Barack Obama, courting former Hillary Clinton donors, told one that Clinton is on his list of potential running mates but that there is one problem he has to think through, namely, Bill Clinton, according to the Los Angeles Times. Obama had got in touch with Jill Iscol because he had heard she was unhappy with the way the party had been treating Clinton. She told him that Clinton would be his best running mate, and he said that the former President was a "complication." Iscol quoted Obama: "He said once you're a president, even if you're a former president, you're always a president."
Chris Cilliza of the Washington Post offered his "top five" short list predictions for VP. On the Republican side, he picked South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Louisian Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Pennsylvania governor and Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and former Massuchusetts governor Mitt Romney. For the Democrats, he listed Clinton, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (see CQ Politics' own report on her), Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.
We noted the report the other day that Obama would be taking Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, an outspoken Republican critic of the war, with him on his upcoming trip to Iraq. Obama has now disclosed he's also taking Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat, who was a former Army Ranger.
The FiveThiryEight blog has looked at the field of Republican VP possibilities and divided them into five groups, each with their own advantages. They are:
- Traditional: A well-known mainstream senator or governor.
- Base Reach: Holding on to party conservatives.
- Center reach: Spreading the net in the general election.
- Insider: Has a particular competency.
- Outside: A non-politician, like a CEO.
Then it put names to the labels:
Romney 3-1 Traditional
Pawlenty 6-1 Traditional
Palin 6-1 Traditional
Huckabee 7-1 Base Reach
Crist 11-1 Traditional
Portman 12-1 Insider
Fiorina 13-1 Outsider
Thune 13-1 Base Reach
Cantor 15-1 Insider
Sanford 15-1 Traditional
Ridge 20-1 Center Reach
Jindal 20-1 Base Reach
Perdue 20-1 Traditional
Lieberman 30-1 Center Reach
Snowe 30-1 Center Reach
Bloomberg 50-1 Center Reach
Graham 50-1 Traditional
Collins 50-1 Center Reach
Kasich 50-1 Insider
Rice 50-1 Insider
Cox 60-1 Insider
Rell 60-1 Center Reach
Whitman 60-1 Outsider
Keating 70-1 Traditional
Huntsman 80-1 Base Reach
Hutchinson 100-1 Traditional
Engler 100-1 Traditional
Fred Smith 100-1 Outsider
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Comments
"He said once you're a president, even if you're a former president, you're always a president."
Obama should have thought of that during the primaries, when he treated Bill with so much disrespect. Is that how a Democratic nominee treats a well respected and loved former Democratic President. The only Democratic President in a lot of peoples life time. And to compare him unfavorably to Reagon - a Republican! Outrageous.
It's just an excuse, anyway. Another lame excuse from Obama.
ps Looks like some good odds for Romney.
Posted by: chloe
| July 14, 2008 9:33 AM
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