VP Watch: Say, what?
By John Amato Saturday Jul 26, 2008 6:45pm
(Ann Veneman (R) with Darby Rove, wife of Karl Rove)
He is kidding, isn't he?
Obama's vice presidential search team has floated the name of a former member of President Bush's first-term cabinet, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, as Obama's running mate. [...]
The mention of Veneman's name surprised Democratic lawmakers. The low-profile Republican was close to food and agriculture industries but clashed with farm-state Democrats and environmentalists during her tenure, which lasted from 2001 to 2004...read on
Listen, just pick Hillary already and get it over with. If Obama's camp really wants half the Democratic Party to really scream, just pick Veneman. Our VP list is light and the idea that Hagel's name has been floated is repulsive enough, but Veneman? Hagel can help him on the trail and maybe someplace else for sure, but not as VP. Hillary can help Obama win Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. As we saw in the primary, elderly and Latino voters really liked her as well. The media spotlight will be all his for another long period of time while McCain is left to stir up a little publicity with Bobby "what's evolution?" Jindal or the boring wonderbread that is Romney. Maybe it will give him time to produce another video crying to the media that his VP pick wasn't covered as much as Obama's.
Yes, many from the online community don't like this choice, but I want to win the White House. She can stay in those three states alone as far as I'm concerned. I think McCain is up by eight points in one Florida poll and we all know what Florida means.
And if Obama does win the election, the Republicans will try to block every piece of legislation that comes by. Their plan is to then blame Democrats for not fixing all of Bush's screw ups in two years and run on that platform in 2010. He will need a tough VP to go in there and help move the agenda along. And nobody can repair the damage that the conservatives have done to our country in two years.
SEN. OBAMA: I think Hillary Clinton--I've said--this one I can actually answer, because I've said consistently that I think Hillary Clinton would be on anybody's short list. She, she is one of the most effective, intelligent, courageous leaders that we have in the Democratic Party.
MR. BROKAW: And according to the woman that you were talking to, you said that "we just don't know what to do about Bill," or something to that effect.
SEN. OBAMA: Oh, you know, I maybe--I think that a lot of conversations get characterized. I think that not only do I want Hillary Clinton campaigning with me, I want Bill Clinton, one of the smartest men in the history of politics, involved in our campaign. But I'm not going to, I'm not going to spill the beans here. You, you can, you can do what you want...
MR. BROKAW: Bill Clinton as, Bill Clinton as a surrogate for you day in and day out, throughout the campaign?
SEN. OBAMA: I, I would love to have Bill Clinton campaigning for me. I--he was very effective when it came to our primary, you know. He was traveling to little towns in Texas and Ohio, and it was very hard to keep up, given that he was campaigning so hard at the same time as Hillary was campaigning as hard as she was.
Who do you want picked?
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Noam Chomsky would make a great VP........I know, not viable......how about Chris Rock?
Picking Veneman would give the pigs a reason to put a contract out on Obama!
no, don't pick hillary.
she's bat$#!+ crazy, her ads claiming mccain's more qualified will be used against the ticket, she mismanaged her own campaign, america needs to kick bushes & clintons alike out of the oval office forever, and her husband will likely chase obama's interns around the white house into the wee hours of the night.
obama / richardson '08
bill richardson knows how to govern, he's likable, he's hispanic (breaking another ceiling) and he'll hold down the southwest.
i thought we were all excited about that church lady from kansas?
Biden.
I second Biden
Biden. Not sure he's a great choice, but that seems to be where this is going.
Picking Hillary would give the pigs a reason to put a contract out on Obama!
He should pick someone that is not a politician right now, and has not spent their entire lives on the taxpayer's dole.
also, amato, if obama's interested in preserving his own livelihood, he won't make the same mistake jfk made in picking a corporatist puppet as his veep.
i'm not even suggesting hill would be on an assassination, but her moneyed leash-holders may not exercise restraint...
call me tin-foil, but i live in a country that's seen 4 presidents assassinated in 232 years, and a whole lot more attempts...
obama / richardson or obama / edwards -even w/ the new scandal. edwards infidelity vs. mccain screwing a lobbyist? LET'S TAKE OUR CHANCES.
