Obama On Sebelius For VP: "I Love Kathleen"

Yesterday, Obama gave the Kansas governor high praise on a Missouri Fox affiliate, going so far as to hint that she could be his vice presidential nominee:

I love Kathleen Sebelius. I think she is as talented a public official as there is right now. Integrity. Competence. She can work with all people of all walks of life, but I promised that I am not going to say anything about my vice president until I actually introduce my vice president.

The Huffington Post's Sam Stein profiled Sebelius in June and concluded that she "presents a heap of electoral promise but with small but significant question marks."

Read The Huffington Post's rundown of potential Obama VP candidates here.

Comments

[Vern58]

I said it before and i will say it again.....­....
I have met Kate Sibelius on several occasions (she is an old acquaintance of my Mother's)
She is one tough lady. She is a fearless campaigner, an excellent administrator and state executive.
She is a tremendous public speaker. She has a reputation for holding a tough line with Republicans, yet being able to work with them on matters of importance. In person, she is warm and personable and she has that rare gift of making you feel like you are the only one in the room. She has accomplished a remarkable feat of taking the state of Kansas from millions in the hole and making it fiscally solvent again. She has fought hard on the social issues as well, virtually taking on the forces of Ignorance, namely the Creationists who want to take school curriculum to the stone ages and making them look like the fools they are, no small feat in a state like Kansas. Her position on civil rights, Womens rights of choice, and peace and justice issues are uncompromising. She is the most wildly popular Kansas Governor since Robert Docking in the 60s (and yes he was a Democrat).
All in all she makes my pick seem

[Bulbul]

Who ?

[Vern58]

Governor of Kansas. See above

[Plowboy]

There are severaal possible VP choicesw who would serve us well, and that is the main thing.
But I can think of only one who will serve us well and can help win the election. That one is Webb.
Obama/Webb would be a sure winner. But Obama can win with others, too. Including Chuck Hagel, whom I also like.

[Vern58]

In a perfect world i would find Chuck Hagel very attractive. But this is no perfect world and you stand a better chance of existing permanently as a snowball in Hades before you would see that happening.

[jeanrenoir]

The great thing about Sebelius is how she represents what a great new crop of potential national figures the Dems have got now. She's a much more appealing figure than Hillary Clinton, every bit as smart and a person of much greater integrity, not to mention no Bubba baggage. I still hope Obama goes for the jugular, however, and chooses Jim Webb as his progressive Agnew to demolish McCain's only ace, the crazy assumption that five years in the Hanoi Hilton means that any patriot would automatically vote for the guy to give us a third Bush term of proxy wars in the Middle East for Israel.

[gurukalehuru]

That wasn't a hint, it was just standard praise.
But I'd like to respond to the commenter who was worried that Obama's VP pick would be a disaster. Not likely. He has a very strong field to choose from. The only disaster would be Hillary, and he's not going to do that.
On the other hand, McCain's potentials all have huge, glaring flaws. I would elaborate, but I'd probably get banned again.

[PAposter]

...yeah, keep it clean guru, LOL!

[NeoStar9]

If Sen. Obama decides to pick Gov. Sebelius for VP I think he could get away with it if he announces his potential cabinet at the same time I agree. If he does that I wouldn't be surprised to see Sen. Clinton in a very high position along with maybe Sen. Hagel as well. If he can name Sen. Clinton to a great spot it might be better then being VP or very well put her in a better position to run for President again in the future (if Obama goes the 8 and Sebelius decides not to run herself after that).

[Plowboy]

Historically, it hasn't proven to be a good idea to announce a cabinet before winning the election. IKt gives the opposition too much to shoot at.
But with the great number of good choices availaable, Obamas might get away with it.
Webb, Politano, Richardson, Sebelius, Hagel, Edwards, Clark, and others are strong and might carry more weight in the campaign if there were some perception of their future roles.
I suppose that Obama will only hint at such and let it go at that, but I also expect all to be involved in his administration.

