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Obama's VP choice: Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas
Senator Obama answer to 60% of white women voters voting for Hillary Clinton.
Pick a female candidate for his vice president. Women are coming out in huge numbers just as African-Americans, they want to see a woman President in this historic race, and I don't think Obama should let that idea slip away.
But don't pick Hillary! Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas should is the right person for the 2nd in command job. Hillary has too much baggage, and too high negatives which would kill our chances in the November election, plus she's too much of the old guard candidate that would make it difficult for Obama to make himself the candidate of change.
http://www.governor.ks.gov/
Everyone start your rally of Support
Obama / Sebelius 2008 **==
Comments (13)
Willie Brown on tv just suggested she had to pick an african american woman. I think that is a long shot (any ideas even?)but I am hoping for a woman. Don't know anything about Sebelius but will look into it.
May 7, 2008 3:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you're right, she should be at or near the top of his list.
May 7, 2008 3:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Michael Moore agrees. And so do I.
But odd to see an Edwards avatar recommending this.
Also, dear Kathleen has a funny name.
But that didn't stop Barack, did it?
May 7, 2008 3:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've been predicting Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius as Obama's VP nominee for more than a month.
Put the popular governor on the ticket, and Obama almost automatically gains that state's six electoral college votes. Maybe not a big deal, but it's a state Hillary has written off. And it solidifies his established Midwest appeal.
Obama certainly won't want Clinton, but picking a woman would placate some of her followers. I'm convinced he will do that.
I know very little about her, but Missouri senator Claire McCaskill is also often mentioned. However, she too is a 2006 freshman, and it's uncertain she could deliver her state's 11 ECVs.
Nancy Pelosi would be a possible, if she weren't from California, which Obama should need no help winning.
Same goes for Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.
Almost by elimination, he'll pick Sebelius.
And that's especially true if McCain bites on the feelers reportedly being put out by Condi Rice. Despite her proven incompetence, she's carved out a rep as a moderating influence on the White House crazies. She could certainly reprise that role under McCain.
But Obama will pick a woman for VP. And he'll announce it soon after the superdelegates put him over the 2,025 goal line.
May 7, 2008 3:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I also think Sibelius would be a great choice for the reasons already sited, as well as these:
1) Being a governor strengthens the ticket with management experience (a plus over Pelosi, Boxer, or Feinstein).
2) She's known for her ability to work across the aisle (good compatibility with Obama's style).
3) Term limits make her ineligible for reelection in KS.
That said, I also think AZ's Napolitano could be a good choice for the same reasons.
May 7, 2008 5:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think it will work - look at this:
Sebelius is the daughter of former Ohio governor John J. Gilligan, and thus they became the first father/daughter governor pair in the United States after her election. Her husband K. Gary Sebelius[4] is a federal magistrate judge and the son of former U.S. Representative Keith Sebelius, a Republican.
See, she inherited her position in the Sebelius Dynasty, had a privileged childhood and is married to a Republican. I'm sure this choice will never fly with Obama supporters. I can't even find a speech she made denouncing the AUMF even while running for Governor that year.
May 7, 2008 6:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hours before she gave the Democratic response to the "State of the Union", the blogosphere was inundated with comments telling us that she was on Obama's short-list, so I've really only been watching her since that time.
With that said, I'd caution for the following reasons;
1) Her Democratic response (or national television debut) wasn't well very recieved and most everyone commenting in realtime considered it boring.
2) She took the high road during her response and got all "hopey" and we had a VP candidate on the high road, the last time around. It didn't work out and we need an attack dog in that position, someone who can just flat-out say "WTF? Na, na, na-na, na".
3) When Obama was "defending" himself against the idea of becoming Hillary's #2, he laid out some pretty high criteria and whomever he chooses will be asked about how they compare to his "defense" in their very first Vice-Presidential debate. I don't think Gov. Sebelius actually lives-up to that criteria, though she may be better equipped than the Republican VP and she may be able to laugh it off, if the two VP-candidates are equal.
I think if she'd get us Kansas, she'd have a plus and her gender might help with some old-line feminists, but Obama clearly wasn't the first choice by some segemnts and I don't know that Ms. Sebelius can help with them, or that she has enough backbone to do him a lot of good.
May 7, 2008 7:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
True, her "State of the Union" response was pretty lame. Obama's speechwriters would need to give her a makeover.
As our German friend above mentioned, there's also two-term Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano.
But does anyone think she can steal 10 electoral college votes right from under favorite son John McCain's nose?
OTOH, nominating her for VP would really be throwing down the gantlet.
McCain, who has a short fuse, would go all Mark Penn on Obama.
Yeah, maybe it's worth picking Napolitano, just for the fun of it.
Without Hillary in it, the general election will need an injection of fireworks.
May 7, 2008 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama doesn't need a woman VP to get women to support him against McCain given McCain's being:
a) republican
b) anti-choice
c)against CHIP
d)dumping his disfigured wife for mistress and current wife
Obama needs someone to get white male workers and neutralize McCain on national security.
Jim Webb is that man. Wounded Viet marine commandwer, former dec of navy, against war in Iraq and has a son there. Also sponsor of new GI Bill of rights which Mccain opposes.
Webb is also a fighter and an economic populist.
May 7, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
**Boxer would be interesting. She's tough. And experienced.
May 7, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
dream on, substituting another skirt ain't gonna do it.
May 7, 2008 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
She was also the state Insurance Commissioner, a role in which she was highly regarded by her peers and by the industry.
If he wants to get his health coverage plan passed, having someone at his side like Sibelius, who knows the industry, would be a gigantic plus.
May 7, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a really lame idea. One white woman = another white woman? You really think Clinton's supporters think Kathleen Sebelius is her equal? That's a joke. Sebelius is dull, boring, and vapid. (Pale, even.) She would be a drag on an Obama ticket, not an asset.
May 7, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
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