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How About Bill Bradley for Obama's VP Slot?
I’d like to get some opinions on whether ex-Senator Bill Bradley would be a good choice for Barack Obama to pick for his Vice President. As you may or may not know, he currently supports Barack Obama for President and has gone on the political talk shows in support of Obama. He continues to be a very good debater.
I went back and checked some of the Senator’s past. I think from what I’ve read and if memory serves me right, he could bring a great deal to Obama’s campaign, but I want your opinion.
He’s an ex-senator from New Jersey but he was born and raised in Missouri. He went to college at Princeton University, NJ. He’s Rhodes Scholar, a member of the American Hall of Fame in Basket Ball. He was the captain of the 1964 Olympics basketball team. He played professionally in Italy and eventually with the New York Knicks.
Bradley's basketball ability was enhanced by his unusually wide peripheral vision. While most people's horizontal field covers 180 degrees, his covered 192 degrees. Vertically most people can see 47 degrees upward; Bradley could see 72 degrees. I mention his basketball career because that’s what made him famous early in his life and because basketball is Barack Obama’s first love. Bradley is also left-handed, like Obama.
Bradley ran for President against Al Gore in 2000. He was considered more liberal then Gore. He got the blue color votes mostly. As Senator he mainly worked hard for children’s health issues and relieving poverty. He sometimes voted for with Reagan and the GOP. He was best known for overhauling the tax code, campaign finance reform and reducing the deficit. Bradley finished his presidential run coming in a distant second place during Super Tuesday. A small tidbit for you, John McCain was running that year too.
Since that time he has worked as a corporate consultant and investment banker. Oxford University awarded Bradley an honorary Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) in 2003, with the comment that he was "An outstandingly distinguished athlete, a weighty pillar of the Senate, and still a powerful advocate of the weak." Currently, Bradley serves on the Board of Directors of Superprotonic, a solid acid-based fuel cell technology development company.
I read up on this company, here’s what they claim: Superprotonic is dedicated to bringing this new technology to market and in so doing, benefiting our society by 1) decreasing overall fuel consumption, 2) decreasing overall pollution emissions, and 3) increasing the use of renewable fuels.
This claim alone should bring in voters that support the environment.
I know that New Jersey normally votes Democrat; but I believe its location is a good one. His being from that area could reinforce Obama’s ability to win some red states like, Virginia, New Hampshire, West Virginia, North Carolina and even Ohio voters. Hopefully with Obama being from Illinois, Indiana will go Democratic this year. Obama might be able to sweep the whole mid-west and east coast with Bradley on his ticket.
Bradley being known for working for the ‘working’ men/women and his previous sports background – might also reinforces Obama’s votes elsewhere.
What’s YOUR opinion? You have any other good or bad Points?
Comments (20)
A great and principled person. But perceived as an egg-head, no help for Obama.
A good choice for a cabinet post.
April 26, 2008 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have not seen him speak much, but he seemed to be quite dull the few times that I have. The need to shore up support in purplish states like NJ, especially against McCain, is a real one, but I wonder what else Bradley would really bring to the ticket. Considering Obama's perceived weakness on national security, the domestically oriented Bradley does not seem like the best choice.
April 26, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't care who Obama picks for foreign policy or security -- they will be preceived as HELPING Obama -- which would only hurt him in the long run. We've had many presidents with out security/miliatary exp and they've survived just fine.
Picking a military guy just might give GOP a reason to point Obama LACK there of.
April 26, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I adored Bill Bradley when he briefly ran.
I would have voted for him - but I can't recall having heard much from him in years.
I'd like to see Obama pick a woman - I think it would be very smart. I know it would be pandering to the disappointed feminists, but maybe it would help.
April 26, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sibelius, perhaps? A proven winner from a very red state, and very possibly a way to make peace with women voters.
April 26, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've heard that one mentioned a lot.
She looks good, as far as what I know - I guess I don't know as much as I should.
I still can't help but wonder if Bill Richardson has been promised anything.
I like Bill, but I hope not because I live in New Mexico part of the year, and everyone tells me that he has a lot more in common with Bill Clinton than just the same first name.
April 26, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bill Richardson is an ideal choice for State. Smart, tough, capable as a negotiator, and a proven record of dealing with often recalcitrant foreigners to achieve desired ends.
What he is not, by any standard, is an effective campaigner. Thus, the guy with the best resume* of anyone in the original (crowded) Democratic field is watching from the sidelines, having endorsed the now-seemingly-certain nominee, Barack Obama.
Put him at State, he'll be very valuable there. As a VP candidate, less so.
* Energy Secretary, UN Ambassador, Governor, freelance negotiator...
