Bright Hall http://brighthall.aol.com Bright Hall http://brighthall.aol.com/media/feedlogo.gif Bright Hall http://brighthall.aol.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/How Not to Announce Your VP Pickhttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/29/how-not-to-announce-your-vp-pick/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/29/how-not-to-announce-your-vp-pick/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/29/how-not-to-announce-your-vp-pick/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Sarah Palin -- who? -- is the new temporary face of the Republican Party. Her selection as John McCain's running mate, however, was awkward at best and embarrassing and potentially fatal at worst.

First of all, it's probably not a good idea to pick a vice presidential nominee who is under investigation for allegedly firing a law enforcement official for personal reasons. In July, Gov. Palin dismissed her public safety commissioner who refused to fire a state trooper going through a divorce with the Alaska governor's sister. Eep.

Secondly, Palin is by all means a "surprise pick." Yet the coverage of her selection will in no way compete with Barack Obama's selection of Joe Biden. And although McCain attempted to stunt coverage of the Democrats' convention by unveiling Palin hours after Obama gave his historic speech, people are still talking about the previous night's explosive activities. Timing is everything, and here it was a bit too early.

And when you appear in a hall with your running mate for the first time, try to tell the audience to avoid repeatedly chanting the ominous "U-S-A!" battle cry like it's 1941.

Also, is anyone thinking about the looming Biden-Palin VP debates? The old man is going to crush her.

As far as issues go, the biggest one by far is abortion rights. Palin tows the Republican Party line here, opposing abortions in nearly all circumstances. That fits super nicely with McCain's burning desire to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. These delicate issues do not sit well with most of Hillary Clinton's former (and current?) supporters the McCain campaign is bizarrely courting.

Finally: Alaska? Is that even considered part of the United States yet?

 

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]]>Matt Negrin2008-08-29T15:11:00+00:00Sarah Palin?http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Well, McCain made his choice, and to be honest, it is a little baffling.

Sarah Palin is a 44 year old governor from Alaska. She was the youngest and first female to be elected to that post in Alaska. She has only served two years as governor, but served as mayor in Wasilla City before that.

So...why Sarah Palin?

This choice is pretty ironic seeing how McCain has done nothing but bash Obama for being unexperienced and young. How is he going to defend himself against this? He chose someone that encompasses a lot of what Obama represents: a fresh face, change, something new.

If he chose her hoping to win over Clinton supporters, good luck with that. People did not support Hillary simply based on the fact that she is a woman. They supported her because they liked her and her policies...which were all liberal.

Anatomy is the only commonality between Palin and Clinton. Palin is a conservative and Clinton is liberal, there's no way around that. McCain's camp must not have much faith in female voters if they think they can throw any woman on the ticket and get votes.Palin has fought hard for ethics in Alaska, which will definitely be a plus for her and the McCain campaign. But the McCain camp can no longer throw "experience" in Obama's face with this choice.

The Democrats could have a field day with this one...

 

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]]>Megan Baker2008-08-29T10:50:00+00:00Predicting McCain's VP Choicehttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/27/predicting-mccains-vp-choice/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/27/predicting-mccains-vp-choice/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/27/predicting-mccains-vp-choice/#commentsFiled under: , ,

On Friday, John McCain will try to quell Obama's convention momentum with the announcement of his running mate. Who will he pick? Bright Hall bloggers offer their predictions. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.



Megan Baker: Mitt Romney. He knows his stuff when it comes to the economy. He is popular among the moderate GOP. He probably won't die mid-term. And if you're asking me, he's pretty good looking. If the Republicans want to win and set up another era of Republican presidents, this would probably do the trick. With Romney on the bill, McCain should be able to pick up Colorado and Michigan. And to be honest, I don't think Romney dropped out of the running because he wanted to give up the presidency. I think there was something else in the works...and it would be a good choice for McCain.

Matt Negrin: Charlie Crist. This election, like every stupid election, is about swing states. This year, they are Virginia, New Hampshire, Michigan and -- big surprise -- Florida, whose charming governor is perfect for the GOP ticket for no big reason other than his territory. He's more popular in the Sunshine State than early-bird specials at the diner, and has championed a few causes -- like environmental sustainability -- for his constituency. McCain might not win Virginia's 13 electoral votes, or New Hampshire's four. But Florida has 27, and that number is bigger than both of those.

