Obama/ Biden (?)

Word on the street is Barack Obama will announce his VP pick in the next day or so (don't worry, I'm one of the millions who signed up to have the selection immediately texted to their phones). The most recent buzz favors Delaware Senator Joe Biden, whom SAM endorsed for the spot back in February.

Although I remained confident in SAM's prediction of VA Gov. Tim Kaine, I'd personally prefer Biden, and it appears giving Senate candidate Mark Warner the DNC keynote address will be Obama's nod to Virginia.

I gave my thoughts on Biden in a profile all the way back in October, not much has changed, except that his Iraq plan fell out of favor, and the Russia/ Georgia conflict put foreign affairs (Biden's forte) back on the front page.

If you don't want to sift through my write up (which includes an intellectually stimulating comparison of Biden and West Wing president Jed Bartlet), you can always check out this more recent and (some might even say) better profile in the New York Times.

In the end, it's probably still more likely we'll see a Secretary of State Biden than a VP Biden, but nothing's official yet, so keep checking your cell phone's in-box.

VP Sweepstakes

Although Hillary Clinton made a recent push for Vice President, it seems doubtful that she'll get the nod. Obama's "Change" message would ring hollow with a Clinton on the ticket. Her upside is that she would bring along her supporters, specifically the white working class.

Obama did poorly with that group, the traditional Democratic base, instead building a coalition of blacks, cultural liberals and the young. Meanwhile, blue collar whites flocked to Hillary Clinton, long a symbol of liberal elitism. So, in theory a Clinton on the ticket would guarantee a Democratic win.

But if working class whites are so turned off by Obama, I doubt that the Hillary- voters will vote for him over McCain anyway, even with her on the ticket. There are better options to appeal to that group, including some that have a real following in important states.

Ted Strickland- the governor of Ohio. He's former Clinton supporter, very popular in the large swing state that decided the 2004 election. Obama's ahead in polls there now, and if he wins Ohio, he should be fine.

Tim Kaine- governor of Virginia. The devout Catholic is pro-life, but he's proven able to win in a red state. With Virginia's shifting demographics, the state is in play for the first time in a generation. After Mark Warner's win in November the 3 state wide offices will be in the hands of Democrats-- that is if Tim Kaine isn't moving into Dick Cheney's old office.


There's also Jim Webb, Virginia's first term Senator. He's a war veteran, with a son serving in Iraq, and the author of the new Bill. But he's been in the Senate even less time than Obama has, and Obama should probably go with a governor-- someone with executive credentials.