Obama's VP and the Left's nightmares
As conversations about McCain's and Obama's choices are picking-up, a certain number of people from both parties are worried that their nominee might select a running mate that is too far from the party's base. After all, a vice-president is not only a heartbeat away from the presidency, but he also becomes the favorite to become the party's next candidate. While the Right is worrying about McCain choosing Charlie Crist and Tom Ridge, the Left's worst-case scenario is even more nightmarish, since a Republican is commonly mentioned as a possible pick for Obama, Nebraska's Chuck Hagel.
While Hagel has repeatedly expressed admiration for Obama, he has not endorsed the Illinois Senator. But his comments have been increasingly critical of John McCain, despite the friendship that has long united the two men. Hagel was long mentioned as a possible candidate on a bipartisan ticket sponsored by Unity08 and rumors circulated for months that Hagel and New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg were in talks about a possible ticket. Given that postpartisanship is at the center of Obama's message, speculation that an Obama-Hagel ticket is a possibility emerged as soon as Bloomberg nixed a presidential run of his own back in February.
In a sign that this is indeed a possibility, it was revealed yesterday that Hagel's wife Lilibet had donated to Obama's campaign. Hagel's aides were quick to point out that this was Lilibet's individual choice and that it did not speak for Hagel's choice, but it is certainly a powerful symbol.
While Hagel is as strong a critic of the Iraq War as Senate Republicans have to offer, he remains a very conservative politician; pro-life, strongly pro-free trade and skeptical of government programs (he voted against SCHIP's expansion in the fall). Former Nebraska congressman McCollister called him "except on Iraq, the most conservative member of the United States Senate."
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia is already awakening concern in some Democratic circles. After all, Webb is a former Republican who has only recently converted to the Democratic Party, mostly because of the Iraq War. Secretary of the Navy under Reagan, he was very critical of John Kerry in the 2004 election, hitting the former candidate over his opposition to the Vietnam War. A piece written by Kathy G. on the Atlantic's blog summarizes these worries that Webb is too fundamentally conservative to be given the second slot of a Democratic ticket, particularly in a year in which the party and progressive ideals have such an advantage:
Kathy G. then goes into the most troubling aspect of Webb's record: Gender issues. As had been revealed in the 2006 Senate race, Webb had authored a scathing essay in the 1970s seeking to block women from military academies because they are not biologically suited for combat. His writing became a very influential document in the fight for gender equality within the army and many women testify that Webb made it very hard for them to advance their cause, including that of fighting sexual harassment. Kathy G. notes that Webb's poor record on gender issues extends to the 1980s and 1990s and a series of ill-phrased statements. Given that Obama might conceivably have to face some leftover resentment in some quarters that he defeated Clinton's bid to be the first female president, this would not be a good controversy to rehearse in the coming months.
Finally, former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn is the last nightmare choice for those who are not fully sold on the benefits of postpartisanship. Like Hagel and Bloomberg, Nunn was one of the main names mentioned in association with Unity08's project and his national security credentials could strengthen Obama in the area in which attacks on his experience could hurt him the most. But Nunn is also remembered as one of the most moderate voices of the Democratic Party of the early 1990s, a Senator who engaged in fights with what he perceived as the Clinton Administration's excessive liberalism.
Most problematic is Nunn's record on gay rights, as he was one of the main opponents of Clinton's plan to lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving within the military, often in very gay-baiting terms. As a critic within Clinton's party, he is one of those most responsible for derailing the original plans. While it is true that past Democratic candidates were not the most sympathetic to gay rights demand (see Kerry, John and the Missouri anti-gay marriage amendment), it could prove a distraction for Obama to have to repeatedly address gay rights, as he had to do already in the fall.
However, it is a curious fact -- and one that is appropriate to Obama -- that an anti-war stance is all three men's main progressive credential (and, in the case of Hagel and Webb, the very/only reason they looked towards the Democratic Party in the first place). In fact, it is Sam Nunn's vote against the Gulf War 18 years ago derailed his own presidential ambitions. Given the central role the Iraq War will play in the fall, it could be a powerful symbol for Obama to have as a running-mate a man with very strong anti-war and national security credentials, a combination all three of these men share (though it did not help John Kerry).