Joshua Sharp: Meg Whitman. Formerly the CEO of eBay, Whitman turned a simple auction site into an international success story. The Princeton graduate (in economics!) brings both economic expertise and executive experience, and her presence on the ticket could entice some Hillary voters -- who have long decided they want Experience on both parts of the ticket -- to vote for the first female vice-president in history. More than anything, though, selecting Whitman would shake up the race and highlight McCain's unconventional style. He started a furious buzz about Whitman just by mentioning her at the Saddleback Joint Forum.

 

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]]>BH Staff2008-08-27T00:25:00+00:00Obama and Biden: BFFs for Lifehttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/24/obama-and-biden-bffs-for-life/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/24/obama-and-biden-bffs-for-life/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/24/obama-and-biden-bffs-for-life/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



On the same steps where Senator Barack Obama declared his candidacy 19 months ago, Obama introduced Delaware Senator Joseph Biden as his running mate on Saturday.

Biden - the former contender for the Democratic presidential nomination - was chosen 10 days ago while Obama was vacationing in Hawaii, according to The New York Times and was first made public through a text message to Obama supporters early Saturday morning.

Naysayers of the Biden choice were quick to highlight what they call a history of "insensitive, stupid, and counter-productive comments," his politics which are "more of the same," and a reputation that risks "alienating the working-class voters Obama so badly needs" (and those were just Bright Hall's own).

At the end of the day, though, Biden is the right choice to do what a vice president needs to do: bolster his running mate on policy issues without upstaging him and drawing away the spotlight.

Specifically, Biden has the foreign policy experience that Obama's detractors say he lacks - the experience to help with that 3:00 a.m. phone call. As the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he has become a respected voice about everything from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan the Balkans conflict and the Global AIDS crisis.

Biden has an innovative plan, based on historical experiences, for dividing Iraq into three semi-autonomous regions, one for Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, the so-called Biden Plan, which has been praised by Obama and other leading democrats.

If the ticket is elected in November, Biden - who has served six-terms as a senator - will have the skills and relationships to work with the Senate to ensure that Obama's legislative agenda is carried through just as Lyndon Johnson did for President Kennedy.

Biden also showed yesterday that he is willing to stand up to Senator McCain - to get his hands dirty in a way that Obama has been more reserved about doing - saying bluntly and forcefully: "And during those 18 months, I must tell you, frankly, I have been disappointed in my friend John McCain, who gave in to the right wing of his party and gave in to the Swift boat politics he once so deplored."

Whatever he has said in the past about Obama, Biden is now clear on one point: he is and will be a vocal supporter for the rest of the race.

Biden is a political survivor - he has made it through one botched presidential run in 1987, the charged 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings and his trademark off-the-cuff remarks that have raised flags in his past. This trait should help him coach Obama through a tougher than expected race.

For all those skills, Biden does not have the same looks or youth to take the public's eye off Obama (the way a candidate like Evan Bayh might have done). Biden will be the traditional vice presidential candidate, getting occasional moments to shine, but mostly slaving away at stump speeches around the nation.

Regardless of Biden's skills, though, the Obama campaign (now the Obama-Biden campaign, really) has its work cut out: Obama is floundering in some polls and falling behind in others; despite the lack of a clear message, McCain is undercutting Obama's talking points successfully.

At the end of the day, we won't know the true wisdom - or lack thereof - in Biden's selection until the results come in on election night. But, hopefully, at the very least, the selection will help to ensure that there is a dynamic and powerful race on both sides of the aisle.

 

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]]>barack obamaBarackObamajoe bidenJoeBidenvice presidentVicePresidentSam Guzik2008-08-24T10:23:00+00:00Why Obama Made the Wrong Decisionhttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/23/why-obama-made-the-wrong-decision/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/23/why-obama-made-the-wrong-decision/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/23/why-obama-made-the-wrong-decision/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The text message has been sent! Obiden '08 is the Democratic ticket! Our Bright Hall staffers weigh in on the decision. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.



