Bayh-Watch: The Obama Veepstakes Heat Up
LGBT blog The Bilerico Project offers a convincing collection of circumstantial evidence that points to Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh as the frontrunner for Obama's VP slot. Post author Bil Browning says the announcement will come this morning.
The Washington Post's political blog "The Fix" has some interesting arguments for and against Bayh, while maintaining that the overall list is still at least six deep.
Most intriguing in terms of arguments against is that no one really knows what exactly Bayh stands for. He has shown some leadership on the economic threat of China, but otherwise, "is known far more for his style of politics (post-partisan centrism) than any core belief system," according to The Fix's Chris Cillizza.
Hmm, square-jawed, corn-fed, midwestern whiteboy without a pre-determined set of issue prejudices. After taking heat from his core constituents on his FISA vote and his reversal on offshore drilling, ya think Obama is chomping at the bit to get someone else in the mix that he can use as his tough-stance Gumby? The sock puppet necessary for the ventriloquist act a liberal black man must pull-off to truly appeal to Middle America?
Bush and Obama are the posterboys for their respective backers. Bush, the man-of-the-people who Midwesterners and Southerners would love to sit down and have a beer with; Obama, the Harvard grad, bleeding heart liberal (let's not forget his Senate voting record), and smarter-than-thou citizen of the world. Obama needs his Cheney.
The Obama campaign came out of the post-primary gates chock full of political expediency, a conflagration of calculated moves that combined to form his much-ballyhooed center shift. A necessary move when learning the lesson of someone like Dukakis who stuck by his left-leaning guns in the general election only to get trounced by Bush Sr.
In this respect, the Cheney to Obama's Bush would naturally be someone like Bayh, as opposed to a Biden or a Dodd, to say nothing of a Hillary. Someone without a political trademark who could stand tall on the issues du jour to battleground state blue-collar whiteys while Obama returns to his ethereal pedestal of slippery eloquence.
Obama needs a nitty-gritty errand boy like Bayh. In perhaps the most scathing assessment of Obama's political opportunism to date, Alex Castanellos details why he thinks Obama has already sunk his own ship:
When this young man with the flowing, passionate core, when this candidate without the solid-center changes positions and transforms himself as we watch, it leaves Americans much more in doubt about who he is and how he would lead us. It also reveals an Obama of unapproachable arrogance and inestimable self-regard: He appears confident voters will appreciate his superiority regardless of where he journeys or what he becomes to meet his political ambitions.
Reality or not, this is the current perception. The Steve Schmidt-led assault on Obama's image from the McCain camp has successfully chiseled away at the once-impenetrable veneer of change and hope. The branding-strategy that ironically delivered Obama from a brutal primary against a rival with whom he shares many core values, may ultimately sink him where the message is actually applicable.
Evan Bayh, Indiana boy, you ready? Come on down and bring your overalls, because there's plenty of work to be done.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I think everyone is underestimating Bayh. He is a very intelligent, capable and self-disciplined person and also very likable. True, not charismatic as a speaker, but he is a very excellent debater. He was a good Governor for Indiana and although he tends to be a bit fiscally conservative he is absolutely NOT a conservative by any stretch. He's good on women's issues, environment, stem cell research and civil rights in general. He has solid experience, though he hasn't spent decades in DC like Biden has. Seems to me that Barack can't choose Biden when he's raising the issue of McCain's 26 years in a Senate "that never produced an energy policy". Biden has been in the Senate for 35 years, so that would make him even more culpable, wouldn't it?
Kaine is 'out' for his lack of experience and his stand on Stem cell research. One of Barack's frequently mentioned campaign promises is to advance stem cell research.
As to Barack choosing someone from left field, well, then he'd certainly lose Indiana. I don't think the people from Indiana would appreciate it.
Congratulations on getting to do the 'Bayh-Watch' piece.
He'll be the best VP since Dan Quayle! Though the War
Resolution vote is going to be troublesome.
I guess we can get over it.
Comparing him to Dan Quale only shows that you are judging him without knowing much about him. As to the war resolution, why is that a problem for him but not for Hillary or Joe Biden? The fact that the intelligence was wrong, that W pushed for a war that wasn't properly planned and was completely botched --- this was Ws fault. This war vote is not a problem for most voters who remember clearly where the fault lies.
Do we NEED another VP from Indiana? Will he bring the
Indiana votes along? For me & others, any of the Demos
who voted for the War Res would indeed be problematic.
But I understand, even accept, that Bayh could be an
asset for Obama in the same way Quayle was for Bush 41.
Obama's biggest problem is reassuring voters that he isn't too exotic or liberal. Bayh is perfect.
Great.
A "legacy" give to the DLC.
A very dumb choice for "change".
If HillBill want to take their ball and go home and not play with the team, so be it.
He will be Mr. Tattletale.
Prove me wrong.
i CANNOT believe you used the word "whitey" in an otherwise spot on article... just a tad too far.
He was just quoting Michelle.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