Bill Richardson. Might pick up points with Latino voters, and his foreign policy experience is second to none.
Obama's really strange. He usually has good judgment, and almost all of his decisions are sensible either from a policy or political viewpoint. But when his judgment lapses, it's a doozy, and his judgment ends up not being just bad but rather stupefyingly awful, practically Bushian. Health insurance reform, FISA, now floating Ann Veneman--I don't mind the occasional disagreement with my party's standard bearer, but this is ridiculous. Each time Obama goes off the reservation he ends up not just wandering in the wilderness but on a rocket trip to the moon, without oxygen.
Geez, how tough can it be to choose a passable VP? Anyone's gotta come off better than McCain's pick. But then Edwards couldn't even beat Cheney, so who knows?
at first glance i thought this had to be a nicole post. it had that over the top feel.
was this really john?
This is a joke, isn't it?
If Obama picks a Repig as a running mate I'll leave the Democratic Party forever. I bet lots of other folks will too.
will there be any Democrats in an Obama administration?
Take a deep breath. relax. She brings nothing to the table. It can't be a serious name.
Richardson, please!
I feel it's important to point out that the other woman in the photo, "Darby Rove", is really just Karl Rove with a wig on and a chin prosthetic.
Anyone that actually believes this crap is a total fool
First!
Richardson would be the best, but he's such a bad campaigner. Man, he was a dud on the campaign trail. Please, not Sam Nunn.
Rob J @ 12:
So true. And what about his legal adviser, Cass Sunstein, from the Univ of Chicago, who doesn't think the Bush Administration should be prosecuted? And FDL is reporting he's picked an anti-choice, anti-gay preacher to host a debate with mcCain. WTF?
I'd love Hillary, except for the Bill problem that really concerns me.Also, I can envision HRC not wanting to play ball all the time with Obama if she were VP. Would they really be a unified team? Just too many thorns in her selection. Not sure who I'd want. Wesley Clark, perhaps?
ecthompson @ 17:
But why would her name even be floated?
Anne Venneman has about as much chance getting on the ticket as Mean Jean Schmidt or Katherine Harris.
Hillary presents problems that far outweigh the benefits. First of all, she inspires passion in opponents, and will bring a great many conservative voters out who otherwise would just stay hope this election. Secondly, do you honestly think that Obama won't be forced into a power struggle with her as his second? Hil's no shrieking violet--for good or ill, she knows where power is located and knows how to get close to it. Obama needs someone who is ambitious but not ambitious enough to attempt a secret coup, and I'm certain Hil will do so, and will have a former president in her corner to assist her. Obama needs to succeed or fail on his own terms, and not thru compromise with a Clinton that is still viable for office.
heh. "stay HOME," not stay hope.
Daisy Zimmerly @ 15:
Good Lord, are you that naive to even give a story like this a second thought?
Sorry. But Hillary is poison to the ticket. Plenty of us that are planning on voting for Obama will think twice is Hillary is on the ticket. Not that we would vote for McCain, but I suspect many will just stay home on election day. Hagel is a great choice as VP because he will bring in voters - unlike Hillary who will drive them away.
Next thing you know, they'll be floating Joe Lieberman's name.
Shiva H Vishnu ... more inertia in the Democratic Party? Who starts these rumors anyway, it's hard to believe this crap is true. Or maybe it's just too damn early in the morning for me.
Obama has a plethora of good people to choose from, Biden, Dodd etc. But I think the big three news Corporations just like to play this little game with the feeble minded morons who watch FOX and network news channels.
SuburbanGrrrl @ 23:
So people, even republicans would talk and forget about John McSame!
If Dick Cheney can be VP, so can any clown...pick one up at any McD's ad campaign and bring him along.
