Official Veep Predictions
(updated below)
Okay, I know the whole "Veepstakes" thing is a stupid pundit parlor game, but indulge me for a moment; I have to put my predictions on the record or I can't brag about them if they turn out to be right. So here goes.
McCain's VP = Charlie Crist
As I observed the other day, I find it very odd that the McCain campaign hasn't spent a dime on television advertising in Florida, a state that McCain absolutely has to win. Is that because he's known for a long time now that he was going to choose Florida's popular governor as his running mate? That's my theory. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if McCain all but promised the VP spot to Crist in exchange for his endorsement just before the Florida Republican primary. That well-timed endorsement was a pivotal moment in the race. Without it, Mitt Romney might have won the state and gone on to be the Republican nominee.
Obama's VP = Jim Webb
I know: he already took his name out of the running, but hear me out. The Obama campaign is a tightly run operation and it wouldn't surprise me if most of the public speculation is off base. Obama is clearly very interested in winning Virginia. We know that Tim Kaine has been vetted for the job. And there have been reports that the Obama team recently approached Mark Warner and tried to convince him to change his mind about being vetted. Whose to say they didn't do the same thing with Webb?
Moreover, the theme of the convention on the Wednesday the VP candidate is slated to speak is "Securing America's Future," and according to convention co-chair Kathleen Sebelius, Obama’s vice presidential candidate will address “the contributions and incredible service of America’s veterans.” Think about that for a second. Who is the biggest spokesman for veteran's issues in the Democratic party? Clearly it's Jim Webb, the guy who just pushed through the new GI bill. And yet he doesn't appear anywhere on the list of speakers for that day or any other days. That seems very odd to me (then again, I don't see John Kerry or Wesley Clark on the list either, and both of them seem like obvious choices for speaking roles as well, so maybe I'm reading too much into this). We'll see.
I suppose I could have guessed Biden or Bayh. Those are the two names the punditry seems to have settled on as the most likely choices. And maybe they're right. But that would be a boring prediction, so I'm sticking with Webb.
UPDATE: Marc Ambinder reports that Obama will be in Virginia next Thursday, so that's at least not inconsistent with my crazy Webb-as-VP prediction.
On a related note, I hope the speaking schedules aren't finalized because there are a bunch of key names missing. Regardless of who is chosen as VP, it would be ridiculous not to have Jim Webb, Al Gore, John Kerry, and Wesley Clark speak at the convention. All four of those guys should be prominently featured.
Okay, I know the whole "Veepstakes" thing is a stupid pundit parlor game, but indulge me for a moment; I have to put my predictions on the record or I can't brag about them if they turn out to be right. So here goes.
McCain's VP = Charlie Crist
As I observed the other day, I find it very odd that the McCain campaign hasn't spent a dime on television advertising in Florida, a state that McCain absolutely has to win. Is that because he's known for a long time now that he was going to choose Florida's popular governor as his running mate? That's my theory. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if McCain all but promised the VP spot to Crist in exchange for his endorsement just before the Florida Republican primary. That well-timed endorsement was a pivotal moment in the race. Without it, Mitt Romney might have won the state and gone on to be the Republican nominee.
Obama's VP = Jim Webb
I know: he already took his name out of the running, but hear me out. The Obama campaign is a tightly run operation and it wouldn't surprise me if most of the public speculation is off base. Obama is clearly very interested in winning Virginia. We know that Tim Kaine has been vetted for the job. And there have been reports that the Obama team recently approached Mark Warner and tried to convince him to change his mind about being vetted. Whose to say they didn't do the same thing with Webb?
Moreover, the theme of the convention on the Wednesday the VP candidate is slated to speak is "Securing America's Future," and according to convention co-chair Kathleen Sebelius, Obama’s vice presidential candidate will address “the contributions and incredible service of America’s veterans.” Think about that for a second. Who is the biggest spokesman for veteran's issues in the Democratic party? Clearly it's Jim Webb, the guy who just pushed through the new GI bill. And yet he doesn't appear anywhere on the list of speakers for that day or any other days. That seems very odd to me (then again, I don't see John Kerry or Wesley Clark on the list either, and both of them seem like obvious choices for speaking roles as well, so maybe I'm reading too much into this). We'll see.
I suppose I could have guessed Biden or Bayh. Those are the two names the punditry seems to have settled on as the most likely choices. And maybe they're right. But that would be a boring prediction, so I'm sticking with Webb.
UPDATE: Marc Ambinder reports that Obama will be in Virginia next Thursday, so that's at least not inconsistent with my crazy Webb-as-VP prediction.
On a related note, I hope the speaking schedules aren't finalized because there are a bunch of key names missing. Regardless of who is chosen as VP, it would be ridiculous not to have Jim Webb, Al Gore, John Kerry, and Wesley Clark speak at the convention. All four of those guys should be prominently featured.
posted by A.L. at 4:06 PM
8 Comments:
I don't know about Webb... he seemed like a good choice to me, but you know the Republicans are going to run with the offbeat themes in all of his Vietnam novels.
Not like Evan "Rose Garden" Bayh is any better.
He's not spending money in Florida because Florida's a money pit and he doesn't need to spend money there because it's about a 70-75%er for McCain. Demographically, it's just not a good Obama state at all. He's happy to let Obama throw money away there. And Crist comes off as a bit of a goofball with this shotgun marriage thing...
And Jim Webb? Jim Webb??!! Webb refused to even submit his papers to be vetted. Not only would that make him risky (and Obama is risk-averse) but it doesn't exactly bode well for Webb as a teammate. It has to be Bayh. Bayh provides every facet Obama is missing without stepping on Obama's message of change and without the ticket losing the youthfulness (versus McCain's grumpy old man) image.
((( "Who is the biggest spokesman for veteran's issues in the Democratic party? Clearly it's Jim Webb..." )))
Clearly, it's the once-Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, 4-star General Wesley Clark.
((( Moreover, the theme of the convention on the Wednesday the VP candidate is slated to speak is "Securing America's Future"... )))
...which just happens to be the name of Wesley Clark's political action committee:
http://securingamerica.com/
I hope the speaking schedules aren't finalized because there are a bunch of key names missing. Regardless of who is chosen as VP, it would be ridiculous not to have Jim Webb, Al Gore, John Kerry, and Wesley Clark speak at the convention. All four of those guys should be prominently featured.
Let's see here....
Gore's choice for Veep.....LIEBERMAN!!!
Kerry's choice for Veep....EDWARDS!!!!
Brilliant. Just. Fucking. Brilliant.
And you think these nut-jobs should speak at the convention?
No wonder the Democratic party is in shambles.
I have a weird running thought that Obama will choose a Republican in the spirit of a "new kinds of politics and bi-partisanship". Am kind of hung up on how the convention would accept this theory however.
I do believe it would be brilliant though as Repubs in Congress and Senate would have a hard time being obstructionists when it affects their party also.
I disagree about both: Crist is gay according to a number of sites, despite his recent engagement--Larry Craig anyone; Webb is necessary to keep the Senate in Democratic hands and their is no strong, identifiable replacement.
Except that, I read earlier this week that the Obama campaign had told Clark that he was persona non grata in Denver.
So who is caving in to whom? Tom Daschle is afraid of the Big, Bad GOP? Or, is it someone else?
My money is on Caroline....
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