Obama Begins Search For Running Mate

Very quietly, Sen. Barack Obama has begun the process that will end in his choosing a running mate, Democrats inside and outside the campaign said.

Obama has sworn a small group of his senior staff to secrecy. He is determined to start the vice presidential search on his own schedule and has said publicly, and repeatedly, that he will not talk about ticket-mates until the race for the nomination itself concludes.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

It's never going to be Hillary Clinton after her SECOND comment about assassination, inferring it could happen to Senator Obama as it did to Bobby Kennedy.

[Trinidad707]

along with Diebold that is

[Trinidad707]

If Barack taps Chuck Hagel for VP...you can bet it is because Hagel won him the election in some of those whitebread farming states. Hagel a republican still has interests in ES&S voting machines or AIS through a McCarthy group co....don't be too surprised..those are the same machines that gave Bush the nomination

[Trinidad707]

If Barck taps Hagel for VP...you can bet it is because Hagel won him the election. Hagel a republican still has interests in ES&S voting machines or AIS through a McCarthy group co....don't be too surprised..those are the same machines that gave Bush the nomination

[Cedman]

Scratch the snake off the list!

[polaris12]

Pray God, it is not Clinton!

[ElPerro]

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), My top choice so far. He's got strong military credentials, and was in Reagan's cabinet so he can bring in some of those Reagan Democrats and moderate Republicans. And he's a Take-No-Shit kind of guy. When the rightwing attack dogs go after Obama on trivia, Obama can stay above the fray and let Webb go out there and tear them a new one. I pity anyone who stands opposite Webb in a debate. His one weakness is that he's another Freshman Senator.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) No friggin way. She needs to take her flying monkeys and go home before someone drops a house on her.

Ex-Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), No. This guy has the stink of loser and he was pushing an airline bail-out bill while his wife was a lobbyist for the airline industry. That is an example of "old politics" at it's worst.

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), I like this guy a lot an he's got a great resume of accomplishments. But putting a Hispanic on a ticket with a black man might just scare off enough of the moderate racists to doom his campaign. And that fact that Hispanics are the Panic-du-Jour this cycle doesn't bode well either.

[GravitonX]

Hillary Clinton is absolutely the worst choice Obama could make for VP, and Barack knows it. To say "Dream Ticket" is to put a Machiavellian twist on the obvious. Hillary (and Bill) would try to reinstall all their former political cronies and current benefactors, not to mention that she (they) would be constantly subverting him (and his "side" whatever he could control within "his" government), just like in the primaries. Hillary has shown in these primaries that her actions know no bounds; she doesn't respect authority (the DNC rules she agreed to); and, she has no moral compass. Hillary, bad idea, very bad idea.

[Thatcher]

Whomever Obama picks - he must keep in mind - McCain has a strong choice for a woman VP for his running mate if he goes that way ... Governor Palin http://thedeadguy.com/2008/palin-vp

[Quotidien]

McCain would have made a good VP for Obama. Maybe it isn't too late.

Hillary can run on the GOP ticket.

[TimmySlagle]

It's going to be rough going for Barack.

He needs to find someone that will make him appear intelligent, experienced and qualified by contrast.

Perhaps Chelsea Clinton?

[Smartey]

No. She spent eight years in the White House already. Just like her mother. And the pastry chef.

[TimmySlagle]

Oh yeah...

How about Miley Cyrus?

[Smartey]

No good either. Where Chelsea had Barry beat in the White House experience category, Miley beats him with the intelligence quotient. I think ole Barack needs to think along the lines of Ryan Seacrest. Vain, vapid, moronic, and totally lacking in ANY experience or qualification AT ALL. Obama would shine next to him.

[marc1antony]

no Clintons, they will undermine Obama at every turn, Bill's ego is bigger than the whole USA, he will be injecting himself into everything. no Clintons

Gov of Kansas would be nice, or Jim Webb

[tds1273]

LEAVE OUR SENATORS ALONE!

Seriously people, think beyond the election cycle. We are already going to be losing one great Senator to the Presidency at a time when we need to be increasing our Senate numbers. There is a lot of tough work ahead and we need our toughest, strong arm Senators where they are, getting the job done.

Would you rather have stronger numbers with...

Biden, Dodd, Feingold, Webb, hell even Clinton, Snowe
or
Reid, Lieberman, McCain


There are plenty of incredible, but term-limited Governors to choose and fill the cabinet with. Richardson, Napolitano, Sebelius. Besides when both primaries started people were wondering about the effectiveness of one Senator; now we want to add two? What are the main issues that voters are looking at? The economy! We should put someone in the VP role that actually has run an economy.

LEAVE OUR SENATORS ALONE.

[McPander]

To me the best choice is to pick Chuck Hagel.
Then pledge to compromise on Judges with the religious right. The only issue that keeps them out of the party is abortion. Make it a states rights issues, sense for the most part the clinics are gone.

This will strangle the Hillary part of the party and double the base of the democrats.

If they want to vote for McCain just like they did for Bush in 2004 then abortion isn't that important to them anyways.

[tds1273]

And what is there to hold him to that pledge should he become President? He has voted the Bush line on EVERY issue, but the war. Economy, healthcare, education, gay rights, abortion, stemcell research, etc...

