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  • THURSDAY JUNE 12 2008 6:00 AM

Get Your VP On

Now that we have finally picked our candidates, after a horribly long and unnecessary primary season, it’s time for the nominees to choose their Vice Presidential candidate. Barack Obama has some decent selections to pick from. I will now list them and explain why they are all horrible people. Enjoy.

First up, Hillary Clinton.

Pros:

She supposedly will help Obama with white, working class voters – a group that has not voted for the Democratic candidate since 1964. (Why people think a woman will win over a bunch of stupid, white guys, I don’t know, but that’s supposed to be a “pro.”) Also, The Clinton team is ruthless and will fight a tough battle against Republicans. The Clinton name also brings up memories of a rosier time and Americans like to think happy thoughts. She will bring a boatload of rich fundraisers with her and Obama could actually win Arkansas with Hillary. And finally, there are quite a few angry older ladies who might sit this one out unless Hillary is on the ticket.

Cons:

She’s a demon. And there’s more. Having Bill Clinton associated with the White House would undermine Obama constantly. Hillary totally lacks any National Security experience and would therefore highlight Obama’s major weakness. She undermines Obama’s entire campaign because she is a Washington insider. During the primary, she repeatedly said McCain has the experience to be president, but Obama does not. Republicans have already turned it into an ad and would only turn up the flame if she were on the ticket. Finally, Hillary is the right-wings wet dream. If she is on the ticket, it will cause more depressed Republicans to turn out and vote, which will have a negative effect on Democratic pick ups in the Senate, Congress and on down the line. Also, she’s a demon.

Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas.

Pros:

She has one of those vagina things, which seems to be important to many Clinton supporters. Sebelius is very popular in Kansas and could swing the state. She also has ties to Ohio, where her father was governor and could be very helpful in that horrible state. Sebelius is popular with conservative Democrats and some Republicans, but is a liberal. Most importantly, she has a good economic record. In 2005, Time named her as one of the nation's five best governors for balancing the state’s $1.1 billion budget deficit without raising taxes or cutting funding for education.

Cons:

Um, who the fuck is she? She may be a rising star in the party, but nationally she is completely unknown. If she were selected, it would be a horribly obvious move to pacify Clinton supporters, which would just enrage them. They’ve already said as much.


Pick Sebelius or Evan Bayh, then you are just saying you did not want Hillary Clinton. And that is a problem. For Obama.


Right. You let me know what you won't get upset about, you angry freaks.

The NRA is also very, very opposed to Sebelius because she vetoed a bill that would have allowed crazy gun owners in Kansas to carry their weapons concealed. The NRA would have a field day with an Obama/Sebelius ticket, which could cause problems in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. She won’t help with white men, which is the demographic Obama needs to chip away at. Sebelius also has zero foreign policy experience and that’s a serious problem.

Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico.

Pros:

Hello Latinos! Richardson could swing states like Texas, Nevada, Colorado and Florida by bringing in an overwhelming number of Latino voters. Those are big states, right? He has been very successful as a governor. Richardson’s foreign policy experience is unparalleled – on both sides of the aisle. An experienced diplomat would fit in perfectly with Obama’s platform and it is what the country needs right now. He’s been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times. He’s a former Energy Secretary – something we seem to have a bit of a problem with right now. He fits in well with Obama’s “change” platform.

Cons:

Holy shit is he bad in a debate, and my God does he make the occasional really stupid comment. Can America handle a “double ethnic” ticket? Some people think it’s a negative – I disagree. Other than that, not a lot of negatives to Richardson.

Jim Webb, Senator from Virginia.

Pros:

He would cancel out McCain’s war hero status. Webb is a Vietnam vet who is walking around with two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars, the Silver Star and the Navy Cross. That’s some serious shit, there. Webb can attack McCain’s bullshit votes against soldier’s benefits in ways Obama never will be able to. Webb also worked in the Pentagon under Reagan, who is some sort of right wing God. (I think because he was insane with Alzheimer’s.) Some people also believe Webb could help Obama with the Appalachian states – I think they are fucking crazy. Finally, Webb is considered to be a “brilliant legislative tactician.”

Cons:

#1 and huge reason: Removing Webb from the Senate is not a good idea. He’s from a red state, if you take him out of the Senate, there’s a decent chance that seat goes back to the Republicans. Also, he is terrible on the campaign trail – and he will look even worse in contrast to Obama. His background could seriously hurt Democratic chances. Webb is basically a right wing nutjob.


Liberals are Marxists.