Megan Baker: Biden's scathing remarks about Obama back in the good 'ol primary days are going to come back and bite Obama's campaign in the, well, you know...In fact, McCain's camp has already released an ad campaign featuring Biden saying he does not think Obama is "ready" to be president and that he would be "honored to run with or against McCain." Ouch. Biden has the foreign policy experience to help out Obama, but he is also more of the same, which will kind of hurt Obama's message of change. I still think Bayh would have been a better choice with his experience in economics, but Biden isn't too bad of a choice in the end. At least he didn't pick Hillary, right?

Joshua Sharp: Biden is a gift that keeps on giving -- for Republicans. His track record of insensitive, stupid, and counter-productive comments is well-known. More importantly, though, this pick shows that even Obama wants "Experience" over "Change." No matter who is president, the next Administration will have to fill positions in the White House, and Obama has shown he's willing to pick the ultimate "Washington insider" -- a Senator spanning four decades -- over any agent of change. Obama likes to allege that John McCain has been in Washington too long. Joe Biden has been there a decade longer.

Matt Negrin: The folly of the Biden selection lies only in who Obama passed over as his running mate. It is admirable in choosing someone from a non-battleground state, enforcing the idea that the Delaware senator's policies count more than his territory and political convenience. However, Biden's ideas are moot if the pair lose sin November, especially if states like Virginia (Kaine), Indiana (Bayh) and New Mexico (Richardson) and other western states don't vote Democrat.

I wouldn't be so concerned about Biden's previous and so-called gaffes in which he said Obama isn't ready to lead, or that he's the first clean and articulate black presidential candidate. I'd be more worried about his arrogance alienating the working-class voters Obama so badly needs.

Finally, Obama could have done worse. He could have gone with Clinton.



See also: Our colleague Sam extolls the virtues of Barack's selection of Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr.

 

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]]>BH Staff2008-08-23T19:21:00+00:00Predicting Obama's VP Choicehttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/19/predicting-obamas-vp-choice/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/19/predicting-obamas-vp-choice/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/19/predicting-obamas-vp-choice/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Newsrooms are buzzing that Barack Obama will announce his vice-presidential choice in the coming days. Who will he pick? Bright Hall bloggers offer their predictions. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.



Joshua Sharp: Bill Richardson. Richardson has experience in key areas: energy, foreign policy, and executive leadership, to name a few. He's been a member of Congress, Secretary of Energy, ambassador to the U.N. and Governor of New Mexico. Richardson is widely respected across party lines, and can help the ticket in the West and among Hispanics. He only has to shave that beard.

Megan Baker: Evan Bayh. Bayh has that white middle class appeal that some say Obama simply does not have. He is currently a senator in Indiana, which could swing Democrat for the first time since 1964 if Bayh is in the VP spot. He also has expansive experience in economics, as he is a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. He is moderate enough for those skeptical voters, but is someone that most Obama supporters should be happy with, if they can forgive him for supporting Senator Clinton in the primary.

Matt Negrin: Bill Richardson -- As if there's any other choice. The New Mexico governor fits with Obama's theme of changing Washington politics. During the early presidential debates, Richardson portrayed himself as the perfect outsider with unmatched diplomacy, total knowledge of the world and a resume to match it. But that's all meaningless compared to his territory; big wins in the West are a sure win for the Obama campaign.

JJ Colao: Tim Kaine -- Alright, if I was a betting man I might not put the keys to the Ferrari on the line for this guy, but he's still a damn good pick and I'm hoping he gets the call. He supported Obama before it was cool and enjoys substantial popularity as the governor of Virginia, that traditionally conservative swing state with a lot more votes than New Mexico. He's Harvard Law with a working class background, worked with Jesuits in Honduras, and might help Obama in neighboring North Carolina too - that's twenty-eight electoral votes right there which effectively nullify a potential McCain win in Florida. The math is just too beautiful. Kaine Train for Veep, no doubt.

 

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]]>BH Staff2008-08-19T11:19:00+00:00It's Not the Size That Matters -- It's the Timinghttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/13/its-not-the-size-that-matters-its-the-timing/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/13/its-not-the-size-that-matters-its-the-timing/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/13/its-not-the-size-that-matters-its-the-timing/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As the Democratic and Republican conventions approach, Bright Hall is profiling candidates for vice president on both sides. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.

