More Than 20 Senators Tell Paper They'd Be Willing To Serve As VP

More than 20 senators say they would seriously consider an offer to be No. 2 on their party's presidential ticket, while others claim to have little to no interest, according to a survey conducted by The Hill.

Over the past month, The Hill asked all 97 senators not running for president the same question: "If you were asked, would you accept an offer to be the vice presidential nominee?"

Nine senators responded that they would undoubtedly accept an offer to be their party's vice presidential nominee while 12 others indicated they would mull it over.

Senators are always in the mix of vice presidential chatter and this year is no exception, even though members of the upper chamber will be at the top of the Republican and Democratic tickets this fall.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Marlyn]

"George H.W. Bush"s selection of then-Sen. Dan Quayle (R-Ind.) was surprising in 1988."

Shallow. Someone handsome for the ladies to vote for, as I remember it. Robert Redford got sick and tired of the GOP saying that Dan Quayle looked like him.

[Nonamnesiac]

Regardless of Jim Webb saying no, he will be the VP pick whether Obama or Clinton gets the nomination. I wouldn't be surprised if McCain picks him (just a joke about McCain).

[Wiredwilly]

BOTH Parties should nominate Ron Paul for Vice President.

[drzoon]

WHOEVER it is....

please... never ever ever again ANYONE from Texas!

[drzoon]

Webb or Hagel!

or... Jane Harman of California

[whatchamean]

get this in to your pretty little heads....Hagle will not be the nominee. His voting record is very conservative except on the Iraq war. No way the dems are going to set up a repub for the White
House run in 2016. What are you guys thinking?

[drzoon]

we are "thinking". we are thinking that its time to do things differently. and Hagel is solid. and Barack isn't all that different than him and vice versa... regardless what you think.

When you look at the fact that Barack is open to Atomic Energy and coal.... He is NOT your typical democrat!

[axt113]

That there will be other democrats in 2016 who can run against him, but in eight years we can make this country strong again, better to win now when its crucial, and worry about 2016 in 2014, than to worry about 2016 now and lose in 2008

[whatchamean]

Webb didn't say no, headline is misleading. I hear that he is at the very top of the list.

[abigail1]

This article made me love two people, Dick Durbin and Jim Webb. I really admire those whose ambition it is to be very, very good and effective at the job that they have not to use it as a way to get some other job. Dick Durbin has said for a long time that he wants to be and stay a senator and i like that Webb does too.

[merle7]

Can't Hagel change his party affiliation to an independent , It is said he disagrees with a lot of republican policies anyway. I think it would be great maybe he get a lot of the independent votes McCain would have gotten with Obama'a Independents favor, not to mention the white male votes. He has a rather imperssive resume, foreign affairs, and in economics.
Obama/Hagel 08!

[BLinCincinnati]

He could change his affiliation, but the symbolism of having a joint Dem/Repub ticket has more power than a Dem/Independent ticket.

[Moarku]

Maybe he should hire Hillary to head a committee to choose the best VP. Afterall, that worked out really well when Bush hired Cheney to do that. :)

[acanthus]

I don't know about VP, but there is only one choice for AG, and it's not Artur Davis...it's Henry Waxman.

[robynuva]

I have heard an interesting rumor that Ms. Todd-Whitman of NJ might be an option. A very "outside the box" pick, and more moderate than Hagel. Also, she has the prerequisite anatomy to appease "feminists of a certain age."

And, you guys would leave our governor alone!

[TovSquirrel]

Ooo! Ooo! Pick me! Pick me! Ooo! Ooo!

[detriangulation]

VA Gov. Tim Kaine would be a FAR better choice than Webb. Everything I've read of Webb and every time I see him debate on TV, he comes across as rather abrasive and frankly, rude. He's just not very statesmen-like. I respect his military service and the fact he's angry about his son being in Iraq, but he just doesn't have much tact and does not come across as likable in the media.

[drzoon]

GREAT! He's our Cheney! i LOVE THAT

[Intruder]

"Jim Webb Says No"

I only glanced at the article, but I don't believe the headline reflects what he said. Otherwise, why is this not a bigger story, that the person widely-considered to be the top choice for V.P. has taken his name out of consideration?

[robXdion]

He said 'no' with a smile. I think he doesn't want to show his hand too soon. But he's the pick. Watch.

[billrott]

A potential VP pick will need to assist in healing the party and expanding Obama's base. IMHO, I do not believe a senator is the best choice. A governor in a swing state is probably a better choice. An example could be the governor of Virginia, yet such a move could set back the Democratic party in Virgina.

Another pick could be Governor Strickland of Ohio, a Hillary supporter. Strickland would bring in Ohio, assist with healing the party, and help Barack make inroads with voters in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and other Appalachian states.

Richardson is a possibility. He would bring in New Mexico, yet would not heal the party. Some would argue that a shady deal was in play. Also, it would not help with the great lakes region.

Other governor possibilities is the governor of Michigan or Kansas.

In the end, McCain may pick Charlie Christ of Florida which would seriously lock Obama out of the state of Florida. Barack needs to assume such a pick may happen.

[disgusted48]

Ex-Govemor of Virginia Warner, now running for the elder Warner's (no relation) Senate seat may be a good. choice. I think he tried to run for president in 2004 for a few minutes. But then I guess that would interfere with his bid for Senate. Never mind.

