Obama carry their states are Wisconsin’s Gov. Jim Doyle, and Virginia’s Gov. Tim Kaine. In a radio interview, Obama admitted earlier this year that Kaine is on his short list to play a role in his administration. Virginia’s Sen. James Webb would be a stellar choice as vice president considering that he is a former Navy officer and Vietnam veteran, and a former Secretary of the Navy. When interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press†Sen. Webb said he would not rule it out, but was not that interested in the vice president position.
HILLARY CLINTON
Most political analysts have given up on a Clinton democratic presidential nomination. “If by some far-reaching chance Hillary were to grab the Democratic nomination, I think she would have to offer Barack Obama the V.P. spot right away,†Johnson says. “He would have to be her first pick. There would be such bitterness that if she did not offer him the nomination a lot of his supporters would sit out. If he were to turn it down, she would need to give Obama veto power over whomever she selected.â€
In 1976, Gerald Ford gave Ronald Reagan a list of names, and Reagan told him who was acceptable and who wasn’t, because they had a very spirited contest where Ford narrowly defeated Reagan at the Republican convention. The scenario between democrats Clinton and Obama would play out in nearly the same way, Johnson says.
The only time a vice presidential choice really made a difference was when Jack Kennedy took Lyndon Johnson as the running mate, Johnson recalls. “Without him Kennedy probably would have lost Texas and the election. A lot of the southerners, especially in Texas, weren’t willing to support a Catholic and someone from New England. Johnson helped hold the South for him.â€
Clinton is seen as softer on security, and McCain appears to have more knowledge about world affairs than her. Both critiques might cause her to choose a running mate that is a veteran like Sen. James Webb.
“Hillary would probably need to pick someone from the Midwest or South to give regional balance, naturally it would be a male and someone who is more of a moderate democrat,†says Silas Lee, national pollster and sociology professor at Xavier University in New Orleans.
With even John McCain running as the maverick Republican, Clinton will also need a fresh face or someone who is not associated with the mess in Washington.
THE OBAMA/CLINTON BALLOT
Evidence continues to build against the success of an Obama/Clinton presidential ticket. Rutgers’s University political science professor emeritus Gerald Pomper’s commentary on the Rasmussen Website offers that an Obama/Clinton ticket is pushing the limits of tolerance especially when it is considered that white males constitute 40% of the electorate. He claims that democrats will need to counter the appeal of John McCain to this group of the constituency.
If Obama were to choose Clinton as his running mate, 29% of his supporters would favor her as opposed to 53% of her supporters who would favor him. Many interpret