There's a lot happening in August in the political world. Republican attack ads are heating up. Democrats are admitting they had affairs with campaign workers. The Green Party may still not know who its nominee is.

Also, there's some half-war in Georgia, and some international sports contest in China that stretches until Aug. 24. It's a big deal -- everyone's there, even President Bush.

And as soon as the Olympics end, the Democratic National Convention begins -- the next day, in fact. That leaves very little time for both political parties to announce their vice-presidential picks.

Media coverage for a running mate is key in an election that polls show are closer than John Edwards was to his mistress at a Beverly Hills Hotel in July. Boy, those Olympic Games sure screw things up for the candidates. It's unlikely either contender -- Barack Obama or John McCain -- would announce their running mate in the middle of one the most exciting sports competitions in the world, which at least 1 billion people are watching.

But it's getting down to the wire. In 2000, George W. Bush named Dick Cheney his running mate July 24. Al Gore waited until Aug. 7, after the Republicans' convention, to pick double-agent Joe Lieberman.

The timing helped both candidates in polls. Bush gained 3 points in a Gallup poll in the two days following his announcement, boosting his lead to 5 points over Gore. Similarly, Gore saw a 5-point increase in the days following the Lieberman selection.

The conventions also come into play. At one point in early August, Bush led Gore 54-35 immediately following the GOP convention. When the Democrats responded with a party of their own in mid-August, Gore took a 48-44 lead.

What all this means is that media coverage for a solid running mate almost always boosts candidates' images with voters. And both McCain and Obama have unique relationships with the press. The Arizonan geezer is known to be more friendly with reporters than others, though lately has been snubbing some news organizations, whereas the new kid from Illinois has a closed relationship with the media that seems to be obsessed with him.

Obama holds his convention and gigantic acceptance speech first, from Aug. 25-28. He will undoubtedly take a giant lead in polls following its end. It could help him to announce his running mate before then -- say, next week -- although the Olympics will interfere and the effect won't be as large.

However, McCain is said to be waiting for Obama before he announces his own VP nominee. In the most suspenseful of scenarios, Obama will announce his running mate at the convention in late August, enjoy a huge surge in the polls, and then ride the wave up until Sept. 1, when the Republicans gather for their convention. McCain would then announce his partner and hope to blunt the Obama coverage coming into the autumn stretch.

But they could choose earlier -- as early as tomorrow, really. But that's assuming both candidates know who they're going to choose.

 

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]]>Matt Negrin2008-08-13T08:48:00+00:00Obama Gets Crazy Technologicalhttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/11/obama-gets-crazy-technological/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/11/obama-gets-crazy-technological/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/08/11/obama-gets-crazy-technological/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I guess first things first - I should preface this whole deal with a disclaimer of some sort notifying you guys that I'm not objective or something, I have ulterior motives, I'm on an undisclosed alternate payroll, etc. etc. blah blah blah. Well here you go - I'm 21, I just saw Pineapple Express and understood the pot humor, I have an unkempt beard and I live in New Jersey. Put the pieces together and odds are about 5.6 to 1 that I'm voting for Obama. There it is, that's my disclaimer.

So, moving on, I got an e-mail from my boy David Plouffe at 9:15 pm tonight notifying me of some info that just blew the piss out of my burnt-out little mind. Are you ready? You're not. But here it is anyway:

Obama is gonna text me his VP choice.
That's right you little turds. Me. Not you. Not Tom Brokaw or Katie Couric. ME. Why? Cause Obama's the man, that's why. And like me and my ilk and the rest of the world that actually knows what the hell has been going on in the realm of technology for the past fifteen years, he realizes that just announcing his VP pick through some prime time cable speech is the media equivalent of using a conventional oven to cook Pop-Tarts. That metaphor sucks, I know, but I have Pop-Tarts on my mind. And no toaster oven.

This is an extremely slick move on Obama's part. It shows that either he or some influential people in his campaign understand the way mass communication works these days - it doesn't revolve around cable news networks anymore. Just deliver that news hot and fresh right to the people who want it via their own personal mobile devices, no high-brow middle man diluting its immediacy with a perfectly pitched voice and alarmingly shiny coif. Any savvy bro can just text VP to 62262 and he's in the know, privy to some choice info the second the big man decides he wants his people informed.