Yeah sure. And James Watt is coming back to run Interior. Uh huh.
he doesn't need hillary... and you're not helping things by bringing it up, again...
except it's more clear now why C&L was "neutral" during the primary...
jeesh.
John,
Why are you still acting shocked about anything in this campaign? The two parties are laughing at us, openly. We haven't given them any reason not to.
john edwards is a little busy just now. so we're back to the ticket everybody really wants: hillary.
followed by some impeachment baby..... lets get this country back on the right track!
He isn't going to pick Hillary. Hillary doesn't want to be Vice President. Why would she give up a seat in the Senate for a nothing job like Vice President? Nor is he going to pick this lady. The whole appeal of Obama is his "new politics" message, and by floating the name of a generally unknown, only mildly offensive Republican who is on record against farm subsidies (the linchpin of today's business-centric political scene) he's strengthening his profile as an isle-crosser with someone who the average voter will only know the political affiliation of and sending the message to everyone who wants to reform the subsidy regime that its on his mind.
When he picks someone, it will likely be a center-line Democrat with significant legislative/administrative experience who appeals to voting blocks he can't reach. Someone like Bill Richardson, or maybe a southern dem representative.
Bullfrog: read your history. If anyone on that ticket was a corporate puppet, it was Kennedy. Johnson made his name fighting for the little guy; he WAS the new deal in Texas, and through advice and funding he pushed it in the other 50 states as well. As a congressmen, he had the best constituent service in the nation. Sure, he knew what side his bread was buttered on and did nasty things to get contracts for Brown and Root (then a fly-by-night construction firm), but those nasty things let him lift the southwest out of the middle ages.
The Truth Hurts @ 7:
No way. The 'pugs will say: "Northeastern liberal."
I say, "Open (big) mouth. Insert foot."
Somebody married rove
Sherrod Brown. He delivers Ohio and helps in Florida.
hotmouth @ 27:
Thank you Hotmouth for injecting some sanity into this discussion. According to Politico some anonymous source says that someone in the Obama campaign said that they are considering... What nonsense. BTW, "the President and CEO of The Politico, Frederick Ryan, is also the Board Chairman for the Reagan Library. "
I guess I'm in the choir for a change. Of course I've been singing that tune for a while. Demographics win elections.
If he picks a woman other than Clinton, he's going to alienate Clinton supporters. That would be super stupid. If he picked a Republican woman? I can't imagine he'd be that batsh*t, his campaign has been run too well for that kind of screw up.
ecthompson @ 17:
Seriously... I think it's a bluff. I'm sure Giuliani is on McCain's VP list, and you know as well as I that there ain't a snowball's chance in hell that he'll be VP (unless McCain has already gone senile).
That said, I think Obama has at least three excellent choices for VP: Biden, Richardson and Kathleen Sebelius. There's no need to hit the panic button and throw Hillary back into the spotlight.
It absolutely should be HRC for all the reasons outlined in your piece. There simply is no one who can unite the dems, and if we don't unite we'll lose. So why even take a chance?
Hey, I got it!!! He should shock them all and pick Chelsea Clinton!!! Or one of the Bush girls!! OR better yet, Johnny McRightNuts's daughter!!!
♫..Bangkok Bob..♫ @ 30:
How about Obama/Kerry '08 IMO the more swiftboaters would sign up for the reruns, the more surreal and pointless McCain campaign would become. Three month of absolute fun.
John Kerry vs. Ann Veneman. Hillary Clinton vs. Ann Veneman. Hmm. WTF? If the media think that the left can be so easily confused and divided if they plant the name of Ann Veneman through some lunatic proxies, they definitely must try harder, much harder!!
AllyWilliams @ 39:
That was my thought too, Ally. When I read that, I threw up a little in my mouth.
Hillary voted enthusiastically for the war. They can't pick someone who did that. Not to mention Bill Clinton's slave-labor China Presidential Library money, which the Repubs/Fox will milk daily from Denver to November.