The upper crust of academia and the pampered salons of Hollywood are waging war on American traditions.


Affirmative Action is state sponsored terrorism.


Holy fucking shit. And there’s more. In 1979, Webb wrote an article in The Washingtonian called, “Women Can't Fight." I don’t need to go into that one, do I? He was still attacking feminism in 1997.

Giving Webb the nod would be a massive slap in the face to Clinton supporters – so it’s a no go. Webb will not be VP – and he shouldn’t be. His articles did a lot of harm to women in the military.

Wesley Clark, retired general.

Pros:

Again, he’s got the military thing going, something Obama needs. He is also in the Clinton camp and this would help with Hillary and her supporters. He’s run before, so he’s been vetted a bit and probably won’t make too many mistakes. But the only reason to pick Clark is his national security credibility.

Cons:

Sucks at speaking. Just sucks. People were pretty excited about the idea of a general running in the Democratic 2004 primary – and he had his clock cleaned because he sucked. And Republicans have some serious criticisms of his time in charge in Kosovo.

Ted Strickland, governor of Ohio.

Pros:

Look at cons.

Cons:

He just said this:


"Absolutely not. If drafted, I will not run; nominated, I will not accept; and if elected, I will not serve," he said in an interview scheduled to air Tuesday night. "So, I don't know how more crystal clear I can be."


Joe Biden, Senator from Delaware.

Pros:

Wit. He can turn a phrase better than anyone out there. Biden can slam and destroy opponents with his tongue. For a VP candidate, that’s invaluable. As far as qualifications, he’s loaded. Very few Democrats know more about foreign policy than Biden – and he loves to mix it up with Republicans on the issue. He’s the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and the former chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which would help with upcoming Supreme Court nominations. And, he’s an experienced campaigner and comes from a blue-collar background.

Cons:

Well, his sharp tongue sometimes goes bad. Oh, and there’s the fact that he is a massive corporate whore, which means he optimizes everything Obama is against.

Those are the current front runners, but many other names are in the wind. I’m sure in the end, Obama will pick someone crazy and we will all be shocked. Like, myself, for instance.

Next week: McCain's options.

 

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Comments
scylis

scylis

USA
November 2004

JUN 12, 2008 08:24 PM

attn_ho said:

KMFCM said:
Clinton would totally poison him.

no doubt.



bill or hillary?


... or Chelsea!!?



that reminds me... i've been meaning to pick up the Rome dvds.

felony187

felony187

Denver, CO
June 2007

JUN 12, 2008 08:27 PM

scylis said:

attn_ho said:

KMFCM said:
Clinton would totally poison him.

no doubt.



bill or hillary?


... or Chelsea!!?



that reminds me... i've been meaning to pick up the Rome dvds.



et tu Hilary?

gfvella

gfvella

Australia
November 2004

JUN 12, 2008 08:37 PM

ChrisSick said: Biden and Clinton are both non-starters. Washington insiders bought and paid for by big corporations and both from the exact same place that Obama is trying to move the Democrats away from.



An alternate view is that Obama's team is already full of corporate whores and now that he has the nomination Obama can afford to let his naive fans drift a little.

I suspect that Obama supporters will vote for him anyway no matter who he picks as VP in the desperate hope that he will change things. He brilliant oratory will also allow him to keep stringing them along, blaming other forces, rallying them to continue the struggle etsl until he is President.

FearTheReaper

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUN 12, 2008 09:11 PM

gfvella said:
An alternate view is that Obama's team is already full of corporate whores and now that he has the nomination Obama can afford to let his naive fans drift a little.



Of course the irony is that you're so naive that you believe all Obama "fans" are naive.

You show complete and total ignorance in regards to what is happening in American politics at this moment.

felony187

felony187

Denver, CO
June 2007

JUN 12, 2008 09:15 PM

FearTheReaper said:

gfvella said:
An alternate view is that Obama's team is already full of corporate whores and now that he has the nomination Obama can afford to let his naive fans drift a little.



Of course the irony is that you're so naive that you believe all Obama "fans" are naive.

You show complete and total ignorance in regards to what is happening in American politics at this moment.



Nicely put FTR

ChrisSick

ChrisSick

Philadelphia, PA
March 2008

JUN 12, 2008 09:38 PM

gfvella said:

ChrisSick said: Biden and Clinton are both non-starters. Washington insiders bought and paid for by big corporations and both from the exact same place that Obama is trying to move the Democrats away from.



An alternate view is that Obama's team is already full of corporate whores and now that he has the nomination Obama can afford to let his naive fans drift a little.

