Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Vice Squad

Some very interesting speculation about Obama's possible vice-presidential pick. God, I hope this is true.

Update: Some more reading of the tea leaves, pointing in another, almost-as-interesting direction.

5 comments:

Noah said...

Oooooohhhhhh...that makes me all gushy inside.

Anonymous said...

Hey Otto Man, could you give some detail on what you like about the guy? I'm not sold.

Otto Man said...

Sure.

For one thing, Clark neutralizes an issue that Democrats too often cede completely to the Republicans -- national security and defense -- and offers a strong case for multilateral and international foreign policy, not one that's limp-wristed, but strong.

I also think he's incredibly effective as an attack dog, which is what you need from a VP during a campaign. He's polished, smart, he has the credentials to push back against the McCain myth, and he doesn't fall for the framing of the pundits but pushes back well. He mopped the floor with the Morning Joe crew a few months back and even his segment on Face the Nation was damn good -- the media just spun it the other way.

Third, he's solidly identified with the Clinton camp, so he'd be seen as a nod to them and could help mend the last fences. Plus, with them on board and him being from Arkansas, maybe that helps put that state back in play.

Fourth, and most important, he's smart as hell. A Rhodes Scholar with a wide range of interests and capabilities, he'd be a good utility player for the Obama administration.

And fifth, he's surprising. The media has written him off, and what was once a safe pick for Obama is a little edgier. He's not a Washington hack, so it helps with the "change" motif.

At this point, I can't think of anyone better.

rusrus said...

I think Obama could choose Grimace and still be elected. What a terrible year to be John McCain...

Otto Man said...

The RNC would attack Grimace as a friend of the notorious terrorist, the Hamburglar. "Rob El-Rob El."