Biff Limbaugh @ 36:
Who's "everybody"? Rush Limbaugh? Yeah, he'd *love* Hillary on the ticket. I think most Republicans would.
There are a lot of good Democrats (including Hillary, though I don't support her). And no, I don't think Hagel would be Obama's best choice--not because he's a Repugnicant, but because he doesn't offer much--Sebelius offers just as much, only without any foreign affairs experience.
Seriously, I think Ann Veneman's name has been floated as a ruse: a way to distract people from some other more important thing going on, or to stir up confusion. There's no way she's gonna go up the short list before the many qualified (read "foreign policy experience") Democrats available.
They floated that name did they? What's else floats: a duck... Let's weigh her. If she weighs as much as a duck then she's a ...
Back up a minute. What's "repulsive" about Chuck Hagel, John?
NO-o-o-o-o- Hillary!
But if people get disgusted, maybe they should pay a little attention to Cynthia McKinney and the Green Party.
Julian @ 37:
And, LBJ was a happy family man. His wife adored him. I think she would be happy at what you just said.
SuburbanGrrrl @ 23:
Obama likes to think of himself as a transcendent being. He's not just above the fray, he's above the practical plane of real politics when he really feels inspired. This is scary. I didn't trust G.W.s pipeline to God, and I don't trust Obama's "Make me an instrument of your will" vibe either. On the one hand, his detached attitude is helpful; it's inspiring to Americans with an I.Q over 80, it helps him connect with world leaders who are ready for a retreat from the sordid games our current President plays, and he's more able to function effectively when the repugs slime him. On the other hand, he's apt to go all Tao on us and forget that there are undeniable dichotomies on this plane that can't be erased by just playing nice with the enemy. It didn't work for Neville Chamberlain, and it won't work for Obama. These people have no boundaries-if you invite them into your home they'll eat all your chips, overflow the toilet, kick your dog and trash your house. And then they won't leave.
ConcernedCanuck @ 46:
Chelsea! That's brilliant; hadn't thought of that! LOL!
Sue @ 43:
A lot of things will alienate Clinton supporters. Many Clinton supporters are simply chomping at the bit to be alienated, feel victimized, and have "proof" that the world is still full of digressive misogyny. No matter what you do, you're going to find some unreasonable brood with complaint.
"against farm subsidies"... oooh, that'll go over well in obama's illinois...
besides, didn't he tell us all himself, that the next time we hear anything about a vp pick,
it will come from him, in the form of an announcement?
this is just another ruse...
All the people posting comments about how terrible it would be to have HRC on the ticket ought to consider one fact: just a hair under fifty percent pf democratic voters in the primaries preferred her to Obama. He'll get most of those votes but all would be better.
Doesn't this show that Obama, opposite to what we wish, is just like the rest. Why isn't he going all out, will of the people kind of stuff instead of pandering to the cronyism systemic in the political system. It could be he's one of them and this is a charade. If true they would try to make the opponent look as foolish as possible... er John Mcgaffe?
We're doomed:)
Veneman who??? wtf?
if barack picks any female other than hillary he might as well quit the race.
Bill Bradley.
ConcernedCanuck @ 46:
How about Cheney's daughter?
This had better be a joke.
There will be no Bush lackies in the Obama white house.
(Ann Veneman (R) with Darby Rove, wife of Karl Rove)
wait one minute here...Rove is married? please tell me he did not reproduce. someone , please!
Gretchen @ 61:
Bwahahaha....never thought of her!!! Good zinger!
He could maybe even pick CondomSleezy Rice!! Then it would be two or three firsts in a row. Black, female, and fugly!!
Peter G @ 57:
I have the feeling--and I could be *way* off base, since I'm right so often (and I'm joking there, folks)--that McCain is going to make his VP move early. There seems to be increasing desperation on the part of his campaign and 'pugs in general, and this will get him some pre-Olympics publicity.
