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Obama-Whitman 2008?
So I'm not normally a blogger here but while I was reading an article from May 12th about Ron Paul's supporters waging their rebellion, I noticed a reader comment that said the following:
"According to AP, Obama camp has scheduled a meeting with Christie Todd
Whitman, former Gov. NJ, frmr EPA sec. Additionally, the website
obamawhitman2008.com was purchased just yesterday... might be an
interesting wrinkle..."
While reader comments aren't exactly known for reliability (I mean, look at some of the crap *we* write), I decided to look into it because it beats doing actual work. Sure enough, GoDaddy.com lists that the domain obamawhitman2008.com was purchased on May 11th. The person who registered it was Michael Everts, of Washington DC. Who?
I tracked down a blog by Robert McClellan that had also looked into the GoDaddy listing, and it gave a little more information:
"Barack Obama will pick former NJ Governor and Moderate Republican
Christie Whitman as his running mate. The domain name OBAMAWHITMAN2008
has been registered by longtime DC political activists and Log Cabin
Republican Michael Everts, a Whitman insider.
You heard it here first!"
I'm less convinced than Mr. McClellan about this ticket. Assuming Everts is in fact a "Whitman insider," why would he register the domain and not some anonymous Obama staffer? Many other Obama(VP Candidate's last name)2008.coms are registered as well, though not as recently. In the case of ObamaWebb2008.com, someone registered it, made an American flag graphic with their two names on it, and then wrote "Think about it!" underneath. I think the act of registering these domains is often just the work of an idle fan.
Anyway, while trying to track down the other part of the reader post - the supposed meeting with Whitman and Obama, I found that the same reader comment had been pasted in numerous other articles on different websites in the past day. Apparently some web monkey is really intent on pushing that rumor.
Regardless of whether it's true, it's an interesting "unity ticket" rumor and one I haven't heard a word of discussion on. She's a female moderate Republican who's critical of the Bush administration and has experience as a governor and former head of the EPA. Her statement to New Yorkers that the air in downtown Manhattan was clean after the Towers collapsed is a controversial issue that would dog her, though. It's not as far in the past as you think; the 2nd Court of Appeals ruled only a few weeks ago that she wouldn't be held liable for the misleading statement. She doesn't bring any sort of geographic strength to a presidential ticket, either, but how often do veeps actually help carry a state anyway?
Like I said though, I hadn't heard any discussion of her as a possible VP pick (for Obama or even for McCain) and I don't know that much about her. What do you think about even the remote possibility of her as VP?
Comments (8)
phaas wrote:
"Apparently some web monkey is really intent on pushing that rumor."
You don't suppose that web monkey might be named... Michael Everts?
If he can get the conversation going and Obama ends up picking Whitman, then how much do you suppose he'd be willing to sell the domain name to the campaign for?
May 13, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, assuming he was actually a Whitman insider, I think if he were going to push the discussion, it would be through other channels than mass reader comments. I also doubt this is an elaborate plot to boost up the selling price of a domain name.
May 13, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I grew up in NJ during the Whitman years. She's got her own handful of problems, particularly with the use of Eminent Domain to help out her friends in the Casino businesses in Atlantic City. Besides a liberal republican governor from a North Eastern state doesn't do much for Obama. Whitman reeks of elitism! She grew up as a "debutante" in wealthy suburbs in Jersey. There's no benefit here.
He's best with someone with some experience and gravitas and someone with more rural roots, as the independents may see him as a young and inexperienced and too hip and urban. I think that CHick Hagel would make the best choice of anyone out there.
May 13, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the concept had even the remotest possibility, I'd say that the 9/11 aftermath and some tax debates could raise some questions in the electorate.
But...
The Vice-Presidential candidate is subjected to a roll call vote during the party convention. All of this talk about trying to get somebody from the other side of the aisle is well and good, but it'd really have to be somebody super-special for the delegates to approve the selection. Let alone, an across-the-aisle candidate would also mean that many super delegates would essentially be putting their own ambitions on hold and they could be setting somebody up to run in four to eight years.
It's a nice dream and it may have been remotely possible for Kerry/McCain against an incumbent, but for an open seat with no heir apparent, the minor-league Republican who people keep mentioning wouldn't stand a chance in Denver.
May 13, 2008 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Keep in mind that though Obama's delegates might bend over for the nominee, Hillary has enough to leave the question up to the super-delegates and they're not likely to vote against their own interests. All of this talk about Hagel and now Whitman may be well and good, but in reality, I don't see either suggestion having any legs.
May 13, 2008 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
If he chose Whitman, he'd flat-out lose my vote.
Her complicity in the World Trade Center asbestos issue runs so unbelievably, criminally deep that TPM Muckraker would hopefully MASSACRE her for weeks.
Even though Kempthorne makes her look like a moderate, Whitman was an industry rubber-stamp as head of the EPA.
May 13, 2008 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with you about Whitman. If Obama reaches across the isle, it would have to be someone stellar, not Whitman. I hope Obama doesn't feel pressed to choose a woman - it would anger more Clinton supporters than it would assuage.
May 13, 2008 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Detailed analysis of Obama's top picks for VP here:
http://indepthleft.blogspot.com/2008/05/and-nominees-are.html
May 13, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
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