While Hagel has repeatedly expressed admiration for Obama, he has not endorsed the Illinois Senator. But his comments have been increasingly critical of John McCain, despite the friendship that has long united the two men. Hagel was long mentioned as a possible candidate on a bipartisan ticket sponsored by Unity08 and rumors circulated for months that Hagel and New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg were in talks about a possible ticket. Given that postpartisanship is at the center of Obama's message, speculation that an Obama-Hagel ticket is a possibility emerged as soon as Bloomberg nixed a presidential run of his own back in February.
In a sign that this is indeed a possibility, it was revealed yesterday that Hagel's wife Lilibet had donated to Obama's campaign. Hagel's aides were quick to point out that this was Lilibet's individual choice and that it did not speak for Hagel's choice, but it is certainly a powerful symbol.
While Hagel is as strong a critic of the Iraq War as Senate Republicans have to offer, he remains a very conservative politician; pro-life, strongly pro-free trade and skeptical of government programs (he voted against SCHIP's expansion in the fall). Former Nebraska congressman McCollister called him "except on Iraq, the most conservative member of the United States Senate."
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia is already awakening concern in some Democratic circles. After all, Webb is a former Republican who has only recently converted to the Democratic Party, mostly because of the Iraq War. Secretary of the Navy under Reagan, he was very critical of John Kerry in the 2004 election, hitting the former candidate over his opposition to the Vietnam War. A piece written by Kathy G. on the Atlantic's blog summarizes these worries that Webb is too fundamentally conservative to be given the second slot of a Democratic ticket, particularly in a year in which the party and progressive ideals have such an advantage:
What I worry about is the fact that Webb basically became a Democrat the day before yesterday, and he has a long history of holding some pretty wingnutty opinions and making some fairly outrageous and offensive statements. To quote a Rolling Stone profile of the man, just a few years ago he was saying that "Liberals were 'cultural Marxists,' and 'the upper crust of academia and the pampered salons of Hollywood' were a fifth column waging war on American traditions." In 2000, Webb opined that affirmative action was "state-sponsored racism"; that same year he endorsed the ultra-conservative Republican George Allen for the senate. ...
Troublingly, he gave this glowing endorsement to Mark Moyar's uber-wingnutty "revisionist" history of the Vietnam War, Triumph Forsaken, which was published in October 2006... As Rick Perlstein has demonstrated in a devastating review, the Moyar book is dreadful piece of far-right propaganda posing as history. What it basically is, is a book-length elaboration of the "stab-in-the-back" myth: i.e., Moyar argues that the Vietnam War was winnable, and that only the treachery of liberal elites in the media and the government prevented America from achieving "victory."
Kathy G. then goes into the most troubling aspect of Webb's record: Gender issues. As had been revealed in the 2006 Senate race, Webb had authored a scathing essay in the 1970s seeking to block women from military academies because they are not biologically suited for combat. His writing became a very influential document in the fight for gender equality within the army and many women testify that Webb made it very hard for them to advance their cause, including that of fighting sexual harassment. Kathy G. notes that Webb's poor record on gender issues extends to the 1980s and 1990s and a series of ill-phrased statements. Given that Obama might conceivably have to face some leftover resentment in some quarters that he defeated Clinton's bid to be the first female president, this would not be a good controversy to rehearse in the coming months.
Finally, former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn is the last nightmare choice for those who are not fully sold on the benefits of postpartisanship. Like Hagel and Bloomberg, Nunn was one of the main names mentioned in association with Unity08's project and his national security credentials could strengthen Obama in the area in which attacks on his experience could hurt him the most. But Nunn is also remembered as one of the most moderate voices of the Democratic Party of the early 1990s, a Senator who engaged in fights with what he perceived as the Clinton Administration's excessive liberalism.
Most problematic is Nunn's record on gay rights, as he was one of the main opponents of Clinton's plan to lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving within the military, often in very gay-baiting terms. As a critic within Clinton's party, he is one of those most responsible for derailing the original plans. While it is true that past Democratic candidates were not the most sympathetic to gay rights demand (see Kerry, John and the Missouri anti-gay marriage amendment), it could prove a distraction for Obama to have to repeatedly address gay rights, as he had to do already in the fall.
However, it is a curious fact -- and one that is appropriate to Obama -- that an anti-war stance is all three men's main progressive credential (and, in the case of Hagel and Webb, the very/only reason they looked towards the Democratic Party in the first place). In fact, it is Sam Nunn's vote against the Gulf War 18 years ago derailed his own presidential ambitions. Given the central role the Iraq War will play in the fall, it could be a powerful symbol for Obama to have as a running-mate a man with very strong anti-war and national security credentials, a combination all three of these men share (though it did not help John Kerry).