I suspect that Obama supporters will vote for him anyway no matter who he picks as VP in the desperate hope that he will change things. He brilliant oratory will also allow him to keep stringing them along, blaming other forces, rallying them to continue the struggle etsl until he is President.



Wow, you're oh for two in that one, man. You're of course right, being an Obama supporter I have no critical thinking skills, and am now shocked and appalled to discover that a politician running for high office hired actual experts who have previous experience doing things like managing campaigns and fundraising.

Next you're going to tell me that his policy advisers are experts in the policy fields their advising him in. And that the people making his campaign commercials have previously worked in advertising. Scandalous. You see where I'm going with this right?

Another alternate view is that you're a jackass partisan hack and you're just throwing shit to see what sticks.

gfvella

gfvella

Australia
November 2004

JUN 12, 2008 09:42 PM

FearTheReaper said:

gfvella said:
An alternate view is that Obama's team is already full of corporate whores and now that he has the nomination Obama can afford to let his naive fans drift a little.



Of course the irony is that you're so naive that you believe all Obama "fans" are naive.

You show complete and total ignorance in regards to what is happening in American politics at this moment.



To say "naive fans" is not to say that all all Obama fans are naive.

And how is it ignorant to say that Obama's team is full of Democrat Apparatchiks many of whom have been in and out of bed with Corporate American their whole careers?

I referenced the URL containing the data that lists many of Obama's senior staff and links to their own wiki-pages, which make this explicit. If these pages have all been cooked I'm willing to informed otherwise.

Obama has a team of old Washington-hands. Not exactly what a dream team for change would look like. If you want to argue different let's hear it. Or you can be your normally provocative, insulting self kiss which is funny if nothing else

gfvella

gfvella

Australia
November 2004

JUN 12, 2008 09:53 PM

ChrisSick said: Wow, you're oh for two in that one, man. You're of course right, being an Obama supporter I have no critical thinking skills, and am now shocked and appalled to discover that a politician running for high office hired actual experts who have previous experience doing things like managing campaigns and fundraising.

Next you're going to tell me that his policy advisers are experts in the policy fields their advising him in. And that the people making his campaign commercials have previously worked in advertising. Scandalous. You see where I'm going with this right?

Another alternate view is that you're a jackass partisan hack and you're just throwing shit to see what sticks.



Well I'm not particularly partisan since I can't vote in US elections and I like Obama and if I could vote would probably vote for him. He is certainly better than the trash we have on offer down here.

However,you called both Biden and Clinton Washington insiders, which they are. In turn it is equally valid to point out that Obama's team is full of said same insiders. I agree with you comments as to why he has them, but if he is trying to move away from Corporate dominated politics he has a team full of people to whom that is business as usual.

As to saying all Obama supporter can't think I did not do that. I said naive fans and I meant exactly that (i.e. those people who Obama has brought into voting because of his rhetoric of change and who have no interest otherwise). It does not imply all Obama fans are naive. Given you are the second person to take it the other way I may not have made what I mean clear enough for which you have my apologies for any unintended offense.

ChrisSick

ChrisSick

Philadelphia, PA
March 2008

JUN 12, 2008 10:08 PM

gfvella said:

ChrisSick said: Wow, you're oh for two in that one, man. You're of course right, being an Obama supporter I have no critical thinking skills, and am now shocked and appalled to discover that a politician running for high office hired actual experts who have previous experience doing things like managing campaigns and fundraising.

Next you're going to tell me that his policy advisers are experts in the policy fields their advising him in. And that the people making his campaign commercials have previously worked in advertising. Scandalous. You see where I'm going with this right?

Another alternate view is that you're a jackass partisan hack and you're just throwing shit to see what sticks.



Well I'm not particularly partisan since I can't vote in US elections and I like Obama and if I could vote would probably vote for him. He is certainly better than the trash we have on offer down here.

However,you called both Biden and Clinton Washington insiders, which they are. In turn it is equally valid to point out that Obama's team is full of said same insiders. I agree with you comments as to why he has them, but if he is trying to move away from Corporate dominated politics he has a team full of people to whom that is business as usual.

As to saying all Obama supporter can't think I did not do that. I said naive fans and I meant exactly that (i.e. those people who Obama has brought into voting because of his rhetoric of change and who have no interest otherwise). It does not imply all Obama fans are naive. Given you are the second person to take it the other way I may not have made what I mean clear enough for which you have my apologies for any unintended offense.



