rssStop Obama/Bayh 08
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 7:57 am
- 12 Comments
Popular candidates like Gen. Wes Clark and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) were famously recruited into politics by volunteer-driven "drafts." Now something close to the opposite of a draft is rumbling among concerned Democrats, as insiders and bloggers respond to apparently credible rumors that Sen. Evan Bayh retains a high position on the short list for Obama’s running mate.
It is somewhat staggering that Bayh holds any great mentioner status at all. Unlike Obama, he is a centrist Washington fixture who strongly backed the Iraq war. His red state victories are based more on family dynasty than personal dynamism. His total lack of national name identification, along with other hurdles in the current political environment, led him to shutter his own presidential exploratory committee in December 2006 — less than two weeks after it opened. This morning, a new Facebook group, "100,000 Strong Against Evan Bayh for VP," was launched to push back against Bayh, while the Booman Tribune blog outlines the argument today:
I’m hearing word that Evan Bayh has at least a 50-50 chance of getting the vice-presidential nod and that the final decision will be made soon… [It would undermine Obama's brand to pick] John McCain’s honorary co-chairman of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq. We really shouldn’t have to say anything more than that…
If Evan Bayh is acceptable then maybe John McCain’s judgment isn’t so bad after all. I might add that Al From of the DLC wants Evan Bayh and so does Cokie ‘Myrtle Beach’ Roberts. Those are two big alarm-bells. And I’d really prefer it not to be the case that Team Obama is more interested in appeasing Al From and Cokie Roberts than they are concerned with enraging their base of support…I could talk about voting records and lack of charisma, and a host of other negatives to Evan Bayh. But the bottom line is that he will undermine Obama’s main claims that he used to successfully beat Hillary Clinton and take away valuable arguments that we want to use against John McCain…. Don’t do it. Contact the Obama campaign and let them know how you feel. There is not a lot of time left before this decision is made.
Steve Clemons, a former Democratic Senate aide who sometimes traffics in Washington rumors, delivered his intelligence on the veepstakes early Wednesday morning:
Word has reached me that at Barack Obama’s Hawaii retreat, Evan Bayh‘s chances to find himself the next Democratic VP candidate have moved to better than 50/50.
Clemons, who opposes a Bayh ticket, urges Democratic voters to contact the Obama campaign with their views on the potential pick. Over at The Atlantic, reporter Jeffrey Goldberg weighs in with the kind of branding that Obama should consider: "Evan Bayh, Iran Hawk." Citing an interview from after Bayh’s pre-presidential campaign fizzled, both because "he was charisma-free" and "too hawkish for the Democratic base," Goldberg quotes Bayh’s argument that the Iraq failure should not sour potential U.S. attacks on Iran:
You just hope that we haven’t soured an entire generation on the necessity, from time to time, of using force because Iraq has been such a debacle. That would be tragic, because Iran is a grave threat. They’re everything we thought Iraq was but wasn’t. They are seeking nuclear weapons, they do support terrorists, they have threatened to destroy Israel, and they’ve threatened us, too.
Bayh skipped the Democratic primary because there was no room for a Washington establishment candidate with hawkish tendencies on Iraq and Iran. Even if, somehow, that slot is a winner in the general election, it’s already taken by John McCain.
12 Comments
Comment posted August 14, 2008 @ 6:05 am
I’m so tired of the VP debate. Obama is so weak and inadequate as a candidate that almost ANY VP pick who’s not Hillary Clinton, doesn’t fully compensate for all his weaknesses. And the only reason Hillary Clinton does is that she’s got experience, brains, policy and everything else Obalam lacks.
You can’t make up for an inadequate presidential candidate with one VP. Obama would need at least 3 to compete on substance. Unless one of them was Clinton.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 5:13 pm
I don’t understand the fuss over Sen. Bayh is about? Its like he’s being made out be some sort of political monster. Yes. He was wrong Iraq, but when it comes to issues like the environment , reproductive rights, civil right and liberties Bayh has been on the right side. I concede Bayh is not most exciting choice, but he is the safest. Would it better if Obama chooses Hillary Clinton?
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
I agree with 100% awg34 and kevin20. Support Obama’s potential picks – none are perfect and this is the sort of divisive stuff that is not helpful. The republicans are killing themselves. Let’s not help them and join their iditotic, destructive approach to politics.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
I am a progressive Democrat and I would be very supportive of Bayh as VP. He has many qualities that would make him an excellent VP. Many of the readers of this site and others like the Daily Kos seem to forget that they generally are from the leftist fringe of the Democratic party and don’t represent where the vast majority of Americans are. Sure, it’s nice to have your idealistic views about who should be picked, but reality dictates that Obama winning is the most important thing and a candidate like Bayh appeals to many of the voters in the middle of the political spectrum, whose votes are going to decide who wins, not the readers of sites like this one. So, cut Obama some slack, let him pick a candidate that will appeal to critical swing voting blocks and then celebrate his victory and 4 or more years in the White House. Most Democrats in the House and Senate at the time, including Hillary Clinton, voted for the war resolution for a number of (perhaps bad) reasons. But Bayh and the rest are Democrats who largely support many the many other issues that I, and you, should care about. What I most care about is Obama winning, and you should too. So, if Bayh is picked, I suggest that you accept it and work for the Obama/Bayh ticket, unless you really want John McCain as your president.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
As a strong Obama supporter I am totally against trying to block the process here. This is exactly what the GOP wants. Cut down any and all potential VPs if they are not exactly in line with your opinion on policy. Don’t play into their hands supporters.
