"Bring 'Em Home!" Obama-Webb '08

"OBAMA-WEBB SWEEP TO VICTORY, " reads the headline Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 in The New York Times.

I've seen the future and thought I'd come back and share the good news. Everyone expected a tough, close race against McCain when Obama elbowed Hillary out of the top spot. For weeks there was furious speculation as to whom he would chose as his VP but when he settled on Senator Jim Webb, former Marine, former Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan, dad of a young man recently returned from Iraq and from the swing-state of Virginia, all the pieces fell into place for a rout. The Webb choice defanged the McCain advantage on militaristic experience and like Obama the one-term Senator from Virginia represented a fresh face that the electorate craved. The Democrats coasted to victory with the simple slogan: "Bring 'em Home! Obama-Webb '08."

The McCain-Kay Bailey Hutchison ticket tried to counter with their own slogan, "A HUNDRED YEARS OF MORE WAR!" but it never really caught on.

Trey Ellis is the author of Bedtime Stories: Adventures in the Land of Single-Fatherhood.

Comments

[wendytheretard]

If Senator Obama wins the presidency he will be shouldering a lot of Hope. He is mounting the pressure on himself and to have a successful presidency he will have to pick a moderate republican as his mate. Bet On It!!

[Querent]

First off, there are no moderate Republicans. The moderates were driven out of the party years ago, because they were not delusional enough. Secondly, it's going to be a Democratic landslide. We don't need help from any stripe of Repig. Yesterday, the turnout in Virginia was 2-1 Democratic.

[ElroyJSonn]

I beg to differ.

I'm thinking Chuck Hagel.

[GoCards1978]

Talk about the perfect ticket - genius!

[pfgibbs]

Hmmmm. I like this.
Barack Obama - President
Jim Webb - Vice President
Joe Biden - Sec. of State
John Edwards - Attorney General
Colin Powell - Sec. of Defense

[Biddy]

Those were also my picks.

[Hufffan]

John Edwards-Secretary of Labor maybe

[jmundstuk]

Hillary Clinton -- Senate majority leader
Wesley Clark -- National Security Adviser
Bill Clinton -- Respected Ex-President

[clbrune]

Webb, who supports illegal spying on Americans and Telecom retroactive immunity (i.e. breaking the law is bad, unless you're a corporation)?

Colin Powell who squandered his chance to keep us out of Iraq?

[jonhunsicker]

Colin Powell as SecDef? He helped lie us into the Iraq war. You're out of your mind.

I'd love to see John Edwards as AG, though.

[Camel54]

Webb certainly would help win the election. However, like many others, I'm not sure he's the Dem to be the heir apparent. It would make for an excellent bumper sticker, though:

"Stuck on Obama-Webb!"

Which is better than my last idea for a campaign slogan:

"Why elect someone who sits to pee when you can choose someone who stands for change!"

I can feel the virtual booing from all angles.

[Querent]

Webb would bring nothing to the ticket. I myself would not financially support any ticket with Webb on it.

[desertdweller]

It would ne a collosal mistake for Jim Webb to give up his hard-fought Senate seat, which Allen lost, more than Webb won. Allen would surely re-capture the seat in any subsequent election and the goofball would be back in the hunt for the presidency. Anyone that is repulsed by McCain should thank their lucky stars that Allen is not running.

[MidwestBlue]

I admire Webb's stance on the Occupation, but his vote yesterday to give telecoms immunity makes me think twice about him.

[PKSSK]

My thoughts exactly!!! I am an Obama supporter, but was very disappointed to see Webb and McCaskill vote in favor of telecom immunity. Then again, I realized they are both, as well as Ben Nelson, part of the 2006 DLC rookie recruits of Pelosi, Reid and Emanual.

The DLC is a moderate group of republicans. The democratic party, for the most part, has sold its soul to the right. Very sad!

[Alessan]

The democratic party has sold it's soul to the right, and that's exactly why these two did not
endorse John Edwards, who help them on the stump to get a majority of Dems in the Senate in 2006, they are sell outs, and not real Dems, I hope Virginia and Missouri, votes them out next election.