[NeoStar9]

True but like you said he might be able to get away with it. it paints a good picture of how he'll govern if he lets out who is strongly favored for certain roles. A form of transparency I think which I think the American people could appreciate. If he puts Republicans in there as well it might even lessen some of the attacks that the McCain camp might launch since Obama would be showing to the American people he's bridging the divide. Are McCain's people going to attack him for showing that he is actually reaching across the aisle in such a public fashion? Would people take kindly to him being attacked for that reason?

Attacks on Obama if he announced a cabinet might actually backfire I think if shots are taken at him and those named.

[Lautenberg]

If you watch the interview. The reporter brings up Kathleen and Barack is nice about her. he was equally nice when asked about Richardson, Biden, Dodd, Webb, Clark, and Edwards. He by no means said Kathleen will be the nominee. The headline of this article is misleading.

She may be the choice. I believe it is risky to have the first black man run with the first woman because you can only make people take so many leaps of faith. I personally would be onboard with any of the above name. I do believe a more experienced running mate might be a balanced ticket also. i am open though. I just felt that Biden has spoken to me throughout the campaign. I even voted for him in the NY primaries. I also believe he will respect Obama's leadership.

[AxelDC]

I am sorry, but how is hiring a qualified person a "leap of faith"?

I am so sick of sexism and racism in America. Either you hire the most qualified person, or you are a bigot. Bottom line!

[PAposter]

I think a "leap of faith" may have been the wrong wording, but I agree that the first Black and first Woman should not run together. These two historical candidates should have separate entries into the history books. When a women is voted into the White House, I want her at the top of the ticket, just like the first Black candidate.

[SeanGardner]

I agree with you. Obama is immensely qualified. So is Sebelius.

The problem is you have to many people (Democrats and Progressives included) who have bought into the twisted thinking that only white males can represent everyone, therefore, they don't represent "a leap of faith".

And another thing, I am sick and tired of people referring to Obama running with Sebelius as "a black man with a woman", which was how the Obama Hillary contest was described. This is equally insidious because it holds Obama to race, and Hillary ONLY to gender. This is misleading. For instance, not every black woman voted for Obama because of race, and not every white woman voted for Hillary because of gender.

SImply put, if Barack Obama, a black man, picks Hillary Clinton, a white woman, or Sebelius another white woman, the ticket will be great, and it will represent ALL Americans because non-white males can lead nations as well.

Obama '08

[Plowboy]

The problem is that no matter how qualified one may be, if honest, he or she cannot serve without winning the election.
We do not want anything like Bush in the office -- or in getting there.
So it may be worth thinking about who can help most in doing that.
I love Sebelius but she wouldn't help like Webb, whom I also love.
As for your list, all but Biden could get my approval, but he is the AIPAC choice, and I won't be dictated to by them any more. Biden's reputed expertese was typified by "his" plan to dismantle Iraq: a plan identical to the one Ze'ev Schiff published in Israel a quarter century back! (That one also had the US invading, conquering, and destroying -- for them.)
I hope that all the others campaign intensively with Obama and talk about the things they know best and how they will go about fixing the Bush mess.

[JimR]

Um, we're talking about the American electorate here. The same one that elected Bush. Twice.

[Lautenberg]

Because peopele are silly afraid and insecure and they will remain so weather it makes you angry or not. Maybe you can pull a Hilary and lose the election just to prove your not sexist.

[SenorBob]

Geraldine Ferraro was the first female VP candidate. Sebelius would not be a first.

[Lautenberg]

Kathleen would be the first female Vice President wiseguy. Unless your saying Geraldine Ferraro was elected Vice President. It was my understanding that SHE LOST THE ELECTION, and in non intellectual land that means she never served and Kathleen would still be the first femal VP.

Should we count Joe Lieberman as the first Jewish Vice president. He lost too.

[RobtBrock]

Sebelius is an interesting choice but wouldn't it be embarrassing if your VP choice couldn't deliver their own state? Kansas hasn't voted for the Dem side since 1964.

[NeoStar9]

True but it's looking more and more like McCain's own state might be up for grabs. If he loses that then it wouldn't be so bad. Look at it as a potential trade off. Also we don't know for sure if McCain's VP can bring their own state as well.