Odds are I'll be on the beach chilling with a Corona when I get the message, subsequently initiating an informed but civil political debate with the formidable array of babes seated next to me and my bros. Impressed with my knowledge of the VP selection, the babes will then ultimately invite us to a killer backyard barbecue not unlike those portrayed on Bud Light Lime commercials, inevitably followed by frisky hot tub action involving aforementioned babes.


Bottom line - Obama is on the cutting edge of contemporary mass media culture and helps his voters score smoking hot babes while the other guy doesn't even know how to use a computer. Just shows you what kind of race this is.

 

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]]>JJ Colao2008-08-11T10:44:00+00:00Indiana Senator Says Bayh to Clinton, Hello to Obamahttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/16/indiana-senator-says-bayh-to-clinton-and-hello-to-obama/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/16/indiana-senator-says-bayh-to-clinton-and-hello-to-obama/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/16/indiana-senator-says-bayh-to-clinton-and-hello-to-obama/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As the Democratic and Republican conventions approach, Bright Hall is profiling candidates for vice president on both sides. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.

Senator Obama hosted a panel with experts today to discuss the security issues of modern times, focusing on how to prevent terrorist attacks and how to prepare if they do occur. Indiana senator Evan Bayh (pronounced "bye") was a participant in this discussion.

After the discussion, there was a press conference, and the press were buzzing with vice presidential talk. Bayh, who was a Hillary supporter in the primaries, has since said that he would support Obama in the general election and that questions pertaining to his potential running mate status were "good for my ego."


Obama has spoken highly of Bayh, calling him "one of the finest senators, prior to that one of the finest governors that we've had in the country."
So, who is Senator Evan Bayh exactly? Bayh has been a senator for Indiana since 1999. Before that, he served as governor from 1989 to 1997. His father, Birch Bayh, also served as senator and ran for the democratic presidential nomination in 1976, but lost to eventual president Jimmy Carter.

He voted for the war in Iraq, but has since said that if he had known then what he knows now, he would have voted differently. He supports a time table withdrawal of the troops.

He is known for his support of small businesses, a member of the Small Business Committee. According to his website, "Senator Bayh believes that responsible fiscal stewardship and economic growth go hand-in-hand, and as a result has been a leader in the Senate in the fight to restore fiscal responsibility and reduce the federal budget deficit. He has repeatedly highlighted the dangers posed by increasing deficits and debt, in particular our growing dependence on foreign countries to finance our excessive spending."

When asked at the press conference if he was one of the potential choices, Bayh was coy and said he "should probably let Senator Obama and his campaign address those kind of questions." He then told the crowd he had a plane to catch. If the buzz is right, maybe Bayh will be flying on Air Force One in 2009.

 

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]]>Megan Baker2008-07-16T22:58:00+00:00'McCain-Florida' Looks Better Than Governor's Tanhttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/14/mccain-florida-08-looks-better-than-the-governors-tan/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/14/mccain-florida-08-looks-better-than-the-governors-tan/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/14/mccain-florida-08-looks-better-than-the-governors-tan/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As the Democratic and Republican conventions approach, Bright Hall is profiling candidates for vice president on both sides. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.

There is no other good reason for John McCain to pick Charlie Crist as his running mate than the fact that he is the governor of the most important swing state, Florida.

Before we get to why that's so important, first know that Crist is not the most qualified politician on McCain's short list of running mates. He has been governor for fewer than two years. He failed the bar exam twice before eventually making it to the Florida Senate in 1992. Does he have any experience in the U.S. Senate? Sort of: He lost the 1998 election by 26 percent to Democrat Bob Graham.

He was, however, the state's attorney general from 2003 to 2007, and has previous legal experience in minor league baseball and his own private practice.

Which brings us to why none of this matters: Florida.

Crist is a handsome, always-tanned 51-year-old jock with angel-white hair. Every now and then he'll appear on Capitol Hill with a Florida senator like Mel Martinez, and he sticks out like a supermodel at a Star Wars convention.