[ProudLiberalDan]

I agree with this. Instead of picking another Senator, even though there are many Senators would would be capable VPs, he should pick someone with either a Governor with quality executive experience or someone with a military background.

My top four choices (in no order):

- Bill Richardson - He will help with Hispanic voters in big states, who were problematic for Obama in the primaries, and is credible on foreign policy (although he's not a particularly effective campaigner as his brief run for the Presidency showed). New Mexico is not a populous state, but it is still a state Obama needs to carry.

- Kathleen Sebelius - She's a popular Governor who's won reelection. For those people who are disappointed that a woman in not the nominee, and let's not be too naive and too politically correct to imply there weren't people supporting Clinton because she was a woman just as there were people supporting Obama because he's African-American. Sebelius has shown she's qualified and a Kansas governor would go well with the 50 State strategy. Picking her is a signal that Obama isn't going to concede or write-off a single state

- Ted Strickland - The Democrats simply HAVE to win Ohio, especially if McCain picks Crist from Florida. He's popular and credible.

- Wesley Clark - He's progressive and the Iraq War and Terrorism can always come back as an issue. It would neutralize McCain's military experience and effectively counter McCain's embarrassing 100-years-in-Iraq gaffe.

[oafishcad]

Wesley Clark is also a Hillary supporter, so that might help appease Hillary voters, and help Obama with the he's a wimp factor.

[jukesgrrl]

Strickland also supported Clinton, didn't he?

[speakingtruth2power]

There are several good choices for VP and they are Governor, not another Senator.

Barack needs to announce his key cabinet choices early to form a strong team w/

experience and popularity, & to contrast what the rethuglicons have left to offer US!

[jukesgrrl]

Obama should also announce key cabinet members before Nov. Another place he can demonstrate change.

[eurydice]

Just no Senators from New York please.

[oafishcad]

Or Governor from Texas

[pupbayer]

or Governor from Massachusetts

[llamajockey]

Assuming Obama avoids a brokered convention and locks up the nomination before Denver. It should be the first VP nod to come with a cyanide capsule.

Why??? Because the minute Obama nomination is official, the entire Republican attack machine will pounce in a massive cooridinated attack. But the stench of what is coming will be hanging in air worse than the bong smoke some of you have been inhaling. 527s will be running preliminary attacks for weeks before Denver. Obama will leave the convention without even the benefit of a post convention bounce. Obama will simply continue to sink in the polls until election day. It will be 100 times worse that what Lee Atwater did to Dukakis in Sept 88. All of Obama's fanboys in the MSM and Talk Radio will abandon him, Matthews, Olbermann, Schultz, Maddow, Rhodes..... All of them will be claiming that they too got bamboozled.

Ayers/Dohrn, Rezko, Auchi, Reverends Wright, Moss, Meeks. Bittergate, the loony leftist marxism and racial separatist militancy that pervades Obama's own books.


Obama will spend October campaigning in a few states like Illinois or California where he will do less damage. Obama simply will be unwelcome anywhere else.

Obama get 40% & 0/50

If the RECREATE68 do what they are threatening in Denver

Think 33-35%

Largest GE defeat in history by far. Basically the end of the Democratic party.

[drzoon]

wow man.... are you high on something? no... i really mean that. are you high on something? it just seems like you have to be really really high on some really hard stuff to come up with that kind of crap

take a nap

[lobear00]

Your dreams are getting bigger than your fantasies.

[k6007]

LOL. The American Electorate is AWAKENING, my friend. Go on practice your Politics of Personal Destruction. Perhaps it'll work better in the GE, than it has in the Primary, (todays results in MS should give us some kind of indicator.) but, I don't think so.

[reggieb]

well, I made the mistake of taking a drink while I read this and milk came out my nose. Ouch.
Stench? Could anything be stenchier than the last 7 1/2 years? Oh, we are so afraid of the big bad
Republicans. Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies, we're heading for the hills!

End of the Democratic party? Are you kidding me? Statistically, most people stay with the political party they first register with. Pay attention, llamajockey - Obama is getting out the youth vote like nobody's business. Grass roots - fifty states - millions.

[llamajockey]

A warning guy.

You can keep drinking the Obama kool-aid right up until Nov. After that I would stop hanging out with your fellow Obamabots, the next batch may be lethal.

Don't let anybody convince you into trying on any purple nikes either.

[reggieb]

You're "warnings" are tired. Can't anyone come up with something better than the kool-aid thing?

what is your beverage of choice? McCain = Bush backwash.

[Americanium]

Obama will spend October campaigning in a few states like Illinois or California where he will do less damage. Obama simply will be unwelcome anywhere else.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are so delusional. If was not so sad I'd laugh.
However considering that Obama is so disliked, why is it that he is leading having won 31 states? Are you writing these things because your psychiatrist tells you to? Is it therapeutic for you to dump your brain on blogs?

I will be praying for you. Have a nice year!!

[Zhonni]

You are soo right about your first line.

[mamacat]

Whoever it is, I want them to be competent, and not just chosen because of what votes they can get. Sometimes I think we'd be better off with no president than another four years of Bush/Cheney.

[pupbayer]

Hello? It's called politics.

[sparkandy]

One way or another, regardless of who the VP choice is, we have really lame choices for Pres yet once again. So maybe you're on to something. We just don't need a President. Surely we can come up with something better.