Labels: VP-Dem
10 Comments:
And there my friend is the crux of the matter. The perception of the lunatic left in the Democratic Party, that the country is in sync with them, and therefore, this is the year to advance the “Progressive Agenda”. Sounds very close to the lunatic right similar believe in previous years that America was a right wing country. We are neither. We are a center right country, moderate in most issues. Very patriotic, and yes, we love our guns, our cars, and deep down most of us want to win in Iraq! We are also totally disgusted by the Republican Party, and the abuses from the right. What we are not about to do is to turn in the other direction and endure the abuses from the left. In a basic instinctive way, Barack Obama seems to understand that fact, giving credence to his great political skills. Therefore it makes sense that his VP election will not only add geographical balance to this ticket, but ideological balance too! But Chuck Hagel is a pipe dream. He is still a very conservative republican. He would be absolutely unacceptable to even folks like me, and I am not a lunatic left wingnut. And he does not add any electoral power to the ticket, Obama still loses Nebraska by 20 points! So don’t be distress flower children. Hagel is not going to be the VP. But somebody in the Ted Strickland mold might be!
By Anonymous, At 30 May, 2008 22:49
Robert,
Note that I did not include people like Evan Bayh and Ted Strickland (very moderate Democrats) on my list, as the type of criticism aimed at Nunn/Webb/Hagel is different than the one that would be aimed at simply any moderate Democrat. In the case of the trio I detailed here, it is a dramatic irreconciability with basic liberal principles that is at stake.
By Taniel, At 30 May, 2008 23:07
Nunn/Webb/Hagel might make a fine Secretary of Defense in an Obama Administration, but I agree -- they would be bad running mates and would turn off large segments of the Democratic base.
By Unknown, At 31 May, 2008 01:26
I completely agree with terence, They would all make great secdef, but running mates not so much,and ideal running mate would be a women with experince and national security credentials, is it Hillary? who knows? if Obama doesn't feel comfortable with Hillary then I think Richardson would add experience, help out with Hispanics and might swing NM our way.
Biden is another possibility
By Unknown, At 31 May, 2008 03:51
I like Ted Strickland a lot, and I think he is one guy that can actually deliver the goods in the form of a win in Ohio. Barack wins Ohio, and he migth well be the next president of the United States. That aside, my concern has always been with the extremes of both parties. Listen to Air America or read bloggs like Kos and you get the distintive impresion that the level of lunacy in the left is again at high tide. And boy are they going to be disappointed! If Barack is elected I beleve he will govern from the moderate middle. We will be in Iraq in November 2008 and also in November 2009. He is not going to take NAFTA apart, and a radical change of the tax code is not in the horizon. Young Obama followers, welcome to reality of politics, the ancient art of give and take.
By Anonymous, At 31 May, 2008 04:45
The trifecta from Virginia comes immediately to mind:
Keane / Warner / Webb
The trifecta from the Rust-belt comes second to mind:
Casey / Strickland / Bayh
What does Obama need?
A white man, a conservative leaning democrat, preferably catholic and with ties to the rust belt, or at least, trusted by the rust belt.
That would be Casey or Keane, but Strickland is also a minister, so I can imagine him being a help overall.
Or, a governor with ties to the hispanic community:
Richardson. Richardson puts TX wildly in play and secures NM for Obama.
SUSA polling shows him doing consistently better with Edwards, but Edwards doesn't want the job.
By Statistikhengst, At 31 May, 2008 07:33
Richardson helps Obama in New Mexico and that is about it. Small state, five electoral votes, that I think Obama will win anyways. He does not do anything for Obama in Texas, which will not be in play for the Dems even if a LBJ is in the ballot. I am afraid Hispanics do not vote in the same maner as African Americans, good old governord Richardson did not do that well among Latinos in Nevada, where he was in the ballot. Beside, among Latino supporters of Hillary Clinton, gov Richardson stock is very low. No. The only path for gov Richardson to the inarguration is if he buys a ticket to the balls. A deserved reward for a spineless, untrustworthy, treacherous pol!
By Anonymous, At 31 May, 2008 11:16
Ah, I get the feeling that Richard V may just be a real big Clinton fan...
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