That's exactly what McCain needs to fill in the blank slate in his ticket. The Arizona senator has to win Florida to win the election. This is the state that his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, promptly ignored during the primary as he and has-been Hillary Clinton only campaigned in the states whose votes weren't nullified by their party.

So Florida, deemed a "battleground" state by political analysts who wish they were four-star generals, is leaning Republican and still reeling from an awkward Democratic primary. Crist's selection as a potential VP would solidify the Sunshine State's 27 electoral votes. Here are some quick balance-the-ticket qualifications:

Experience: He has a little, but McCain has lots.
Age: He's young enough to be McCain's son.
Diversity: He's practically darker than Barack Obama.
Charm: Check.

Crist has also appeared with McCain more often on the campaign trail than most other hopefuls looking to get the VP nod. Is he interested in the slot? Probably. TIME reported in June that the governor has been backtracking a bit on his environmental victories in light of McCain's support of offshore drilling.

The question for McCain is this: Will he take a gamble on Crist's short track record in exchange for a sure-thing victory in Florida in November?

 

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]]>Matt Negrin2008-07-14T12:53:00+00:00Mitt Romney Could be a Perfect Fithttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/10/mitt-romney-could-be-a-perfect-fit/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/10/mitt-romney-could-be-a-perfect-fit/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/10/mitt-romney-could-be-a-perfect-fit/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As the Democratic and Republican conventions approach, Bright Hall is profiling candidates for vice president on both sides. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.



Mitt Romney dropped out of the presidential race even though he had a decent amount of delegates. Why did he do it? Well, he said it was for the good of the party...but maybe it will work out in his favor as well. Romney has said that he would be "honored" to be Senator McCain's running mate. Kind of surprising after their blatant displays of disagreement on some issues.

Romney may be a little too conservative for McCain's taste, but it would be a good compromise, especially when it comes to the economy.

According to an article from Free Press, "Given the down economic times that we're living in, he would give McCain a layer of credibility on economic issues," said Thomas Whalen, a political historian, professor of social science at Boston University, and longtime observer of Romney. "He's a venture capitalist who has made a fortune and can balance a budget." Romney is known for financially saving the Winter Games in Utah, which was almost a fiscal disaster.

Many people believe that Romney can cover McCain's slack on certain things such as: business, organizational and government experience. He also has deep roots in Michigan, a state with 17 electoral votes that is shaping up as a key battleground in 2008.

Since dropping out, Romney has been saying good things about McCain. In a recent interview with Fox News he said, "Well, one of the things I'd said frequently during the debates and in my comments about Senator McCain was that he's a person of great capability who's been tested and proven and someone who I respect enormously.

There are places we disagreed on certain issues. I wouldn't have been running if we agreed on every issue, but the American people spoke, and they chose John McCain to be our nominee, and on the major issues of the day, he is consistent, he's right, I agree with him.

He has charted the right course for America, and right now with the number one issue on people's minds as the economy, he's got the right prescription to make our economy stronger."


Maybe there was too much hype over creating the unbeatable ticket of Obama/Clinton...maybe the GOP is the one with the right chemistry.

 

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]]>Megan Baker2008-07-10T17:07:00+00:00As VP, Portman Would Bring Post-Election Credibilityhttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/03/veepstakes-portman/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/03/veepstakes-portman/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/03/veepstakes-portman/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As the Democratic and Republican conventions approach, Bright Hall is profiling candidates for vice president on both sides. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.

Rob Portman isn't exactly a household name, but he could be soon. The former Ohio congressman is rumored to be in the top tier of John McCain's potential running mates.

Besides his time in Congress, Portman has served as U.S. trade ambassador and director of the Office of Management and Budget. He has a solid conservative record and clear economic expertise, with bipartisan respect to boot. That he's from a swing state doesn't hurt, either.

During his 12 years in Congress, Portman landed a seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and became Vice Chair of the House Budget Committee. As U.S. trade representative, he helped orchestrate the passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, before being tapped to lead the White House budget office.

When Portman resigned that post in June 2007, Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, expressed regret.

"He is a person of credibility and decency who commanded respect on both sides of the aisle," Conrad said, according to the New York Times.

Portman's number-crunching skills and legislative experience would bring needed organization to a McCain White House. He could sharpen McCain's economic message and articulate it well. But, can a McCain-Portman ticket win the election?