Either you trust the Obama campaign or not. Anything you are concerned about, thought through, discussed or considered has been or will be by those in the inner circle of the campaign. they are privy to info you are not. SO…if they do choose the Senator from IN, HRC, or whomever, they will have thought through ALL of the arguments pro and con and concluded that he/she gives Obama the best chance to win.
the question is do you think the OBama people are smarter than the Kerry and Gore campaigns? I do.
So what we do not need right now is the typical dysfunctional, purity test, liberal discussion group mentality here. Each VP is not perfect (or even close) and each will give reason to pause. To win there has to be real compromise and if Obama wants to pick E.B. I’m all for it even though I too disagree with some of his policies.
To now attempt to push back, degrade, and put down the people who are VP options for Obama at this critical time is not helpful. McCain is only happy with this kind of petition, etc.,
The only small upside to this destructive approach here on this site and others is that the more the Net roots/Left vocally is against a VP selection for Obama the more it might help Obama with those that also vote and do not read this kind of website and are Independant voters generally turned off by the Netroots. So yes there is a small chance this anti-Bayh movement might help Obama get elected, but are you really willing to take the risk and possibly make the process more difficult for Obama and the potential of his administration? I hope not. Stop this anti Bayh or whomever approach. It is only helping the GOP.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 11:46 am
I don’t think Bayh is the one to fill the ticket. Someone, with knowledge of Foreign Aid, would fill the bill. Don’t cross party lines to get a VP.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 6:46 am
I don't think Bayh is the one to fill the ticket. Someone, with knowledge of Foreign Aid, would fill the bill. Don't cross party lines to get a VP.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 8:19 am
As a strong Obama supporter I am totally against trying to block the process here. This is exactly what the GOP wants. Cut down any and all potential VPs if they are not exactly in line with your opinion on policy. Don't play into their hands supporters.
Either you trust the Obama campaign or not. Anything you are concerned about, thought through, discussed or considered has been or will be by those in the inner circle of the campaign. they are privy to info you are not. SO…if they do choose the Senator from IN, HRC, or whomever, they will have thought through ALL of the arguments pro and con and concluded that he/she gives Obama the best chance to win.
the question is do you think the OBama people are smarter than the Kerry and Gore campaigns? I do.
So what we do not need right now is the typical dysfunctional, purity test, liberal discussion group mentality here. Each VP is not perfect (or even close) and each will give reason to pause. To win there has to be real compromise and if Obama wants to pick E.B. I'm all for it even though I too disagree with some of his policies.
To now attempt to push back, degrade, and put down the people who are VP options for Obama at this critical time is not helpful. McCain is only happy with this kind of petition, etc.,
The only small upside to this destructive approach here on this site and others is that the more the Net roots/Left vocally is against a VP selection for Obama the more it might help Obama with those that also vote and do not read this kind of website and are Independant voters generally turned off by the Netroots. So yes there is a small chance this anti-Bayh movement might help Obama get elected, but are you really willing to take the risk and possibly make the process more difficult for Obama and the potential of his administration? I hope not. Stop this anti Bayh or whomever approach. It is only helping the GOP.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 11:06 am
I am a progressive Democrat and I would be very supportive of Bayh as VP. He has many qualities that would make him an excellent VP. Many of the readers of this site and others like the Daily Kos seem to forget that they generally are from the leftist fringe of the Democratic party and don't represent where the vast majority of Americans are. Sure, it's nice to have your idealistic views about who should be picked, but reality dictates that Obama winning is the most important thing and a candidate like Bayh appeals to many of the voters in the middle of the political spectrum, whose votes are going to decide who wins, not the readers of sites like this one. So, cut Obama some slack, let him pick a candidate that will appeal to critical swing voting blocks and then celebrate his victory and 4 or more years in the White House. Most Democrats in the House and Senate at the time, including Hillary Clinton, voted for the war resolution for a number of (perhaps bad) reasons. But Bayh and the rest are Democrats who largely support many the many other issues that I, and you, should care about. What I most care about is Obama winning, and you should too. So, if Bayh is picked, I suggest that you accept it and work for the Obama/Bayh ticket, unless you really want John McCain as your president.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
I agree with 100% awg34 and kevin20. Support Obama's potential picks – none are perfect and this is the sort of divisive stuff that is not helpful. The republicans are killing themselves. Let's not help them and join their iditotic, destructive approach to politics.
Comment posted August 13, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
I don't understand the fuss over Sen. Bayh is about? Its like he's being made out be some sort of political monster. Yes. He was wrong Iraq, but when it comes to issues like the environment , reproductive rights, civil right and liberties Bayh has been on the right side. I concede Bayh is not most exciting choice, but he is the safest. Would it better if Obama chooses Hillary Clinton?
Comment posted August 14, 2008 @ 1:05 am
I'm so tired of the VP debate. Obama is so weak and inadequate as a candidate that almost ANY VP pick who's not Hillary Clinton, doesn't fully compensate for all his weaknesses. And the only reason Hillary Clinton does is that she's got experience, brains, policy and everything else Obalam lacks.
You can't make up for an inadequate presidential candidate with one VP. Obama would need at least 3 to compete on substance. Unless one of them was Clinton.
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