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

[shel3364]

He said several months ago that he would announce when he's ready. His answer here is in direct response to whether he'd pick her or not.

I think he's going to surprise us all.

[JohnnieP]

Wesley Clark should be Obama's running-mate. The Democratic ticket should include someone
who has a far more extensive knowledge of both the Military and National Security than McCain, who
paints himself in the role of "Joe America."

[TrueIndy08]

WEBB before Clark....

but Clark before this lady

[personalpolitical]

Webb is a bad choice, he doesn't have the personality of a #2, he has way too much baggage, he would make Obama look weak by making it appear he needed a babysitter, and perhaps most importantly WE CAN'T GIVE UP HIS SENATE SEAT!!!!!

Webb stays, just like all members of congress in competitive districts or states, period.

[GolfingDevil05]

Webb would be great, and he would be my favorite for the job, but I'm wondering if Democrats can afford to lose his voice in the Senate with such a thin majority. I don't know if he can take for granted that Democrats will pick up more seats in the Senate, so Obama may need to consider someone outside of it for that reason alone. Clark would be my second choice under those circumstances.

[edwarvir]

trueIndy08 Senator O has to be careful about Webb, I heard he has
somethings in his back round that might turn off the Black vote.

He is a southerner but I don't know exactly what he is suppose to have
done or said. Jack C on CNN was talking about it but I missed the
most of it. I have a feeling that when Senator O get's ready to pick
his Veep we his donors will be the first to know. He will e-mail us
He's like that. I like Wexler

[PennP]

Wow, I just listened to the clip, and the premise of this article is absolutely false. The quotations, taken out of context, make it seem that that was what he was hinting at, but I drew a completely different conclusion from what he actually said in response to the question.

This is getting disturbing, whether it's coming from HP's people or pickups from the wires. I feel as if we're being played. Fox News might be able to do this, and ABC's blog, but not here.

[theone718]

Don't you just love the media for stuff like that? Lol WOW.

[SanityClaus]

HP is getting progressively worse every day. The editors and the writers of the "teasers" and headlines are manipulating the content of their own articles in order to sensationalize stories that, as in this case, fail to live up to the hype on closer examination.

It's all about increasing the time people spend on the site and the number of comments they post so that HP can command higher ad rates. And it's incredibly disappointing to see the so-called "new media" imitating the worst aspects of the old.

[personalpolitical]

I'm very disappointed with Huffington Post, and if I could find a decent substitute I'd quit coming here...maybe I'll start looking harder, Daily Kos would probably work, I'm sick of this trash though, and constantly trying to hype up anti-Obama crap.

[JoyceBains]

HP IS getting awful. I used to check it every day. Now I'm looking for a new place to get my news. That North Korea non-story was more or less the last straw for me.

[BigSid]

GUARANTEED TO LOSE

If Obama picks Sebelius he will definitely lose.

[TrueIndy08]

second that...

Obama/Webb 08

winning ticket

[strifeknot]

Why? She's a superior pick to your chunt H!llary.

[BigSid]

Wow...how civilized.

[Eoin45]

And you can predict this how? I get so tired of posters who think they alone can predict the future.

[BigSid]

Just a feeling I have. I bet you kinda feel it, too.

[Texas4Obama]

Yes! Obama/Sebelius would be awesome!

[zendem1]

Won't be her. He's just yodeling up the gulley.

[edwarvir]

zendem1 Senator O didn't say anything like Fox news is reporting they are
nuts over there

[BabsfromKS]

YES! She has turned an historically RED state to purple through her bibartisan efforts She eliminated a $1.1 billion state debt that she inherited without raising taxes. She is a STRONG supporter of public education, the environment, and womens' health issues.

[TrueIndy08]

where is her national security and foreign policy experience.... try to downplay it, but with that idiot W drumming up Iran everyday... we will need someone STRONG on those issues.. she just doesn't have it

[rh654]

MMM - you mean a politician that gets things done?

Sadly - the American Public would never go for that...

[kellygrrrl]

ugh

[luvobama]

Sorry Babs. She could solve the Israeli/Palestine crisis and Americans still wouldn't have that ticket. Too sexist and too racist. Darn shame, however realistic.

[GeoLee]

Yeah and this week our papers were loaded with the fact that our state is nearing using up all our back up money as tax revenues are way down.... Not raising taxes may come to haunt all of us in Kansas in the next few months as coutny services get slashed to the bone and when school starts up and all those school buses are on the roads at 2 x the cost of last year, the remaining 12 million or so will put the state in a huge crisis. And who will take over if she were to leave? A former head of the Kansas Repubican Party she persuaded to switch parties to run wiht her as Lt. GOV. And this Kansas born and lifelong citizen does not believe Mark Parkinson will totally adhere to all her policies and at this moment McCain is still up by 12-20 points in most polls. Babs have you counted up the years in the last half century where Dems have been governors? In case you have not , the number is 29 of 50 have been dems so how do you give her credit for making us purple? You must me younger than I.: George Docking 2 terms, Robert Docking 4 terms, Jon Carlin, 2 terms, Joan Finley 2 terms and finally Kathleen Sebelius, the one with the most famous republican married name.