Fair enough. The partisan line about naive Obama fans has been running around for quite a while now, and yes, supporters tend to be a little sensitive to that line of accusation.

I'm not indifferent to your point, but there aren't many people out there who can run a national campaign, and many of them got the experience working on previous campaigns, in D.C.

The point I was making in my original post was that both Biden and Clinton have taken a ton of corporate money and given that Obama hasn't, that would cause a huge contrast against his platform and message.

Sorry for the snap back, and I'm not all offended or anything, no worries.

jquincy

jquincy

Dallas, TX
August 2005

JUN 12, 2008 10:17 PM

zombie_nirbhao said:
vp clinton = increased risk of assassination



it's funny 'cause it's true. sad, funny, and true.

gfvella

gfvella

Australia
November 2004

JUN 12, 2008 10:39 PM

ChrisSick said: I'm not indifferent to your point, but there aren't many people out there who can run a national campaign, and many of them got the experience working on previous campaigns, in D.C.

The point I was making in my original post was that both Biden and Clinton have taken a ton of corporate money and given that Obama hasn't, that would cause a huge contrast against his platform and message.



It the old saw about how to clean up a gutter you first have to get down in the gutter. I said in another thread that it would be incredibly interesting to see if Obama does try to follow through on his promises of change. It will be interesting to see who he picks as his chief of staff and as his secretaries, that will probably demonstrate whether he really intends to try to change anything.

The corporate money is a good point I hadn't considered. I haven't seen any coverage, but is Obama still pulling strongly from his internet focus on small donors?

DevilsReject

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH
February 2007

JUN 12, 2008 10:58 PM

Did Ted Strickland give any explanation to why he wouldn't?

No i didn't research it, i am feeling especially lazy, it's 90 degrees in Ohio, we don't have air, and excess typing is causing me to sweat too much.

must.stop.now.

FearTheReaper

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUN 12, 2008 11:11 PM

gfvella said:

FearTheReaper said:

gfvella said:
An alternate view is that Obama's team is already full of corporate whores and now that he has the nomination Obama can afford to let his naive fans drift a little.



Of course the irony is that you're so naive that you believe all Obama "fans" are naive.

You show complete and total ignorance in regards to what is happening in American politics at this moment.



To say "naive fans" is not to say that all all Obama fans are naive.

And how is it ignorant to say that Obama's team is full of Democrat Apparatchiks many of whom have been in and out of bed with Corporate American their whole careers?

I referenced the URL containing the data that lists many of Obama's senior staff and links to their own wiki-pages, which make this explicit. If these pages have all been cooked I'm willing to informed otherwise.

Obama has a team of old Washington-hands. Not exactly what a dream team for change would look like. If you want to argue different let's hear it. Or you can be your normally provocative, insulting self kiss which is funny if nothing else



Actually, I wrote an article about it last year, so not only are you full of shit, but you're late to the game. But keep patting yourself on the back for providing the world with new information. Maybe you should make yourself a little medal and wear it around town.

Every candidate has "naive fans." Your attempt to portray Obama as having more than the norm is a colossal pile of shit of a point. It wreaks of ignorance and naivete. But keep 'em coming. I'll try to adjust my brain to simplicity.

otaku

otaku

USA
January 2004

JUN 12, 2008 11:27 PM

jquincy said:

zombie_nirbhao said:
vp clinton = increased risk of assassination



it's funny 'cause it's true. sad, funny, and true.



Actually you would think VP Clinton would be the same as VP Quayle and VP Cheney in terms of DECREASED risk of assassination (or impeachment), if you know what I mean. The same folks who hate Obama probably would REALLY not want to see Clinton ascend to the Top Spot.


Pom_felo

Pom_felo

San Antonio, TX
February 2004

JUN 12, 2008 11:28 PM

Wren said:

Big_McLargehuge said:

zombie_nirbhao said:
vp clinton = increased risk of assassination



Real mature. whatever



Here is the thing: PEOPLE REALLY THINK THAT. I was on a temp assignment with a girl yesterday who said that she thought it would be "senseless" for people to vote for Obama because "he's probably going to get assassinated anyway" and "if Hillary was his running mate it would just happen sooner." I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING ABOUT THIS. This was a conversation I ACTUALLY HAD with someone. Well, I say it was a conversation. She talked and I basically sat there in stunned silence.





This is why Richardson should be VP. President Obama, VP Richardson, Speaker of the House Pelosi. Obama would be fucking bullet proof.

(Also because he would be the perfect VP. Not the perfect VP candidate, mind you.)

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