The VP Derbies -- Talk Is Cheap. But . . .

She would be a lousy pick for a candidate whose whole campaign is based on change.

 

This is a Pandora's Box which really needs to remain closed.

Any upside isn't worth the potential costs.

 

Obama's VP pick is going to get him a ton of grief...

He picks Hillary, people will be pissed.

If he picks anyone else, the first question will be "Why didn't you pick Hillary?"

She could ease the pressure by saying she's not interested, but I don't see her doing that.

He's in a tough spot.

 

After Rev. Wright and all the others flaps thrown his way, that VP "grief" would be nothing.

 

I still think McCain's biggest problem is his base and I just don't see the evangelicals buying into a Mormon who basically ran as Dem candidate for senate and governor in Massachusetts.

I think putting Mitt on the ticket may give McCain the Econ gravitas he lacks, but at the cost of alienating a base that will see both the GOP nominee and his running mate as lacking the real conservative credentials they want. In effect, you'd have two candidates on the ticket who have flip-flopped in recent years on most of the big issues these voters care about.

Huck is the way for McCain to go if he wants to nail down the base. How he wins the election with that 25-30 percent of the electorate locked up is still beyond me.

Agree on Webb. He's got too much baggage with regards to women. I think Obama needs to pick a governor like Kaine, Richardson or Sebelius ... Edwards would be great, too, if he would take it.

 

She wants it.

She'd be crazy NOT to want it.

It's her lone legitimate shot at this particular brass ring.

 

Exactly. There's a reason Romney didn't win the Republican nomination and did so poorly in the South. In these scary economic times, how can you expect people to cuddle up to a rich, white millionaire who was born into money. Can't forget about the Mormonism, too. It might not be fair, but the concerns are out there.

 

McCain owes Huck plenty for splitting the conservative base with Flipper, thus leaving the door wide open, but the VP nom is a reward Mike isn't at all likely to get.

 

Richardson would be an incredibly ballsy and risky pick. I don't see that happening...

If McCain picks Huckabee, he may lose my vote...

 

Because of Huck's religious views or something else?

 

Romney helps McCain in Michigan but hurts him in the South, where ginning up turnout will be hard enough. Southerners/Evangelical Christians don't like McCain, but will they hold their nose and vote for both of them? McCain needs ALL of those Southern states to win. If Obama flips a Georgia, Virginia or North Carolina, he probably doesn't need Michigan. Plus, they don't get along.

I'm hoping McCain picks Jindal

I'm going to bet he picks John Thune, though Thune may not want it. If he's part of a losing ticket, it might hurt his prospects in 2012 or 2016.

I'm thinking Obama goes with Webb.

 

As for South Dakota senatorial types, how about Tom Daschle? I'm normally not a David Brooks fan, but I thought he made a good point a while back on NPR that Obama doesn't need someone to deliver him voters -- he needs a veep to deliver him legislation he wants to sign. Daschle certainly knows the nooks and crannies of Capitol Hill, and the dark, dirty secrets of most everyone in it -- especially among his own party. Daschle can do the behind-the-scenes arm-twisting so Obama doesn't have to get bogged down in it.