[EngineerBill]

With Sebelius as Obama's V.P. and McCain's activities in taking the Tanker contract from Boeing and (almost) giving it to Airbus, it is not inconcievable that Obama could win Kansas. No Dem has won Kansas since '64. Think about it.

[kasv]

Ok, think about trading Kansas for New Jersey, PA, OH, and probably a few more notables. Worth it?

[BabsfromKS]

and your point is...?

[Politihal]

Yes, and let's tick off HRC's supporters even more! This guy just loves to stir the pot. He reminds me of Tush more and more each and every day what with his faith based initiative, FISA approval, backing down on his stand on the war. Just another uniter not a divider...NOT!

Halli Casser-Jaynehttp://www.thecjpoliticalreport.com

[Dreamers101]

Has anyone seen any tro//s in here lately?

[gapanther]

the depth of your idiocy is showing

[kevingiampa]

I don' t think Hillary Clinton has an interest in trying to keep a woman from becoming Vice President-- even if it's not her. Give Sen. Clinton a little more credit. I'm sure she'd be delighted to have a chance to campaign for a ticket that includes a well qualified Democratic woman candidate.

[GolfingDevil05]

I absolutely agree with you that Hillary Clinton would go along with it. I just don't know that her supporters would.

[kellygrrrl]

oh, look who's "stirring"????

Op Kaos?

we've Moved On -- so has HRC

try it

[closetodemfection]

Anyone who thinks another woman as VP WON'T tick off HRC's voters is in serious denial. This would be a bad move for O to make.

[RasAlula]

you give too much credence to this idea that there is this large, monolithic group known as HRC supporters. There are still some malcontents, to be sure. But largely, the older women that supported Hillary are probably inclined to support Obama now. I would bet they would be even more inclined with Sebelius on the ticket.

Having said that, I think she is a great choice with our with out considerations of some former HRC supporters. I know the knock will be that they will get hammered on National Security. But in reality, the Republicans has shown that they are inclined to make us less safe. Moreover, the number one issue will be the economy, not terroism or Iraq.

[MyThought]

God I hope not - ever heard her make a speech - snoozers.

[MarkieBee]

since when is that a prerequisite for Veep? If you hear a VP speaking it's probably because he or she is running for president

[kasv]

See her SOTU rebuttal. Great gal, but not up to the task for the fight, and debate, ahead. The VP candidate will be addressing a national, not state or state legislature, audience.

[kasv]

Obama is beginning to disappoint me. Throwing Clark under the bus, catering to evangelicals above and beyond what is fair, and now this. Really.

[TrueIndy08]

He own't pick her... trust that!!! He is no fool.. he knows he better pick Webb or Clark if he is to take the WH this fall

[unity08]

Really? He said nothing about her as his VP. This is his standard answer when asked the inevitable question. NOT catering to evangelicals. Read his books! People need to inform themselves and quit listening to the RebublicansFox news talking points...most liberal Senator... yada yada. He has always been conservative on some issues. Radical? yes I guess you could call it that. He is not an idealogue. Stop ascribing your position on issues as being his.

[TrueIndy08]

my a$$... he is pandering to the fringe right.... I am an Obama supporter but lets call a spade a spade.. I don't watch Faux News so I don't get my talking points from them!!!

He is trying to bring evangelicals into the fold but at the same time alienating his base... I was not happy with that... not happy with him constantly playing the defense... repudiating Gen Clark for speaking the truth.... he needs to stop playing the nice card, not getting him anywhere!!!! Dissing MoveON... what happened to the Obama from the primaries???

[RoboA2008]

McCain, Hannity, Coulter, Rove....Its a quick cure for disappointment.

[DrT]

NO. What good does she do for the ticket? She won't help with the women's vote and she won't flip Kansas for her running mate. Webb can help flip Virginia and Richardson can help us with the West and with Latinos. Sebelius also does not help us with the "lack of experience" perception, but she may just infuriate a few Clinton supporters. She does no good and may actually do some harm.

[BabsfromKS]

She has this woman's vote.

[luvobama]

Not enough of them Her qualifications don't matter. Her gender does. Most unfortunate.

[shedances]

I hope he doesn't pick her. I'd rather see him paired with a Democrat like Joe Biden, who has foreign policy/relations expertise (an area Obama is seen as 'weak' on, compared with McCain).

K

[allonfla]

That wasn't a hint! How much you want to bet that someone ASKED him about her as a VP and he just simply answered the question with a compliment followed by "I ain't gonna tell til' I'm ready"!

[kellygrrrl]

exactly the first thought that came to mind

the sensationalization of everything by the MSM is so absurdly ridiculous - and tedious

MSM = Middle School Mentality

[BabsfromKS]

Huffy is also posting lots of sensational headlines and retractable stories lately.

[beastmode]

only two major worries about Sebelius -
1 - she's a boring speaker (may be able to fix that);

2 - many Hillary folks, including Hillary, won't like it (won't be able to fix that)

[closetodemfection]

Exactly. She brings nothing extraordinary aside from her gender, she's a stiff speaker and untested on the national stage, and would further tick off a lot of voters that are struggling to come into the fold. I can't see it happening.