Midst the midden

In the dung heap of choices for the vice presidency the most obvious choice is none of the above. I like Joe Biden’s chances and except for his mouth, he is eminently qualified. Forget about the fact that he has emphatically declared, “I’ve been on the Hill since I was 29 years old. I don’t think I want to start working for somebody else now.” His glib jib and prominently displayed hauteur often gets him in trouble but I like that especially as entertainment over the next eight years. His foreign relations chops are worthy and at 62 he still cleans up pretty good for funeral duty.

Evan Bayh is too wimpy. Tim Kaine is better for the party where he is and too white bread to get people excited. Richardson would be excellent but I think the clingers to religion and guns, you know, the “hard working, blue collar Catholics” who love Hillary, will be slightly to moderately uneasy with two “persons of color” at the top of the ticket. Never mind that they both have white American born mothers, “I know what I see with mah own damn eyes.”

Which brings us to Hillary who we love to pillory. Too bad, she would ordinarily be the best choice but for all the baggage she brings. Most notably, the Slickster, who couldn’t keep his bulbous proboscis in line with the best interest of her campaign. That race was so close that you could say that this or that tilted to the big O, but what really stands out as I look back to almost a year ago, was the eponymously named Willy jumping in where he was not needed thinking that people didn’t remember him for his lack of a strong connection to the truth. In my view, she seals the deal for the Obambians but when you include the whole family package (whaddup with Chelsea introducing her mom and WJC getting a speaking spot too?) then, it will just be too much for people. They probably would win but a lot of people at the top of the campaign would have every right to be pissed after all they have put into the effort. It’s a tough call but I think I’d take her, with some very strict rules for her laddie, up front and in writing.

Liebermouse for Vice President, again? There’s a reason that Joe has been seen in so many scenes with McCain. It’s a kind of subtle polling to see how people react to them. There doesn’t seem to be any republican outcry and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him get picked. The idea, of course, is to reach across partisanship and bring in somebody who jumped from his own party because he lost his primary battle in his home state for the Senate. He was too pro war and held other conservative views so they voted the bum out. Bolting Joe knows better and not taking no for an answer he became an “independent” who has voted reliably with the other side since getting reelected.

Charlie Christ should be right up there in McCain’s choices. Hell, the guy got married to improve his chances and maybe to squash rumors that he was too much of a man’s man. Tim Pawlenty is said to be very “attractive” as a possible but if you’re not sure who he is, than you are with the majority of voters. It doesn’t make any difference who he is or how good he might be, ya gotta have more name recognition than this guy has. Tom Ridge might get past the pro abortion/anti life tag but how many of us know him as the first and fleetest head of the failed home land security tax soaker upper. He might bring Pennsylvania but he might bring a shit storm of criticism for yet another gargantuan failure of the Bush administration. He jumped ship on that, so they wanted to bring in Bernard Kerick. Oy vey!

The thing I don’t quite get is why Lindsay Graham is not at the top of the short list. There’s a soldier with like mindedness of the candidate who is willing to say whatever the day’s talking points are and with a straight face. A frequent guest on the Sunday morning shows, he can come across as thoughtful and believable. As a Light Col. in the air force he is said to be a good call for the national security issue. But that is Mc’s strength, so maybe he get’s sacrificed for someone who can bring a needed state, or a youthful look, or economic strength, even though he might be the best guy to serve with die alte.
I’m going with Liebermouse.