There's no need for that of course. One can certainly speak to security issues without being one. But that'll be today's Veepstakes chatter given the convention schedule. Of course none of the 4 people most often discussed as his running mate (Kaine, Bayh, Biden and Sebelius) served in the military, so if it is a veteran it'll be a bit of a surprise.
Posted by armand at August 11, 2008 11:46 AM | TrackBack | Posted to PoliticsThe point that that schedule rules out HRC as the veep is worth saying over and over to one's self a few times, in between deep sighs of relief.
Posted by: jacflash at August 11, 2008 11:56 AM | PERMALINKIf he does go with a veteran or someone deeply knowledgable of security issues, the names that leap into my head are Clark, Reed and Daschle. I suppose one could add Nunn - but I just don't see how Nunn is politically feasible.
Posted by: Armand at August 11, 2008 12:20 PM | PERMALINKI just want to remind everyone that I've been outspokenly pro-Clark the whole time. That would be an awesome surprise, and would probably go a long way toward reinvigorating Obama's disturbingly moribund summer campaign.
Posted by: moon at August 11, 2008 12:38 PM | PERMALINKThey're not moribund, they're playing rope-a-dope while they get their ducks in a row for the biggest blitz American politics has ever seen, starting sometime after Labor Day.
(I seriously think that's their strategy. That doesn't mean I think it's a wise one.)
And yeah, Clark would be a race-shaking choice for sure.
Posted by: jacflash at August 11, 2008 02:22 PM | PERMALINKWell, personally I think Clark would be a cool pick (and no Moon, I hadn't forgotten your love of him). And I think it'd fit with "change" too (I guess the narrative would be he's political and into public service - but not a DC legislator or whatever). And as an added bonus it'd drive several staunch-Republican-Pentagon types bananas.
And there's no evidence he even made the long-list, but ...
If this signals Obama is interested in a veteran, and Obama's in Hawaii, who's one of the country's most prominent veterans from Hawaii? Eric Shinseki. If Obama wants to frame national security issues through the 2002 war vote, questioning McCain's judgment, and linking McCain to Bush (and going against the advice of senior military minds), Shinseki could be an interesting pick.
Again I don't think it's likely, but ...
Posted by: Armand at August 12, 2008 08:43 AM | PERMALINK