Comments on: true non-partisanship.

By: Rodney F

Rodney F — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:04:57 +0000

Surya - once again you nail it on the head. The biggest problem today with American politics is that it has gotten so partisan that nothing can get done. A symbolic move as you describe, to fight against that transformation, would get my vote.

The two parties are so viscerally opposed that no one compromises or builds alliances. I’ve been told this by my friends on the Hill, past and present. Not sure who or what to blame. Maybe the spirit of the 1990s, the freshman Republican class of 1994, Rush Limbaugh, gotcha journalism, who knows? I recommend reading James Baker’s latest book for an illustration of how politics used to be, and should be again.

By: Megan

Megan — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:10:12 +0000

My world is so limited. All I was hoping for that he’d choose Hillary, but it might become a fiesta for the media seeing who between them is *really* in the role of president.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:21:10 +0000

I think you’ve got a great idea!

By: surya.yalamanchili

surya.yalamanchili — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:32:10 +0000

If he wasn’t going to pick a Republican, and specifically, Hagel, I’d definitely agree with Clark. In fact, I assume he’ll end up here. He has to pick someone with really strong foreign policy credentials, and Clark is a DLC moderate as well. We’ll see…

By: Raja Devineni

Raja Devineni — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:27:45 +0000

Nooooooooo to Chuck Hagel. Obama is going to win no matter who the VP is and is probably looking at a dem controlled congress and senate. No reason to risk alienating the energized democratic base by picking a republican.

Hagel will be too much of a doubter when it comes to “liberal policies” like universal healthcare(just an assumption, not sure where Hagel stands on healthcare). The last thing Obama needs is a VP who isn’t commited 100% into his idealogy.

I really don’t think it matters who Obama picks for his VP. Obama is going to be the reason why people vote (or not) for him. The VP post, for election purposes, on the Obama ticket is fairly ceremonial, I think. That said, I would definitely NOT pick the following;

1. Hillary(Too many negatives)
2. Edwards(Should have never got that haircut)
3. Gore(The ticket will be charaterized a too Liberal)
4. Chuck Hagel or any other republican (Because he doesn’t need to)

He should just pick Wesley Clark or any other retired general and get it over with. The biggest advantage of that is the VP pick will (probaly)not be a target of attack by the repubs and right now(and going forward) the Obama camp can use a little non-attacking by the republicans so that they can campaign. And we all know what happens when Obama campaigns, he turns doubters into beleivers( ask Iowans or Hillary if you don’t believe me)