[AxelDC]

Why is that an embarrassment? How many VP picks have "delivered their own state"? The only one who springs to mind if LBJ, but Texas was a solidly Democratic state in 1960. Going back, most of them either have lost their state or would have won it without them:

Won state, but would have won anyway:

Cheney (WY/TX), Lieberman (CT), Gore (TN), Quayle (IN), Bush (TX), Mondale (MN), Dole (KS), Agnew (MD), Muskie (MN), Humphey (MN)

Lost own state:

Edwards (NC), Kemp (NY), Bentsen (TX), Ferraro (NY), Shriver (MD), Miller (NY), Lodge (MA)

There are many other issues besides state level politics. Obama doesn't need KS to win, and if he does win, it's a sign of a landslide in his favor. On the other hand, it would widen his lead among women, give him more Mid-western credentials that helps in Missouri and Colorado, and gives him a proven leader who can win in a deeply Republican state and who is feared by the opposition.

[DennyCrane]

The idea that the running mate is expected to bring in their home state is antiquated. Besides, Sebelius may not be able to win Kansas for the Democrats, but her father was a former governor of Ohio. That might be enough to push Ohio into the Democrats column. Ohio would be a much bigger prize than Kansas.

[Lautenberg]

I do think Joe Biden would be an equally strong candidate.

[recruitgal]

He could probably go for Kathleen if, at the same time, he announces his main Cabinet positions and they include a raft of foreign policy experts (Biden, Richardson, etc). Otherwise, it may leave him open to criticisms about lack of 'heft' on the ticket.

[harriscrl3]

I can see her being in his cabinet but I dont see her as VP at all. The mere fact that he said he love her is why. I think she is very similar to him and I dont think he wants a VP who is like him. I dont think that obama is the kind of person who is afraid of people who dont agree with him so I see a VP who he respects but who is not going to always agree with him. I just think its going to be Joe Biden even if he said he doesnt want to be ask. Some say they dont want to be VP but I doubt if anyone ever turns it down.

Carol

[SEQUOIABISON]

She is one very courageous woman, coming out early for Obama when a woman was also running, that to me was very telling and I think very helpful for Barack, yes I could see her as VP.

[AnotherTry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4RgIc02QY4

[SeanGardner]

Picking Sebelius would also allow Obama to appraoch the issue of civil rights from an interesting position. Gov. Sebelius' kids are products of the Topeka school system which was a flashpoint in the early Civil Rights Movement with the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Topeka, Kansas U.S. Supreme Court decision. This may not seem like much in any old year, but when you throw in the fact that Barack Obama (the likely nominee) will give the Democratic Presidential Address, in prime time, on the 45 anniversary of the March on Washington, then the Topeka, Kansas Supreme Court case takes on tremendous relevance.

[Probus]

A good VP candidate must be able to deliver their own state even if it's a conservative one. Also they must be someone who can check their ego at the door and push Obama's policies even if they disagree with them. They shouldn't be afraid to get into a verbal spat with the McCain campaign unlike Edwards in 2004. They should have some military experience and a heavy amount of foreign policy experience. They must be someone who was against the Iraq war from the beginning. They must also be someone who can fit into the mold of Obama's campaign theme of hope and change. The person Obama picks should not be a "Washington insider" like Clinton. They should be able to significantly help with the older female vote, working class voters of OH, IN, TX and PA. They must also be able to carry the independent vote which is crucial to winning the presidency. Finally they must be someone who will carry Obama's message from the time they are chosen to election day.

[AxelDC]

Where did this CW spring up? The VP's job is to advise the president, fill in for him as needed, and be a good campaigner. If you are only picking based on geography, then he should choose someone from Florida.

The history of VP's deciding their own state is pretty short and questionable. Why should Obama disqualify great politicians from his ticket because they are geographic­ally-chall­enged?

[JimR]

No, I agree with Probus. Politics is about perception. And if the polls show a running mate losing his or her own state, that is perceived as a weakness.

Remember, it's not logic. It's politics.