Obama, then, has the chance to pick the best person he can in response to that...the person who can counter that person's strengths or deliver an important constituency. Under those circumstances, I can see him picking Hillary, and while I don't favor her, I couldn't fault him for doing an "LBJ."
It would be very hard, however, to counter either Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice--excitement among 'pugs (and more importantly, the media) for them would be high. Thankfully, both have said they don't want it. I still am hoping Powell will endorse Obama, given the hand Bush had in trashing his reputation. I'm holding my breath on Rice, though.
F*&k picking Hillary. Fu*&k that. She does not go into the line of secession. No more of these two goddamn families over and over again!
Hagel is a great choice as VP because he will bring in voters - unlike Hillary who will drive them away.
just the same, I would prefer to win the election the old fashioned way.
slow news day
obama aides float name to keep obama in the news
big whoop
Obama:
It would be an enormous relief to have Biden safely off the judiciary committee.
Of course, his replacement probably wouldn't be much better, but they'd more or less have to be less popular with Meet the Press.
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 69:
Smart move, too. We're all here talking about it.
you makin me krazy
You'd think they'd float a name people actually wanted to hear. A Republican woman? Who doesn't that piss off? It'd almost be worth it to hear the Clinton supporters minds explode as some other Republican woman gets the nod instead of their own. Almost. Which means no thank you to this weak weak sauce.
# 10 -- are you suggesting that Lyndon Johnson killed JFK because Johnson was a corporatist? If so, I don't think you're credible.
Or were you suggesting that JFK was killed because he was a corporatist while Oswald was a communist? That theory wouldn't make any sense if you also believe that JFK's successor, Johnson, was also a corporatist.
-----
There's absolutely no way Obama is considering Ann Veneman for vice president. She doesn't agree with Obama on any issues or priorities. She's got no support in terms of constituents or contributors. She's got no no ability to deliver for the ticket the electoral votes of any state that Obama won't already. In short, it makes no sense from the policy or political points of view.
Joe Biden isn't going to be picked either. Why is Obama going to pick a guy who's nearly 70, who ran two horrible campaigns for president, who's been accused of plagiarism (not just in the 1988 campaign), who's had health problems, who is profoundly long winded, and who has the ability to deliver one verbal miscue a day without breaking a sweat?
Don't even get me started on names like Nunn and Boren, two guys who are as self-serving and disloyal to the Democratic party as any two people in the history of American politics. Neither one has been active in politics for years and neither one agrees with the Democratic party's major issues and priorities, but they have the support of the Very Serious People in Washington, so their names always get mentioned.
Clinton's the one.
Hillary Clinton was a very strong presidential candidate, and it took a maximum effort from Obama to win the nomination. Obama and Clinton don't disagree substantively on any major policies or priorities. Clinton has the ability to raise money and help Obama carry states he might not carry otherwise. She'd be breaking new ground as the first woman nominee for vice president at the same time Obama is breaking ground as the first African-American nominee for president.
The only choice that makes sense in terms of practical politics and policymaking is Hillary Clinton. The fact that she'd also be making history is just a bonus.
It's a ploy! McCain has taken every Obama idea and claimed it as his own within three days... Guess who's going to be the HIS VP choice in three days!!!
Brilliant!
I quite like Hagel and admire his stance on the war.
(Edited. Out of line comment) JA
Hey Bush One picked that quail dude it served as quite a good, how should I say, insurance policy. Maybe in that spirit Obama should go for that preacher dude with the process, I can't think of his name, wait....Damm can't think of his name, I just woke up. You know that preacher dude, with the aforementioned process, from New York. God dammit I met him too, when I was working for Kucinich. Oh hell you know who I mean. Yeah pick that dude and your shit will be safe.
bearcat @ 78:
Aside for his stance on the war Hagel is just another Republican conservative reactionary. America needs to move forward not backwards. The only direction Republicans know is reverse.
metro goldwyn mayer @ 14:
Wow, I'm not even involved in a post and you gotta slam me for it?
