Can we do some POLITE speculation?

It seems that the Clinton campaign is now going for influence instead of a win. One thing it appears they're trying to influence is the veep slot. And maybe that's a good way to take a step toward healing the refits that have been created in our party.

So, while all of this is pure speculation, who do you think would make a veep candidate that could both add to the Obama ticket **and** help heal the party rifts?

The names I've heard are Bayh, Rendell, and Clark. That is by no means an exhaustive list and I have by no means been paying overly close attention to this issue.

What do you think?

And PLEASE .... try to be polite.

Bayh, no.

is from Philadelphia and Rendell is evil and crooked as the day is long.

No way Rendell!

I know they're all I listed, but maybe there are others other there, too.

But to be honest, I like the idea of Clark best. He really, truly is an asset to any ticket. He's a better politician than he was when he actually ran on his own, and he's respected pretty widely, even if not enthusiastically endorsed.

He lost many of his supporters' support when he (stupidly, in my view) endorsed Clinton. Maybe being chosen by Obama would be a good thing for party unity.

Hes familiar and would sweep the south.

but his recent trip to visit Hamas makes him a liability.

Jimmy has to not be on the campaign trail or photographed with Obama.

But, I do love him dearly. And fyi, Carter mentioned Sam Nunn when asked about the veep.

How many dem woman voters would be turned off by that? I would be, for one.

and who has shown support or kinship with him in this race

He's okay for Pennsylvania if that's what they want, but on a national ticket, I suspect we can do better. If you like Casey (conservative Dem), why not Jim Webb (another conservative Dem)?

then actually push Richardson forward instead of a loyal Clinton bigwig, as fine as some of those names might be. If she is going to jump to reforming her delegates into a Convention counter force way before conceding that does not bode well for the sincerity or the best outcomes of "unity". I presume on the issues there is actually little to fight about for all the blood and fire of the past few months. Party reforms, rules, and the selection of a Veep are all about the battle for influence, the concessions made by the nominee in order to boost his chances and dangerous cards given to the losing candidate's faction that have the most value if he loses in November and hampering brakes if he wins.

Without the added aspect of being a Veep favorable to Hillary, there is a rather narrow list of the best choices for Obama. Someone with experience, national and key state clout, does no harm, etc. Really burying the hatchet would be a good sign and a dramatic one if Richardson is given the Clinton blessing.

As I have said midst all the futile contest furor over the past weeks, the real story is how or if Hillary will get that enormous delegate holding of hers out of nomination mode and into influence mode. Or if her heart is in it to undo the damage in the ranks or extend even a hint of destructive selfishness into her accomplishment. And don't think the MSM still smells opportunity to Balkanize the Dems at the slightest sign of continued rivalry and forced concessions.

Not intending to be rude.

but that was his choice.

I believe he is a decent man and he was supporting a friend.

I supported him before and met him several times.

:bounce:

I'm a member of her PAC.

Our California Senator.

I do think a woman should be on the ticket.

I do think it should be a woman from a big state.

Someone said that she is too "San Francsco" liberal what ever that means.

I don't care what it means, I like Boxer! :bounce:

:toast:

Bayh is too boring. Clark, I might possibly forgive for his bad judgment in supporting Hillary. I would like Biden.

There, was that polite enough? :hi:

That was as boneheaded as his skipping Iowa.

I can get past that, however. I still have enormous respect for the guy.

...and McCain hates him with a white-hot passion. Webb is the anti-McCain.

And even though some folks panic at the idea of a senator/senator ticket (which I think is a mostly baseless fear), Webb would bring a southern state on board, and that's a good thing, too.

due to his Pro Louis Farrakhan video taped appearance that's currently on youtubes.

Ed Rendel strongly Endorses Louis Farrakhan,
same guy Hillary asked that Obama denounce and renounce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXum_-8I1TA

prime time speech, but when it comes to the VP he should choose somebody he wants not somebody just because they were for Hillary.

..... but there's pretty much no substantive difference between her planks and his. A few detail differences, but its not like one is a liberal one a conservative. They're both pretty middle of the road ...... center-left, I guess you could say.

This is, essentially, in the bag for Obama. There's no need for us to diminish her campaign. If she chooses to do that on her own, then so be it. She is, at this point, playing cards with her legacy.

That said, I see some merit in the idea that she is positioning for an appointment or similar. it isn't uncommon for businesses to continue to keep pressure on in the media while negotiating behind the scenes. If she concedes, she stands to lose all of the political capital she has amassed. But, I hope she is mindful of how she does it. Some of her more recent statements could serve to further fracture our already divided Democratic party.

I think she wants little more than something for herself. But I can see Obama wanting to give an olive branch to her supporters (if not her, specifically) by appointing a Clinton supporter as his veep. In my dreams, that would be Clark, but there are any number of people who he could choose.

Here's an idea from waaaaaaaaaaaaay out there ......... RFK's oldest child, former MD Lt Governor and failed gov candidate, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.



She endorsed Clinton.

Like I said, this is from waaaaaay out in left field.

He also said he doesn't ever wanna work for a "boss" again.

Plus, we in PA know about the bimbo eruptions. Fast Eddie, tsk tsk.

woman:
Sebelius
McCaskill
Boxer

military:
Clark
Webb

foreign policy:
Biden
Richardson


hitman:
Rendell

of course, there are lots of other potentials, this is off the top of my head.

Every minute he spends out west is a minute he's not in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

BELIEVE me...I grew up in Philadelphia and he was a frequent guest at our synagogue (even though he didn't want to pay for high holy day tickets and got turned away a couple times!). Ed has the same zipper problems Bill does. Too much of a distraction.

Bayh is bland as can be. Because he is from Indiana, he would be (probably rightly) portrayed as Dan Quayle Jr.

I'm an old Clark supporter, so I'm biased. My hope is that he could be disciplined on the stump; I think his experience on Fixed Noise and MSNBC might have taught him how to do that better.