[Querent]

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with his "stance". It's just that he has never DONE anything.

[theblueAmerican]

The dream ticket!!!!!!!!!! Senator Obama, take Senator Webb as your running mate and America will be in great hands.

[5oclockshadow]

I"m a LOOOOONG TIME Webb fan. But his vote in favor of FISA retroactive immunity yesterday, basically disqualifies him in my mind.

I've fought hard for Webb for a long time. He was elected on three themes: Iraq (foreign policy in general), Economic Fairness, and Constitutionality. This FISA vote was a betrayal of the principle of Constitutionality upon which he was elected. I'm not the only progressive activist who feels violently betrayed.

[asemeco]

Amen to that. I need to see how Webb justifies this betrayal.

[Querent]

Judging from my experience in trying to communicate with his office, he will "justify" it by ignoring it, never refering to it in public, and hoping nobody notices.

[RossalGondamer]

Exactly - well said.

Webb's vote yesterday to include immunity for telecom spying (with a no vote on Dodd's amendment) and a yes vote to the overall FISA bill -immunity included - says it all.

while not a voting fan of Obama, I can see that if he wants a person of character for VP I suggest he look elsewhere.

[jmundstuk]

Question: Have you ever continued to support someone who has gotten into office and if so, who?

[RamonBackwards]

unless immunity allows them to more openly testify against the administration (like in regular criminal cases with immunity).

i'm holding out hope that that might be the reason, although it's quite possible that i have no idea what i'm talking about here.

[SCharb]

Obama's the only anti-war candidate.

[Alessan]

Obama is not anti-war, he plans on invading Pakistan and starting a war with them, anti-war my foot.

[julianna]

Wisdom says Obama will need to balance his lack of experience out with executive experience -- meaning a governor.

[jmundstuk]

Likely, but that's conventional wisdom. The other balance is whites and the other other balance is expertise in foreign affairs/military.

[BillAnthony]

A name I've heard mentioned is Gov Ted Strickland of the battleground state Ohio. I know little about him or his ideology other than he is also a 6-term Congressman, and a 66 yr old former psychologist who thrashed the former Gov Ken Blackwell in '06. His latest state approval rating is over 60%.

[Bozwellian]

an Obama -Webb ticket IS a WINNING TICKET !!! Would be a great choice and Hillary could return to Senate and do some REAL Seante work, not just "senate-campaign" wonkings but for the REAL greater common good of all and NOT just to "position" herself for a CIC run, Bill could get to wonking on some issues round the world , would allow him to still have time for those mega $$$ speechings and etc and gee, perhpas he COULD do a stint at the UN to wonk for betterment and etc...was said was a position he would give serious consideration to...Let MCC return to HIS senate duties, COndi can go seek the sport comissioner thing she stated as hearts desire..Ge­orge can slither back to Texas, fish and wait out history's renderings and Dick can cash in all those "blind-trusts" ivestments and go off to roll in his golden cofferings­....Meanwh­ile, Obama and Webb will be stuck trying to get the nation back on a course that would include a strong dose of redemption of respectability as well as move us all forward and more to the REAL greater common good of ALL !!!

[SCharb]

Maybe sometime in 2009, George, Donny and Dick will mysteriously receive letters from the Draft Board notifying them that they've been conscripted to serve in their war... which would be illegal on all sorts of levels, but then again, so are their administrations.

[jvarga]

Senator Webb has made some unhappy votes in the Senate. Not so sure I am comfortable with him 1 heart beat away from the presidency yet :(

[koulflo]

i like the sound of obama-webb.
along the same lines, obama-wesley clark is even better-- would help obama with age/experience factor.

[Alessan]

While you people are busy with Obama's running
mate, how about former congressman Harold Ford of Tennessee, two black men, that probably will
be able to connect with the young black men and show them they don't have to mug their own people, but can go to school and become the President and VP of the US.