The Bare Knuckled Pundit
08-01-2008, 10:57 PM
Word has leaked that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has moved into the lead of the rapidly thinning pack of contenders being considered for Senator Barack Obama’s vice presidential running mate.
If this is in fact true, it signals that Obama has elected to pursue a geopolitical advantage in his vice presidential pick. As I identified in http://bareknuckledpundit.blogspot.com/2008/07/vice-presidential-pick-what-do.html, one of the options Obama has to consider is using his running mate selection as a means to pick off one of the traditionally Republican states.
“Furthermore, if Obama hopes to pick off traditionally Republican states in the south that are pro-military and home to major military installations, he must have someone that can speak to those voters and personnel without being condescending or insincere. Killing two birds with one stone, the optimal choice would be a senator or governor of one of these key states that can help Obama seriously contest its red status while giving him an avenue through which to address these critical voters. A tall order no doubt, but one that may be vital to Obama’s electoral success.”
If Governor Kaine ultimately gets the nod, it is also a signal that the Senator feels his highly publicized world tour last week has imbued him with a sense of gravitas and an air of authority on foreign and military affairs. When combined with the growing international and domestic consensus on Iraq and Afghanistan, the Obama camp may feel dramatically more secure and see no need to address these issues with the vice presidential picks.
Given the depth of foreign policy and military expertise at the Democrats’ disposal, the campaign may well feel it can utilize Cabinet positions such as the Secretaries of State and Defense, as well as the National Security Advisor, to address any concerns that might confront an Obama administration. One could easily see Senator Joe Biden or former Senator Sam Nunn playing a key role in an Obama White House in this capacity.
However, with the economy and domestic issues dominating the campaign agenda, there is little need to highlight these issues further and risk exposing Obama to attacks on his judgment and lack of experience in these key areas.
One of the primary benefits Kaine would bring to an Obama ticket is executive experience that is grounded in domestic issues. Governors know better than most the pressures of competing political agendas; the conflict between desired and demanded programs; and the impact of fiscal realities on governmental services.
Kaine has dealt with the issues of education, health care, taxes, housing markets and jobs. That provides him a significant and credible voice in a campaign focused on domestic issues.
As the Governor of Virginia, Kaine would also provide the Obama camp a base from which to contest West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina in addition to swinging his home state and it’s accompanying 13 electoral votes into the Democratic column.
However, one should be cautious not to overestimate the impact of a running mate on an election. Remember, in the case of the Kerry-Edwards ticket of 2004, Edwards’ home state of North Carolina went for Bush and Cheney; so much for the power of favorite sons.
It’s coming down to the wire, faithful readers! Place your bets while you still can! Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and the announcement of the final winner in this year’s Obama mega-jackpot running mate lotto!
If this is in fact true, it signals that Obama has elected to pursue a geopolitical advantage in his vice presidential pick. As I identified in http://bareknuckledpundit.blogspot.com/2008/07/vice-presidential-pick-what-do.html, one of the options Obama has to consider is using his running mate selection as a means to pick off one of the traditionally Republican states.
“Furthermore, if Obama hopes to pick off traditionally Republican states in the south that are pro-military and home to major military installations, he must have someone that can speak to those voters and personnel without being condescending or insincere. Killing two birds with one stone, the optimal choice would be a senator or governor of one of these key states that can help Obama seriously contest its red status while giving him an avenue through which to address these critical voters. A tall order no doubt, but one that may be vital to Obama’s electoral success.”
If Governor Kaine ultimately gets the nod, it is also a signal that the Senator feels his highly publicized world tour last week has imbued him with a sense of gravitas and an air of authority on foreign and military affairs. When combined with the growing international and domestic consensus on Iraq and Afghanistan, the Obama camp may feel dramatically more secure and see no need to address these issues with the vice presidential picks.
Given the depth of foreign policy and military expertise at the Democrats’ disposal, the campaign may well feel it can utilize Cabinet positions such as the Secretaries of State and Defense, as well as the National Security Advisor, to address any concerns that might confront an Obama administration. One could easily see Senator Joe Biden or former Senator Sam Nunn playing a key role in an Obama White House in this capacity.
However, with the economy and domestic issues dominating the campaign agenda, there is little need to highlight these issues further and risk exposing Obama to attacks on his judgment and lack of experience in these key areas.
One of the primary benefits Kaine would bring to an Obama ticket is executive experience that is grounded in domestic issues. Governors know better than most the pressures of competing political agendas; the conflict between desired and demanded programs; and the impact of fiscal realities on governmental services.
Kaine has dealt with the issues of education, health care, taxes, housing markets and jobs. That provides him a significant and credible voice in a campaign focused on domestic issues.
As the Governor of Virginia, Kaine would also provide the Obama camp a base from which to contest West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina in addition to swinging his home state and it’s accompanying 13 electoral votes into the Democratic column.
However, one should be cautious not to overestimate the impact of a running mate on an election. Remember, in the case of the Kerry-Edwards ticket of 2004, Edwards’ home state of North Carolina went for Bush and Cheney; so much for the power of favorite sons.
It’s coming down to the wire, faithful readers! Place your bets while you still can! Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant and the announcement of the final winner in this year’s Obama mega-jackpot running mate lotto!