Letters to the Editor
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Joe Biden
For foreign policy experience and maturity. No idea why Barack can't have someone "too old". Biden's only other perceived negatives are well-known public speaking gaffes the public will easily forgive as trivial.
Too much bad blood with Hillary at this point. The public will perceive it as a shotgun marriage, and it's hard to imagine Clinton as a supporting actor at this point.
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Leonardo Dicaprio
With the convention song the theme from TITANIC.
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Demographics
I reject the idea that it's appropriate or even desirable to select a nominee for the office based primarily on demographic choices, as your article leads one to do.
The nominee for V.P. should be selected because that person is the best candidate for the job and has good relationship dynamics with the head of the ticket. Let's go with "right fit" and "right mix of values and talents" instead of external characteristics like race, gender, office held, age, religion, etc. A values driven process involves a new way of governing that works to unite the country in the process.
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Quiz or commentary (propaganda)
I was pretty shocked by my options after I took the test. I guess if my qualifications don't match anyone, Salon just picks for me three candidates that do not meet any of my qualifications. So this vetted pool of "likely" candidates is just supporting the fallacy of limited alternatives. I expect better.
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My Robo Pick
came up with Gov. Napolitano of AZ. Would be an interesting choice & should put AZ in play. I hadn't really thought of her before & she is probably not my first pick. I think Evan Bayh, Jim Webb, or Tom Vilsack would be good. I also wouldn't mind either Clinton in the spot.
Alo, Gov. of Ohio (Ted Strickland) is very popular. No Rep. has ever been elected president without taking Ohio.
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Colin Powell?! Colin Powell?!
Why the fuck is he on this list?!
At one time, he could have easily been elected president, but he blew it when he got up and lied for the Bush Regime to give them justification for their illegal war in Iraq!
In a more perfect world, Powell would be defending himself against war crimes along with Bush/Cheney/Rumsfelt and Rice.
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Well...
...this sure was a waste of my time.
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Some strategic advice
For those who are picking a VP candidate based on any hope or expectation of a 16-year Dem presidency -- let's make sure we win this election first. Hubris about a "permanent majority" helped doom Republicans, and they were already in power at the time.
It's head-out-of-the-clouds time. Obama, despite not being especially liberal, has the liberal vote locked down, as well as the black vote, and should be able to turn out these constituencies in unprecedented numbers. An outwardly liberal VP like Feingold or Edwards (even if they want it) adds nothing to the ticket in terms of electability.
Also, there's no rule that Obama would have to run with the same VP in 2112. An older candidate with military chops balances the ticket this time around, is unlikely to be tarred by the media with having his own agenda, provides a reassuring chain of command, and can dutifully step aside in 2112 to make way for a prez candidate-in-training (if everything goes well).
For these reasons, I'll reiterate my support for Wes Clark. I like Webb, too -- but a pugnacious introvert with a Senate record worries me as a national candidate. And, shallow though it may be, Wes Clark is better looking. Can't pretend that doesn't make a difference.
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this is
bullsh1t
i would not choose any of those running mates. so... what choice do i have?
oh yeah! lesser of two evils, two party domination!
we're f*cked.
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Sam Nunn
Why isn't former Senator Sam Nunn among the choices? He could be just what Obama needs.. He's from the South, has great credibility among the military brass & could lend a bit more gravitas to the ticket. They'd be an unbeatable team vs. McCain.
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C'mon these are Democrats we're talking about
Any half Asian handicapped lesbian midget ex jihadi will do. If you're gonna implode, implode all the way.
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A bold suggestion?
Here's an interesting idea for rounding out the Obama ticket......
Newt Gingrich.
Yes, you heard right....Newt Gingrich, the one-time bete noir of the '94 Republican Revolution.....Newt Gingrich, the forward-thinking, brainy former Speaker of the House.
Newt would give the Obama ticket the conservative credentials that the McCain candidacy lacks. He would also help win the Bubba vote in those Southern states that may be reluctant to vote for a black man.
How about Newt?
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The answer is Gov. Mike Easley of North Carolina.
I hate to say this, but if we actually want to WIN this election, we have to get a Southern white male governor and military vet as the VP. Otherwise, we lose the rural vote, the Southern vote, a big chunk of the white vote, and a bunch of on-the-fence Republicans.
I find Jim Webb immensely appealing, but the McCainsters will be beside themselves with glee to be running against a ticket with a combined--what, 8 years' experience? (Not counting Webb's tenure as secretary of the Navy, of course.) Besides, two senators is too inside-the-Beltway. Otherwise, Chuck Hagel would be a great choice.
Enter Mike Easley. Governor of a major Souther state since 2000. White male with silver hair. Conservative Democrat (e.g., pro death penalty). Someone whom the white, socially conservative voters could identify with or at least feel comfortable with.
And Hillary on the Supreme Court? You can't be serious. Even if you think she's been a great senator, you can't say she's been a leading force in American jurisprudence. She's never been even a county judge, never mind an appeals judge. I'm not positive, but I don't think she's even been a lawyer. If so, it's been decades. She flunked the bar her first time out, for goodness' sake.
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Here's Why
All kidding aside, Clarke would be a great choice for VP. He certainly has the credentials to go up against McCain, and unlike Jim Webb, he has name recognition nationally. He is a Hillary supporter so that would help bring the Democratic party back together after this contentious primary. He's not a Washington insider so he'd fit in with the "change" motto, and he'd be a great Pres. when Obama was done.