He chose a white guy

[John-in-KC]

I see Mr Obama made a nice safe choice for veep.

 

I really wish Senator McCain could talk Dr Rice into running for Veep. Another good one would be Sarah Palin out of Alaska.

 

Not because they are women; they're good smart people with good executive and management skills. That they also have political vision is not a bad thing.

 

In the Democratic party, gender appears to have a glass ceiling still. Hillary didn't shatter it.

 

My thoughts.

[scoutldr]

Looks like he needs "more of the same old Washington" in order to win...

[TheScout]

The white guy thing has worked pretty well so far. We have built the greatest country in the history of the world in 230 years. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.

[GernBlansten]

My biggest problem with Biden is that he's 65. That means after 8 years of Obama, he'll naturally run for office in 2016. He's that kinda guy. That puts him at 73. Way too old to be president. The DemocRATic rein will end.(This message has been edited by gernblansten)

[packsaddle]

Biden was my man during the primaries. And then recently I was taking a shine to McCain. Now I am so....conflicted.

[John-in-KC]

TheScout,

 

If we are as strong a Nation as we claim to be, a full set of diversity, because those diverse people are the very best available, is due and past due.

 

My dream ticket was Powell/Rice or Rice/Powell. McCain is older than I really want him to be. My Dad was also a former PW (WWII), I've seen how captivity saps a man in their aging years. There is stuff that happens to the body during captivity such as the Japanese or North Vietnamese provided which comes back to haunt you 40-60 years downline.

 

McCain can do better than the other wannabes who ran alongside him. Plenty of superior, motivated folk ... not necessarily male, not necessarily white.

 

Then again, I'm just a 50-something white conservative Christian guy. What do I know?

[Gold Winger]

Obama/Biden? Can we spell "gun ban"?

[BadenP]

I am going to have a good laugh when all you staunch Republican conservatives are crying the blues when McCain picks his close buddy Joe Lieberman as his VP. All the so called experts are saying he is McCains first choice, what a convention that will be, lol.

 

[gwd-scouter]

OK, I'll speak up as a lonely Democrat on the forums.

 

I'm not so sure Biden was the 'safe' choice for Obama. With lightening speed and tremendous predictability, the Republicans put out an ad using Biden's words against Obama during the primaries. I'm sure they had the same ad ready replacing Biden with Clinton in case she was chosen as the Veep candidate. The pundits were having great pleasure yesterday pouncing on Obama's gaff introducing Biden as "our next President...our next Vice President" and Biden calling Obama, Barack America. Good grief, I sure hope McCain and his VP choice can manage to read their speeches without any mistakes. If they make any mistakes, I know the Democrats will pounce and the ads will appear in minutes.

 

I'm really getting tired of all that from both sides, i.e., Obama's energy plan is for Americans to inflate their tires. McCain doesn't know how many houses he owns. Can't they both get back on board with what they promised - to run clean campaigns without the childish mud slinging?

 

I've liked Biden's rather unscripted speaking style better than the polished performances 'tell the Americans what they want to hear' style of other candidates, but I know it has and will get him into trouble.

 

Also predictable: Clinton's camp is whining that she wasn't even vetted for the job and that if she wasn't going to be seriously considered, Obama should have consulted her while making his choice. Early in the primaries I had considered supporting Clinton, but as time went on I became disenchanted. How could I possibly support someone for President who can't even manage to control her own campaign finances? Now she's expecting Obama and his supporters to help pay off her debts. Incredible! Why doesn't she just ask each of her 18 million supporters to send her a dollar?

 

McCain picking Lieberman? I think that would be the last straw for those Conservatives that don't trust McCain and feel he has abandoned the party. I hear Romney's name most often by the pundits when they are debating McCain's choice for VP. If he's chosen, I'm sure the Democrats will put out their ads showing the clear dislike between McCain and Romney during the primaries.

 

Gern, don't you know that Biden won't have a chance to run in 2016? Clinton is running a campaign for Obama to either 1) lose this year or 2) do a poor job if elected, so that she can run in 2012 and tell everyone "I told you so." :-)

 

Weeeee, what a fun year! Can't wait for the conventions.

[John-in-KC]

Lieberman may be a liberal, but he's also a gentleman of honor and conviction.

 

That goes an awful long way in my book.

[scoutmomma]

Lieberman may be a liberal...

 

*choke* *splutter* Lieberman is a liberal....???

[John-in-KC]

I know he's a liberal. I was using a grammatical term of art.

 

He is also someone of honor, integrity, and conviction. That goes a long way in my book, beyond what political POV he holds.

 

Unfortunately, we haven't picked a true Statesman since FDR, unless you arguably include Bush the elder.

[packsaddle]

gwd, the Obama campaign knew well what the McCain camp would do with this selection for VP. It was a calculated decision and the game is afoot. I think you're right about Clinton in 2012, though. And Biden is never going to be POTUS. I had hoped he would be Secretary of State though. He would have been a great one. I'm not sure about VP.

McCain is faced with all sorts of Faustian bargains in his choice. He faces interesting times no matter what.

 

I don't envy whoever gets elected. The mess left behind by this debacle of an administration is going to hamstring the next guy no matter what. At least it will be an easy act to follow. At least McCain's not in the early stages of Alzheimer's and I think he's a decent, honest guy. So too, Lieberman, Obama, and of course, Biden. Maybe I'll just sit this one out and watch from the Caribbean, maybe from a boat, maybe from a little bungalow in Laudat. H'mm, not a bad thought at all. H'mmm.

[BadenP]

McCain will probably pick someone older than he is so he can be the youthful candidate, but seriously can we afford to elect a man who can't even remember how many houses he owns and states that "he will have his staff get back to them." Is that the kind of man you want as president? He has played his POW card too many times, yes I respect his military record but that was over 40 years ago America needs a forward modern thinker for the new world of the 21st century.

[TheScout]

Benjamin Franklin was 82 at the Constitutional Convention. He had much influence there even at his age.

 

The Queen of the United Kingdom is 82 and still performs her job admirably. Pope Benedict XVI is 81. I think both of them are currently quality heads of state. I only hope our next President can do the job with as much competence and dignity as them. I don't know why we need a "current forward thinker." In another thread we just discussed how talented older scouters without children can still effectively engage todays youth. I don't know what the "new world" of the 21st Century is. I thought this was the same world. I like it the way it is. Its been pretty good for the United States.