out free beer and booking better acts, it could up his numbers in the veepstakes.
The reason you have not seen the Clinton’s much is because they have been on a drunken, pitiful binge. “Woe, woe O Babylon…” Come to think of it, the last time I saw them they were announcing the Bill earned $10M, and they looked pretty pickled to me.
GRDodgeCo@comcast.net
“Clintons,” I mean…
Thanks for the laugh! I think I’ll hold out for tsar of something or other. It would probably pay better, and unless I trigger a revolution it would be more fun.
If Bob isn’t interested, how about Rosie for VP?
Obama will probably pick Governor Richardson of New Mexico or Governor Sibelius of Kansas.
McCain will pick Governor Crist of Florida.
Slightly off-topic, but there used to be a band named “Free Beer”. They had a minor hit a while back called “Coupe deVille”. Can you imagine that name on the marquee of a tavern somewhere? I bet they packed ’em in.
Bob, if you want to run, I think you should call yourself something like Bob “Factsman” Meadows. I’d vote for you.
Also the Kitsap sun once ran an article saying that I looked like the lead singer for the Decemberists.
I agree with Jake on Richardson , he looks comfortable on stage , if you were going to hire someone by their resume he would have the job . He also came out for Obama when their was still a chance Hillary was going to win . Interesting also a African American President , a Hispanic Vice president , except for the fact I am pretty much a small government kind of thinker , you got to love that in the fact our country is going forward in many important areas concerning race .
McCain , I think he needs to pick someone that is a great campaigner . His present campaign reminds me a little like Bob Dole’s .
Except Bob because of his war injury could not get photos of him golfing .
Actually I was thinking more about Richardson’s experiance with the State department and Department of Energy. Plus a VP from New Mexico would put states in the west in play. Montanna, Nevanda, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Wyoming all would be close enough to become swing states.
Bob Dole’s rehabilitation and adjusting to life after loosing control of his right arm in WW2 is pretty hard core and inspiring. I have a feeling that if he never resigning from the Senate he would still be there.. His wife Senator Liddy Dole is in a tough re-election race this year.
The Republican’s nominated this century’s Bob Dole and the Democrats nominated this century’s Bobby Kennedy.
Forward, not, Mick…
“…Interesting also a African American President , a Hispanic Vice president , … you got to love that in the fact our country is going forward in many important areas concerning race…”
What about women? You may not have noticed but women are included in EVERY race.
What is progressive that two males of two different cultures might become President and Vice-President?
Funniest thing…generally speaking… women raise the children and help or fully support them … boys and girls…yet woman aren’t considered good enough or trusted enough to be President or Vice-President.
Condoleezza Rice is a woman of remarkable talent and demeanor. We need more woman like her in public office.
Nancy Polaski doesn’t count.
Where are the women?
My opinion… Sharon O’Hara
Well I live in the 23rd LD. I have a woman as both State Rep, my political party chair, used to have a woman as a County Commissioner for my district and all three county commissioners used to be women, a State party vice chair, Both US Senators, the 23rd LDs State Senator used to be a woman, The Majority Leader of the Washington State Senate, The Speaker of the US House of Representatives and the Governor of the State of Washington.
Governor Sibelius of Kansas is on Senator Obama’s Vice Presidential short list. She is a woman. Senator Hillary Clinton is well.. Hillary Clinton. That is a bigger factor than anything else. She represents a completely different power structure in the Democratic party and she will not have a significant part in shaping and running the Obama campaign and the Obama Whitehouse. She will continue to be an important US Senator and could be in line for Senate Majority Leader one of the years should Senator Reid step down.
Condi Rice needs to be more concerned about keeping out of international war crimes court.
Speaker Pelosi is next in the line of succession to become president after Dubbaya and Tricky Dick.
Vote Chisolm 1972!
The women you mention are a very small percent of people in political office…and none even close to running for President.
Of those women I can think of a couple who might make good candidates in the future…. should they chose to go in that direction.
If this county is lucky and the people vote with their mind not giddy emotion we will have a McCain Whitehouse.
my opinion…Sharon O’Hara
Don’t count Clinton out just yet. The Clinton machine watches the polls and see a race that is way too close when it shouldn’t be (the GOP has no one to blame for this but themselves, by the way) in today’s political enviroment. She still believes that this is her time to be president. And I admit that she is probably the most qualified out of all the candidates, although I couldn’t vote for her.
Anyway, I think she is making moves behind the scenes and will make a overt move if this stays close…it’s going to fun to watch!
My only predictions on the VP selections are that McCain will choose a woman as a running mate and Obama will not choose Clinton.
For local elections, I intend to put my predictions in an envelope and mail it tomorrow. Don’t forget to vote in the Primary, folks!
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
Also my support for Senator Obama is because of his policy positions closely match mine and because I read his book and I feel that he embodies my moral values.
The color of his skin has nothing to do with it and it is a disservice to yourself to stop at something like that. He has a extremely vast past life experience and is uniquely qualified to be an incredible President.
Senator Clinton has ZERO chance of being Senator Obama VP pick.
I can’t think of a state that has more prominent and powerful female elected officials than Washington. Honestly I hope I live long enough to see a President from the State of Washington but I suspect that we would see a left-handed, black, lesbian republican vegan, atheist president before that.
Speaker Pelosi runs the House and actually decides what legislation comes to a vote to eventually become law. That is pretty darn powerful and according to the constitution the legislative branch is equal in power to the executive. Senator Murray is 4th in the Senate and out ranks Senator Clinton, Senator McCain and Senator Obama by a long shot.
Also the political power of Governor Gregoire, and State Senate Majority Leader Brown as well as the female Justices of the State and US Supreme courts are nothing to be scoffed at.
I still think McCain will pick Governor Crist because it would help him win Florida and he can’t win without Florida. Republican’s can’t win without Florida and Ohio and McCain is looking horrible in Ohio.
If the Obama campaign was using the free concert to boost attendance, why didn’t they mention the concert on their flyers, posters or website announcement of the event?
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/berlin_event/
Mentioning the concert – advertising it – promoting it – on his fliers, posters and website would plainly appear that he needed the concert to attract a crowd and/or that he had a personal interest in the concert. Not a good move in my opinion…
Sharon O’Hara
Sharon, Obama did NOT advertise the concert on his website, flyers or posters.
Again, see: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/berlin_event/
Caroline Kennedy on the ticket would be amazing. She has typically kept such a low profile.
Charlie…I responded to your,
“If the Obama campaign was using the free concert to boost attendance, why didn’t they mention the concert on their flyers, posters or website announcement of the event?”
and gave you several reasons why it wouldn’t happen.
Sharon O’Hara
Sharon, your answer makes sense if the Obama campaign was not using the concert to boost attendance. But that wasn’t the premise of my “devil’s advocate” question: “If the Obama campaign was using the free concert to boost attendance.”
Claims that the big turnout at Obama’s Berlin speech was due to the free concert don’t make sense if the concert wasn’t advertised in advance. How did all those people know to come?