The political punditry announced last week that the VP running list for Barack Obama had been narrowed down to a carefully pruned four names:
- Tim Kaine
- Joe Biden
- Evan Bayh
- Kathleen Sebelius
Now each of them has some aspect that makes them imperfectly desirable:
- Tim Kaine—less experienced and less well-known than the other options
- Joe Biden—too obvious, too handsome, might outshine the boss, claimed he's "not the guy," although the Prediction Markets have him as the top seller
- Evan Bayh—too handsome (hey, I am serious—that can be a political liability, Edwards and Clinton—it was the same in ancient Rome), his wife received almost $1,000,000 worth of payments last year from having questionably served on some corporate boards
- Kathleen Sebelius—not as dynamic, nor as well-known as other picks, though an exciting prospect (for us women, anyway), little buzz about her equals slim chances
What if, however, the leak about the four options above were a fake-out? What if the real options have not been revealed? I have long been a fan of Michael Bloomberg as a running-mate, although that's way out of the realm of possibility at this stage. BUT, there are a couple of names who are not only possible, but would make superb and powerful running mates—both for their backgrounds and for the votes they would bring in:
Tumerica’s unrevealed short list:
- General Wesley Clark—an impeccable military career, would cause a huge amount of attention to be focused on McCain's unreleased military records and somewhat questionable military career (at least parts of it were), and again, a well-respected heavy-hitter
- Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico—would haul in the Hispanic vote, represents the western US better than an East-coaster, and again, is a well-respected heavy-hitter
Whom do you want for Obama's VP pick?