Classy.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAGEL?
I am new to this whole thing, but wonder what is 'repulsive' about Hagel? I know very little about why he is a very bad choice.
Anyone want to enlighten me please?
Thanks.
Ann Veneman is a Big Agriculture lobbyist. She HATES small farmers and she hates Labor. Probably the next great idea will be to suggest Robert Novak as Press Secretary and Oliver North as Defense Secretary.
dcblogger @ 16:
zell miller!
Ann Veneman? Are you sure this wasn't from The Onion?
So, let's see, we can't have John Edwards, because he has nice hair and The Enquirer says he has a love-child, and we can't have Hillary, so that means we have to have someone who not only voted for but actively promoted the bankruptcy bill, and is anti-environment, and preferably a Republican. (Although Biden's avid support of the bankruptcy bill certainly qualifies him for the job!)
Because that would be so much better than someone who is virtually identical to Obama but happens to be named Hillary Clinton.
You know, I didn't support Clinton in the primaries, but you people are really out of your minds if you think Obama can't pick a worse choice.
God knows he seems to be trying to.
She’d be breaking new ground as the first woman nominee for vice president at the same time Obama is breaking ground as the first African-American nominee for president.
Geraldine Ferraro.
Since they are all a joke anyway, how about Jeff Foxworthy or Bill Engvall........OR Jon Stewart!!! At least they'd make you laugh as they were screwing you.
AllyWilliams @ 39:
And its apparently female!!!!!
Biden and Richardson are both DLC. please give me a break.
brians @ 88:
I was going to respond to this, but I won't.
Avedon @ 85:
No, he isn't. This is a ruse. Look at everyone's reaction..."Ann who?" I gotta agree with Uncle Joe above that this was just something done to keep Obama's name in the news. Notice how this isn't a better-known Republican; it isn't somebody who's had their name floated seriously in the past. It's a psyche--on both the media and McCain (and us, truth be told).
He hasn't lost his mind or gone over to the other team or made a pact with the devil (or Dick Cheney; well, same thing, but you get my drift). This is designed to stir up some Sunday press and throw McCain's campaign off a little bit. It's actually a pretty decent ploy.
i was with you until you said "listen, just pick hillary"
ummm...no.
After 8 years of republicans invading sovereign nations, robbing our treasury, having corporations write our laws and driving many into poverty, how can anyone suggest a repugnant in our executive office? Is this the maximum insanity age?
I almost feel sorry for Obama if he wins. He will be stonewalled at every turn. The GOP will make his life a living hell. You're right, he will get blamed for all of Chimpy's fuck ups. And with the A.D.D. attention span of most Americans, it will work.
An American's sense of history extends to last week's People magazine. So, everyone will forget about how badly Chimpy has messed things up. The GOP will hang EVERYTHING they can on Obama. After four years of that, he'll probably be sprinting for the exit. Can't say that I blame him.
I've heard an interesting theory. The GOP actually wants Obama to win. They understand the misery that Chimpy has created over the past eight years. They know this country is in serious decline...and no matter who is in the White House...more problems are on the horizon. So why not let a Dem take all the blame for the next four years and start fresh in 2012?
I think there's a lot of truth in such a theory.
This post is funny. The only possible reason the Obama people would float this name is to screw with people's heads.
And they say Obama doesn't have a sense of humor.
Richardson won't be the VP candidate. The Clintons won't campaign for Obama if Richardson is the pick,
Clinton won't be the VP candidate. She wants to be THE president not the VP, anyway she is more useful in the senate anyway.
Hagel won't be the VP candidate, no way in hell is Republican (no matter how anti-war he is) is gonna be the VEEP, especially a conservative one.
Edwards won't be the VP candidate, he lost a VP debate against Dick Chenney, nuff said.
This woman??
PIC
No freaking way. Not to be shallow, but she's not nearly attractive enough for a Veep spot, she'd add nothing to the ticket, detract from it horribly, and she's cozy with the