Senator Jim Webb of Virginia has emerged as a leading Vice Presidential possibility on a ticket with Democratic front runner Barack Obama.
The Falls Church Press reported that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (who is also Obama's national campaign co-chair) favors Webb for the Democrats number two spot:
The Falls Church Press reported that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (who is also Obama's national campaign co-chair) favors Webb for the Democrats number two spot:
"Kaine acknowledged that Virginia is now considered a key “battleground state” in the race for the presidency, joining such critical states as Florida and Ohio. In light of that, he was asked if Obama should choose a vice presidential running mate from Virginia."
“I think he should choose someone who is strong in foreign policy and defense issues,” he said. He then went on to drop the name of Sen. Webb." http://tinyurl.com/2blp8o
Politico http://www.politico.com/ notes growing momentum for Webb as the Democratic VP choice.
"A Webb profile in the February issue of Washingtonian gushed, “What he would bring is an articulate military voice against the war and a brawny image with the potential to attract moderate-to-conservative swing voters, especially men, who identify with Webb’s pro-gun, pro-defense, red-blooded Americanism. That could add dimension to a ticket headed by either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.”
"And the hometown Washington Post noted, “Sen. James Webb of Virginia will serve as the keynote speaker of the Colorado Democratic Party’s 75th-annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. Assuming the Democratic nominee is chosen by then, Webb’s speech could serve as an audition for vice president.” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8433.html
Writing in the Huffington Post, Trey Ellis makes the case for a Obama-Webb ticket:
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 military 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. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trey-ellis/bring-em-home-obamaw_b_86429.html
Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton lack strong red state appeal. Democrats need someone on the ticket who can add a strong national security background and appeal to swing voters in the red states. Webb could easily make the difference in Virginia and his presence has the potential to boost Democratic ticket nationally.
Here is a link to Jim Webb's biography http://webb.senate.gov/jim/ and to his political action committee http://www.bornfighting.com/
7 comments:
I like such a ticket. I would also add Gov Mark Warner as just as good a pick. Its a crapshoot, but Warner has that 'complimentary' appeal with someone having the charisma of Barack Obama. What it would do is accentuate the 21 century and the 'with it' aspect, the NOW campign. Its similar to when Bill CLinton picked Al Gore in 2000. Everyone told him to balance the ticket, but Bill wisely decided to add to the enhancement - a kind of one-two punch that really knocks you over. What they would do is to make one another look even better than they are, instead of sort of cancelling one another out...they both have that JFK aspect and that would be very powerful....
Webb is such an angry man, very capable of flying off the handle and making dumb remarks. I think he could do more hurt for Obama than good.
I really enjoy reading your blog, it always has great insight. But I am very frustrated with the media’s lack of questions to the presidential candidates about global warming. Now that it is down to just a few candidates I would think that this would be a bigger issue.
Live Earth just picked up this topic and put out an article ( http://www.liveearth.org/news.php ) asking why the presidential candidates are not being solicited for their stance on the issue of the climate change. I just saw an article describing each candidate’s stance on global warming and climate change on earthlab.com http://www.earthlab.com/articles/PresidentialCandidates.aspx . So obviously they care about it. Is it the Medias fault for not asking the right questions or is it the candidates’ fault for not highlighting the right platforms? Does anyone know of other websites or articles that touch on this subject and candidates’ views? This is the biggest problem of the century and for generations to come…you would think the next president of the United States would be more vocal about it.
The people (not the political class) of every other country in the Western world is crying out for the emergence in the US of a coalition committed to the advancement of the great American middle and working classes on the basis of their common interests, including the protection of workers and consumers, family values, fair trade and fair tax, carefully controlled and strictly legal immigration, universal healthcare, constitutional checks and balances, Social Security, national security, environmental responsibility, energy independence, Civil Rights without discrimination, Second Amendment rights and responsibilities, foreign policy realism, America as an English-speaking country, and cooperation between government and private charity.
We long for the determined building up of such a majority at local, state and federal level, to set the tone for the building up of very similar majorities in our own countries.
Obama-Webb is the ticket to begin that process. Jim Webb and others, not least Republicans and Independents, who have come out for Obama indicate that, while a victorious McCain Coalition might be the beginning of such a movement (and John McCain is extremely unlikely to go around starting wars - it is not war veterans, but draft dodgers, who do that), a victorious Obama Coalition is BOUND to that beginning, simply because of the composition that had made it victorious.
Obama-Webb is an idea...but I personally think a better one is Clinton-Webb. As a moderate to conservative Democrat, I find it clear that Hillary is the more "centrist" candidate and that Obama is just too liberal under the exterior.
Historically, putting Clinton and Obama on the same ticket that will win in November would be a great way to cap off the 20th century and it's historic struggles. It would bring to symbolic climax the suffrage struggles of African Americans and Women and the moral causes behind the civil rights and sexual liberties movements - i.e. no more 'glass ceilings' or lower pay for equally talented people. It would be the crowning evidence that affirmative action does have impact in breaking thru barriers of social and power exclusivity and allows for the best and smartest to rise to their highest potential - regardless of race or gender.
We are at a tremendous moment, America, this decision in 2008 - AFTER a reign (8 years?) of such a duo, we could THEN enter into the necessary paradigm shift truly appropriate for the 21st century. Reagan/Eisenhower, ‘clean’-Christian GOP politcs are dead and no longer relavent. Now let's get on with it and bury the 20th century idealism of FDR, JFK, RFK and MLK as well with one sweep! - Clinton/Obama 2008!
Our children and grandchildren will need a smarter, more agile, more globally connected and culturally saavy administration in 2020 than any of these candidates could ever begin to deliver, but we have to have a political evolution in order to get there. 21st century America is no longer Black & White on so many levels.
Let's get on with it! Democrats start making the call for a ticket that will positively transform America for the 21st century! Democrats United NOT Divided!
Hadn't thought of it, but I like the idea of an Obama-Webb ticket. Webb is very pro-RKBA and can fill in Mr. Obama's knowledge gap about 2nd Amendment issues; Michelle Obama's revelation about why white suburbanites and rural folk might want to keep & bear arms is at least a start, a step in the right direction, and I hope Barack changes his tune. Illinois has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation, yet they had that campus shooting recently.
Maybe if Illinois had concealed carry like most free states in the Union, the outcome would've been less tragic.
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