For a candidate trying to escape charges of "Bush's third term," McCain would take criticism for selecting Bush's budget director for veep. Trying to distance Portman from George W. would take too long and too complex an explanation for the average voter, so the McCain campaign would have to emphasize Portman's handle on the economy, to restore public confidence in his abilities.

There's also some question whether he can actually deliver Ohio. Trade issues are a sore spot for Ohio voters, many of whom have seen jobs leave the state. Portman's local connection might not be enough to win them over.

But in the bigger picture, while other potential running mates offer different strategic advantages for the fall, Portman stands out by his potential to succeed in the vice-presidential role, after the election.

And for what it's worth, McCain sources have told Politico, "[McCain will] pick his vice presidential candidate based more on ability to govern than ability to help in the election."

 

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]]>Joshua Sharp2008-07-03T04:13:00+00:00For Richardson, the VP Quest Began Years Agohttp://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/02/for-richardson-the-vp-quest-began-years-ago/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/02/for-richardson-the-vp-quest-began-years-ago/http://brighthall.aol.com/2008/07/02/for-richardson-the-vp-quest-began-years-ago/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As the Democratic and Republican conventions approach, Bright Hall is profiling candidates for vice president on both sides. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.

Bill Richardson, who spent years building a scrappy reputation as an international envoy before he was elected governor of New Mexico, probably figured he wouldn't get the Democratic nod for president in early January, when he earned only 5 percent of the vote in New Hampshire and 2 percent in Iowa, finishing fourth.

But Richardson was never really running to be commander-in-chief.

Here's a guy who spent 14 years in Congress, and while there, visited North Korea, Cuba and India in addition to a number of Central American and African nations. It was fitting that former President Clinton named him the country's ambassador to the United Nations in 1997, giving him the chance to negotiate for U.S. interests from the Middle East to Asia. Then he was Clinton's energy secretary from 1998 to early 2001.

Out of all of the 2008 presidential candidates, Richardson, 60, has the most extensive resume. His foreign-policy experience is untouchable, and his high-profile experience as lawmaker and energy secretary puts him at the top of Barack Obama's short list of running mates.

Oh yeah, he's also Hispanic.

There are his strengths as a vice-presidential candidate. Where Obama may falter, Richardson is big on foreign policy and experience. He's also a former member of a Clinton administration, which could help the Illinois senator shore up support from disgruntled Hillary supporters. (Although Richardson's endorsement of Obama being tagged as a "Judas" move might stunt that a bit.)

And his Hispanic roots would help Obama with that critical voting bloc. He's also from a western state, where Obama can feasibly compete for votes and force his Republican rival, John McCain, to bolster efforts in states like Colorado and Nevada.

If an Obama-Richardson ticket wins in November, there's a vice president who will be pretty qualified to do his job, albeit a job that is loosely defined outside of "presiding over the Senate." Remember all those "surprise" visits VPs make to other countries, like North Korea and Iraq? Those are Richardson's backyards. Chances are his visits would be a bit more than photo ops.

However, the secretary of state post is probably just as appealing to him. Just something to consider.

One of Richardson's weaknesses as a running mate is that he is not white. For Democrats and Independents struggling with the thought of electing a black president, they would probably want to see a more conventional white male in the number-two spot, like former senator John Edwards or Senator Joe Biden.

Another sore spot: Richardson isn't the most eloquent or attractive candidate. In the early debates, he was never a clear "winner," and he never stole the spotlight from Clinton and Obama. He may also have to clarify his cultural ties - "Richardson" isn't exactly a Hispanic name.

But sticking to the basics, he meets the criteria to be Obama's running mate: He's a governor from the West with a resume twice as long and an attitude twice as gruff as anyone else's.

Here's how Jodi Kantor described him last year in a profile in The New York Times:

"A kind of at-large dealmaker, Mr. Richardson does not specialize in any one region of the world, and he has no landmark achievement - no Dayton Accords or Middle East breakthrough - to his name .... Instead, Mr. Richardson practices diplomacy as contact sport, whizzing from country to country, conflict to conflict, and charming, insulting, even touching his way through negotiations."

 

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]]>Matt Negrin2008-07-02T13:28:00+00:00