April 26, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tena, I think Richardson would guarantee New Mexico, help in Nevada, and put Texas in play for real. I am concerned that he would not help in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan, and that Jim Webb is a better fit there, and that we could still capture NM and Nevada with Webb, as the west is more heavily military.
April 26, 2008 10:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm also a big Sibelius fan for the VP slot.
April 26, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
i think the 2004 convention speech propelled obama to the presidency. But the 2008 SOU did not propel Sibelius into the VP slot.
April 26, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not so sure about putting a woman in the VP slot: just worries me that it makes it look like the Dems are trying too hard to break the mould.
On the other hand, Sebelius is a good candidate. But I'm also a fan of Jim Webb as a choice - he's a popular southern figure, pro-gun, brings Virginia with him without Obama ever having to campaign there (with Warner running for Senate and Webb on the ballot, VA would be a lock for Democrats).
On top of that he is a distinguished military figure with a compelling personal narrative to tell.
April 26, 2008 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think so. He's a good man but he's ended up in the "latte liberal volvo birkenstock" category, which isn't something that needs to be on an Obama ticket.
I'm actually fairly certain he got the white collar votes and had problems getting blue collar votes. I may be way off base on that, but that's what I recall.
April 26, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like Bradley a lot, but I agree with the sentiment that he's not that much of an electoral asset on the ticket. Unless the VP debates are replaced by a one-on-one basketball game, that is.
April 26, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like Richardson - he has foreign policy creds and will help with the hispanic vote. He is also a decent person.
April 26, 2008 6:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Richardson may also be a good match for Huckabee if he becomes McCain's VP.
April 26, 2008 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
As someone who owns and still wears a Bradley for Pres sweatshirt, this is not the best idea. Too much overlap in perceived liberalism and egg-headedness, not to mention the basketball overlap and the fact that both are northerners.
I am not one who insists that dems need a southerner, but if you want missou, it's gotta be Obama McCaskill '08, get back some o' them Clintonistas nationwide.
Obama Webb works too if you need a white guy up there.
April 26, 2008 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
As others have said, he's probably not the best choice, but he does bring one thing that most other choices don't: no loss of Senator/Representative/Governor position.
Former Govenor Mark Warner would also bring that, except that he's now running for Senator against an incumbent Republican. If he wins that race (and I think he will), that'll be an important seat.
April 26, 2008 7:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Myself, I want a white guy who can go right at the race issue. One who can say "A shared country is stronger. It's better for me. I didn't know that when I was 20. I know it now."
Also someone whose every fiber radiates comfort with gun owners and men in uniform and stepping directly in front of anyone who threatens his home or his country.
Webb would fit. Also Nunn. Wes Clark.
Most people know that when Obama sticks out his hand, he seriously wants you to shake. Some folks need a bridge, someone they can easily trust who can say "Trust the guy I'm with, too."
April 26, 2008 9:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Webb's the one. The greatest swing in the election isn't miffed Hillary supporters, it's independent white men. Obama already does better with women than McCain, and has a gender gap not much different from Hillary's against McCain.
And Webb has foreign policy cred that Sibelius does not.
And he puts Virginia in play. We're not likely to win Kansas.
Nunn might be ok and might put Georgia truly into play. Clark is a reach who doesn't add much.
The best woman pol in the Democratic Party for a national ticket, by far, though too junior to put up this year, is Claire McCaskill. Keep your eye on her.
April 26, 2008 10:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think people forget that V.P. selection is about more than shoring up weaknesses for the general election. The nominee is also choosing someone with whom they will be working very closely for the next 4 to 8 years. I think Bradley is an EXCELLENT choice for V.P. because he and Obama are very philosophically, politically, and stylistically aligned. Bradley was one of the earliest, outspoken (and unequivocal) supporters of Obama this primary season, and as he was speaking about Obama in an interview the day after announcing his endorsement, I could hear from the way he spoke that they were actually friends. In that moment, I just got this solid hit - "HE'S going to be Barack's V.P.."
Say what you want about strategies and resumes. Sometimes the best thing an employer can do when hiring is to pick a good team player with whom he has a natural repoir. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time Barack trusted his own instincts ahead of the pollsters' and pundits'.
I recommend reading "Values of the Game" 2000 and "The New American Story" 2007 if you want to learn more about who Bill Bradley really is. Biography won me over to Obama's camp. More than ever this election is going to be about who these candidates REALLY are - based on the best tangible evidence we have - their life stories. Bradley's is as great an American biography as Obama's. That's good, because we will need two uplifting "American Dream" stories to compete with McCain's "POW War Hero" history.
May 21, 2008 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
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