Sec. Defense Hagel = Brilliant

Vice President Hagel = Trojan Horse

...and he would be the Hillary part of the party; as Dino as Jurrasic Park.

[katlady]

i think john edwards would make a fine vice president.obama/edwards-a great team

[katlady]

what about john edwards?I think he and obama would make a great team

[Youth4Obama]

Hmmm... This Veep spot will be interesting, he cant choose someone who would completely overshadow him and his decisions.



My dream would be Obama/Gore '08 but I know that wont happen, here are my top 5 picks in order:

#1. Obama/Richardson '08

#2. Obama/Webb '08

#3. Obama/Bloomberg '08

#4. Obama/Edwards '08

#5. Obama/Clinton '08

Good top 5, no?

[polaris12]

No!

[dentuso]

I vote Obama/Sebelius.

Not only does Sebelius have Governor experience, she's been in elected office for 25 years, continually reaches across the aisle and is respected by Republicans, has refused to ever take campaign financing from any PAC, lobby group, corporation, or special interest, and she's the only person to ever take on the insurance industry - and beat them to a pulp.

The fact that she's a woman who has REAL strength (compared to some who will present strength as vicious, disingenuous disdain) would appeal to the female vote.

Lastly, she'd be a hell of a President.

[Centaur]

She's been my pick for VP from the beginning. It woould be a perfect match. They both have the ability to get cross-over votes and remember Kansas has a special connection for Obama. His mother and grandparents were born there. There's kismet at play here

[GravitonX]

Sebelius is my 1st choice for VP. Hillary doesn't even make honorably mentioned, well, for one you need to have honor to make the list.

[tds1273]

Win. easy.

Outside of Richardson she is the most qualified Dem to be President, nevermind Vice.

She is a true blue Dem who is popular in a redder than red state.

Obama grew up in the state that she is Governor of. She has campaigned tirelessly across the Country for him, and all while finding the time to uphold the rights of the voters of her state and protect the enviroment of her state. She is never afraid to say no right to corporate interests' faces. When she does fight them she wins.

The far left doesn't think she had enough vitriol in her SotU rebuttal. Yeah? How well has the fighting worked for Hillary? She connected exactly where she needed to- moderates and near righties. She left the issues up for debate not personal attacks.

She shares and has the record of the same values, ideals, beliefs, and ethics of Barack Obama

Obama/Sebelius '08!

[Kim445588]

How does Obama not become an instant hypocrite and "turn the page" if he picks #5?

Does he tells us that he is weak, or that he was just kidding about the most important differentiating factors that lead to our decision?

[OrganOfThought]

In my opinion, Obama needs Bloomberg for VP.

Bloomberg is a successful businessman (obviously), so he'll help get libertarians and independents. He will put Wall Street at ease if they think Obama lacks experience. He will draw some Republican votes since he was Republican for a while. He will help shore up Hillary's home state and "appease" some NY/NE voters that were hoping for Hillary. He will help eliminate the fear mongering that some are doing about Obama's Middle East and Israel policies.

He is financially conservative and socially moderate/liberal. He will add a significant number of voters to Obama's ticket without removing any. I cannot think of any group of people that would vote against Obama because of Bloomberg. I can think of many people that would be more at ease with voting for the Democratic ticket with Bloomberg as VP.

He would be like Chaney without all the evil. Obama needs an older, experienced, wise-man type VP. People voting will imagine him in the oval office with Obama constantly giving him advice (but again, without all the evil).

Bloomberg has all the money in the world and is a philanthropist. He loves his country. I think he would run as Obama's VP if he were asked.

[McPander]

No foreign policy experiance and being Jewish isn't going to help him in West Virginia

[Mogamboguru]

Good top 4...

[pupbayer]

Why the secrecy? Why doesn't he want everyone who gave him money to know what he is doing?

[conniedogs]

Did you give money? Let him do what he needs to do.

[dentuso]

This is a poltical/respect move. If he made public his short list - and if Hillary wasn't "at the top as the obvious choice" (which she won't be, obviously), then he risks pissing off a whooooole bunch of rabid Hillary supporters in one shot vs. a slow, methodical strategy where they slowly wake up and vote for the sake of the country rather than this weird spite.

[Kim445588]

He doesn't want to make the Clinton camp go any more nuts than necessary.

[Vishous]

Come on now, do you really think having Clinton as a VP will win over the 20% and 25% in KY and WV who said they won't vote for Obama because of race. I think she has burned the bridge too long ago, and I would be disappointed in him if he chose her. Because I think his whole campaign is about changing the way politics has been for the past few decades. Also, Clinton is a very polarizing figure and I think he would lose much of his independent and moderate Republican support with her on the ticket, not to mention how much she'd charge up the GOP base to vote against her. Remember, they hate the Clintons far more than they are disappointed with Grampy McSame.

[Kim445588]

Aren't these red states, that will not go to democrats anyway? Are we really going to pick a vp based on who can bring the Appalachian vote?

[elcojonu]

Alfred E. is very popular in Apalachia.

[elcojonu]

Some levity.
Anyone for Alfred E. Newman ?

[djindie]

me no worry..

[OtayPanky]

That's Alfred E Newman's Chinese cousin.

[sharonh]

I've got it. He should choose Capt. Kirk and Scotty could beam them someplace they actually stand a chance of winning. Starship Enterprise, take them away.