July 7, 2008

"Edwards is the white Barack Obama. He's an inexperienced, pampered, liberal wimp whose biggest assets are his charisma and how he looks."

Pithy assessments of 24 possible VP picks for Obama — with a sharp right-wing edge.

21 comments:

Mortimer Brezny said...

Ralph Nader works for Right Wing News?

MadisonMan said...

Obama cannot pick a Senator. Well, he can, but he really shouldn't. Imagine my dismay if McCain and Obama both pick Senators as running mates. You can't imagine it.

I thought Sam Nunn was dead. I wonder who I am confusing him with.

George M. Spencer said...

Webb immunizes Obama against charges that he's a leftist pacifist Moslem drug-sniffin' pussy-whipped cigarette-smoking spy.

Webb is a Christian war-fightin' man with many tattoos. He drinks long necks in badass bars. He wears boots. He kills animals with guns, arrows, and with his own hands, if need be. He slapped President Bush in that famous incident which was all hushed up by the media. He helps Obama win not just Virginia but all of Appalachia, including western Pennsylvania. He helps with all white males, especially blue collars.

He also has ties to Michigan, home of the soon-to-be bankrupt General Motors and where the food is running out, except that which Webb delivers by sled over the mountains chased by wolves.

Plus, his wife is a high-finance Asian lawyering warrior who fled Communism in a small open boat.

Palladian said...

"Webb immunizes Obama against charges that he's a leftist pacifist Moslem drug-sniffin' pussy-whipped cigarette-smoking spy."

Why do people think that the positive qualities of a Vice Presidential candidate mitigate the negative qualities of the Presidential candidate? The office of the Vice President has (or was supposed to have until recently) very limited and specific responsibilities. It's not a co-President. While it may provide some small positive boost, I don't think it's enough to shore up a weak candidate.

Anonymous said...

Why would Webb want to be associated with a "leftist pacifist Moslem drug-sniffin' pussy-whipped cigarette-smoking spy"?

Bissage said...

Those pithy assessments are utterly useless without spousal glamour shots.

Spread Eagle said...

Legend has it that his naval academy classmate Ollie North cold-cocked him in the ring back in the day, and ever since Webb really hasn't been mentally quite right.

Chip Ahoy said...

Second guessing a candidate's choice of VP is an exercise in futility. It's a game. For a writer, it's masturbation. Just when you think you've got it all rationalized the candidate reaches behind and pulls a name right out of his arse. Think, Bush 41.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Lars asked:
"Why would Webb want to be associated with a "leftist pacifist Moslem drug-sniffin' pussy-whipped cigarette-smoking spy"?"

I know you are using hyperbole Lars but that is the $64,000 question. I bet Webb disagrees with most of what Obama said he believed yesterday versus what he said he believed the day before etc.

Modern Otter said...

Webb immunizes Obama against charges that he's a leftist pacifist Moslem drug-sniffin' pussy-whipped cigarette-smoking spy.

Webb dips snuff, which I guess would contribute to his vice presidential pitcher of warm spit. (Eeeyew!)

He also has ties to Michigan, home of the soon-to-be bankrupt General Motors and where the food is running out, except that which Webb delivers by sled over the mountains chased by wolves.

Since the whole issue of direct political benefits of a veep candidate's home state is pretty dicey, how much of a difference could a peripheral connection like this? Kathy Sebelius is daughter of a former Ohio (Republican) governor. How many Ohio votes is that worth? (But I like Gov. Sebelius in the slot--think she might play well as an Eva to HRC's Zsa Zsa.)

It occurs to me Republican candidates do well with outspoken hatchetman running mates (Agnew, Quayle, Cheney). I'm not so sure this works as well with the DemocratIC voter mindset.

George M. Spencer said...

Palladian--

Jim Webb is comin' to your house in his pick-up--the one with Calvin prayin' in the rear windor--and he's gonna kick yer butt.

His son's in Eye-rak. Did I mention that!?!

Randy said...

There is little evidence to support the contention that anyone chosen as a vice-presidential candidate made any significant difference when the ballots were counted, and there's no reason to believe that 2008 will prove any different.

Moose said...

Which brings me back to one of my earlier observations: just what is the difference between Edwards and Obama?

Other than the obvious (race, early career, etc.) Edwards and Obama are pretty much copies of each others, particularly if you look at their overall positions.

Edwards is a bit more of the "angry man" activist, and Obama is the "new hope" guy. Again, though - if you examine their positions on things, they are quite similiar.

Clearly the most obvious diffrence is the reason that Obama is the designated leader and Edwards was an also ran - race. Coupled with Obama's speaking style he was seized upon by the press and the netroots as the promising candidate and he leapfrogged ahead of Hillary and Edwards.

Moose said...

Which brings me back to one of my earlier observations: just what is the difference between Edwards and Obama?

Other than the obvious (race, early career, etc.) Edwards and Obama are pretty much copies of each others, particularly if you look at their overall positions.

Edwards is a bit more of the "angry man" activist, and Obama is the "new hope" guy. Again, though - if you examine their positions on things, they are quite similiar.

Clearly the most obvious diffrence is the reason that Obama is the designated leader and Edwards was an also ran - race. Coupled with Obama's speaking style he was seized upon by the press and the netroots as the promising candidate and he leapfrogged ahead of Hillary and Edwards.

