Get Ready for Obama-Clinton? Most likely VP nominees

[DeepModem Mom]

WP political blog, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
The Line: Get Ready for Obama-Clinton?

....Below you'll find our ranking of the five candidates most likely to be selected for either party's VP nomination. The Line is based on conversations with operatives from both parties, public signals offered by the candidates, and, frankly, a little bit of Fix gut instinct.

As always, the person in the No. 1 spot is the one most likely to be chosen as their party's vice presidential candidate. To the Line!

DEMOCRATS

5. Hillary Rodham Clinton: On one level, this makes all the sense in the world. Clinton got nearly 18 million votes in the primaries (as she is fond of reminding voters and reporters) and showed considerable strength in a series of states -- Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida among others -- that Democrats must make competitive in order to get to 270 electoral votes in the fall. On the other hand, putting Clinton on the ticket would be crazy. It runs directly counter to Obama's central message (i.e. "change only comes by sending new people to Washington") and opens up the possibility that Clinton would see the vice presidency as an opportunity to set up her own political base for future endeavors. And then there is the "Bill" factor... (Previous ranking: 3)

4. John Edwards....

(NOTE: Edwards Rules Out Taking VP Slot
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/06/europe/EU-GEN-Spain-US-Politics-Edwards.php)

3. Kathleen Sebelius: It's hard to know whether Obama can (or, more importantly, would) name a woman whose name is not Clinton. Clinton's most ardent supporters would almost certainly see such a move as a final indignity in a race they believe has been chock full of them. But it's hard to believe that the average Clinton backer would be so offended by such a move that they would walk away from the ticket. Sebelius would affirm Obama's call for new leadership in the party. (Previous ranking: 1)

2. Jim Webb: It's worth noting that on his first full day of campaigning as the Democratic presidential nominee, Obama was in Virginia. Obama believes very strongly that he can compete in the Commonwealth and win it, becoming the first Democrat to carry the state at the presidential level since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Putting a Virginian on the ticket could help, and of the three regularly mentioned -- Webb, Gov. Tim Kaine and former governor Mark Warner -- Webb seems to make the most sense. Webb has impeccable military credentials as a decorated Vietnam veteran and, like Obama, was opposed to the Iraq war from its start. Webb is, however, unconventional in every sense of the word, and may not be comfortable with the relentless message discipline required of a Veep. (Previous ranking: N/A)

1. Ted Strickland: Obama may not want to put Clinton on the ticket (see above), but he and his campaign know that the best way to unify the party behind him is to offer an obvious olive branch to her supporters. Strickland, who was elected governor of Ohio in 2006, accomplishes that task, as he was one of Clinton's most prominent backers during the primary season. Strickland is also extremely popular in his home state, hails from the conservative southeastern reaches of Ohio and has a deep religious background -- he was a Methodist minister -- that would help Democrats close the "God gap". (Previous ranking: 2)...

(NOTE: Republicans, numbers 5-1, are Senator Joe Lieberman, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, South Dakota Senator John Thune, Mitt Romney, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.)

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/06/veep_stakes_the_will_he_or_won.html#more

[stray cat]

1. What about Virginia's Warner?

[DeepModem Mom]

2. He's mentioned -- for some reason, Cillizza thinks Webb "makes most sense."

"Putting a Virginian on the ticket could help, and of the three regularly mentioned -- Webb, Gov. Tim Kaine and former governor Mark Warner -- Webb seems to make the most sense."

[SoFlaJet]

5. We need Warner to win John Warner's senate seat

I can easily see Jim Webb-he also voted against the idiotic Kyl-LIEberman bill-for which scumbag Joe will BE punished as soon as Obama takes office and the full force of a popular president's weight will come to bear down on him in 2012-the price of his insurrection

[Andy823]

3. Sorry, I can't see Hillary as the VP!

How could Obama run in the GE with her on TV everyday in a republican ad making comments like "McCain brings a lifetime of expedience, but Obama brings nothing but a speech"?

And would Bill pass the vetting process? Will he give up the names of all his donors to the library, or the names of his business partners around the world who may be questionable?

Sorry, I just don't think that is in the cards. Maybe a cabinet position, but not the VP slot.

[SoFlaJet]

6. Exactly right Andy

no WAY does Bill pass the vetting process-which is good anyway since I'm all defended the Clintons out after the past decade

[liberal N proud]

4. Strickland would be a great VP

Living in OH, I would hate to lose him here but if the Nation needs him.
He would be excellent at restoring the office of Vice President as he has with the office of Governor in Ohio.

[PATRICK]

7. Two different discussions

are still getting fused in a very open picture. What are the standards today for picking our Veep? Who are the best candidates according to those standards. We are going back and forth with those two sets of unknowns and no perfect matches eclipsing alternate theories or good candidates. How Obama perceives them working with his team might be one critical standard we won't see.

All the better I suppose for relying on Obama's final judgment- so long as it isn't Joe Lieberman he fingered.