Anonymous said...

This guy dismisses Romney as a VP candidate when it seems obvious to me that Romney and McCain came to an agreement that Mitt was going to be the VP when he dropped out of the primary.

Romney's friend Meg Whitman of eBay moved over to work for McCain as soon as Mitt dropped out.

I think they have her in mind for Sec. of Commerce.

Saint Obama will go with someone from Ohio or Virginia, probably a governor. Strickland or Mark Warner.

And they will both lose.

Anonymous said...

Ok, one down and out.

veni vidi vici said...

"Which brings me back to one of my earlier observations: just what is the difference between Edwards and Obama?"

Batting v. catching; top v. bottom?


Seriously, if these two gonads McCain and Obama choose fellow-senators as their running mates, we can just call the lot the "4 horsemen" and start looking for hiding places. It's bad enough that both major parties' candidates come from the only body with a lower approval rating than President Bush has enjoyed lately; I'd be amazed yet not entirely surprised to see them compound the error by choosing their running mates from the senate or congress.

And then we will all lose.

dick said...

George,

Yes you did mention it. So will Webb when he parks his son's boots on the stage and carries them over his soldier. But don't make too much of the war. Should not push the military part of it. The dems want to push the economy and taxes, not the war.

Webb is using his own son to bolster himself since he was a disaster as Sec of the Navy.

Cedarford said...

I'm surprised by the list omitting Swing State Gov Ed Rendell. He is a doer, has the Penn election organization solidly under him, and besides Gov was a solid mayor of Philly before it all went to hell with other inexperienced black Team Axelrod prepped, set up with soaring speeches from their writing team, and prepped for weeks on speech style, timing, and teleprompter reading.

Rendel is a nominal Jew that has related well to Catholics all his life. He would help shield Obama a bit more from "secret Muslim sympathizer" voter sentiments.

Plus, his days as a bagman between powerful Jews money interests and the Philly Machine helps "normalize" Obama's own aromatic associations with the Daley Machine, NOI, shady power brokers, and wealthy Jews in Chicago.

Rendel will cheerfully defend it as politics as normal. "Rezkos? I've known a hundred Rezkos. Hired some, too! Jewish real estate billionaires writing law and zoning mods in Philly in 'pay to play"? Heck, nothing like Wall Street...Besides, as if Republicans don't have their Saudi and Texas oil billionaires!"

*************
Spread Eagle said...
Legend has it that his naval academy classmate Ollie North cold-cocked him in the ring back in the day, and ever since Webb really hasn't been mentally quite right.


Truth is, North did knock him old cold. Story is Webb ran his mouth off for a week about North going down, North saying nothing. They entered the ring with Webb and his backers full of bluster. Down went Webb.

Kinda like casting Shaq against chatterbox Kobe in a confrontation.

**************
Veni Vici Vidi - It's bad enough that both major parties' candidates come from the only body with a lower approval rating than President Bush has enjoyed lately; I'd be amazed yet not entirely surprised to see them compound the error by choosing their running mates from the senate or congress.

Amen. Great point.

On other comments.

1. jdeeripper - I see no deal with Romney. Romney said he bowed out as he did not to prolong matters to give McCain a better chance and released his organization. I believe him. On matters of his word, he seems a pretty ethical guy.
Remember that as Mccain weighs Romney's suitability, Romney weighs if if it would be better to sit out 2008 if it is a total debacle under McCains policies and campaign efforts and position himself better for 2012.
And Romney may actually prefer to be the "fix-it" guy assigned to address America's coming fiscal emergency as Treasury Secretary, or as energy czar or healthcare czar.

2. Randy's observation that VP selections do not influence voters is not correct, IMO. It appears that voters don't buy "ticket-balancing", but they want a VP worthy and ready to step into the Presidency if something happens. Which they see as a high-odds thing since Truman. Eisenhower's heart attack, JFK, LBJ's heart attack, Spiro Agnew's corruption, Ford escaping assassination twice, Carter collapsing jogging, Reagan almost taken out by Hinckley. then having bowel cancer surgery, Dubya choked out on a pretzel and having a radical chuck a handgrenade at him on a trip to Georgia.

High plausibility, and that is why avoiding a bad VP pick is more important than getting the perfect good pick.

The Eagleton affair considerably trashed McGoverns convention. Nixon losing Agnew and replacing him with a moderate Ford well-liked by Dems and Republicans helped remove Nixon in the end they wouldn't have gone with President Agnew, disliked by both sides as a dimbulb.....Dole hurt Ford. Quayle midly hurt Bush I. Then Stockdales poor 1st impression not only hurt Perot as appearing to pick a guy not playing with a full deck (debate impression) - but hurt Bush by driving ethnic Democrats away from Perot's populism to Clinton.

And Kerry selecting Silky Pony Boy hurt Kerry more than it helped in a close election.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I was surprised at Rendell being left off ths list to.

But rumor has it the Republicans want Rendell on the ticket because they can prove he is a big bigtime typical tax & spend liberal.

Their proof is the state budget increased by more than 42% in the six years Rendell has been governor. Hell he spent like George Bush but at least Bush is fighting a war on terror.

The Rendell increase of 42% does not include the Billions more he spent via off-the-budget bond initiatives. Rendell has quietly bankrupted the state.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Webb just announced he will pass on the VP job. I ain't surprised.