Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:16 am
Steve Clemons of “The Washington Note” said that sources close to Senator Barack Obama have informed him Obama has decided on his VP candidate, though no name was divulged.
What was disclosed, according to Clemons are some of the names no longer in contention. “I have been told that Tom Daschle is not the running mate. I also happen to know that it is not Wesley Clark.” Both of these names originally surfaced because they could be strong VPs while serving Obama’s message of change. Both are knowledgeable, yet neither can really be pinned to the Washington establishment (Dashcle has not been in DC for some years now). Additionally, it has been widely reported that the Obama camp has told Clark that his services won’t be needed at the convention.
Apparently, Evan Bayh will not be the VP either. Bayh rose to serious contention, and according to many, even front runner status in the past month. However, when that information hit the net, “a surge of concern [from the left wing of the Democratic Party] about Evan Bayh [arose, and subsequently] he has not been selected as Obama’s VP running mate.”
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Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island was seriously considered because Obama thought highly of him, however, in the end, Reed is not the one either.
There are still some wide-eyed optimism that some sort of “swerve” is coming. For example, staunch Hillary supporters are still out there working the lines of communication that Hillary could be the surprise pick, especially since Obama seems to need a little bit of help with working class white males.
Other fanciful scenarios include the return of the “prodigal son,” Al Gore for a second stint as vice president. This one, I highly doubt. And the latest rumor is that Obama will tap John Kerry for VP as a way to rub it in the face of George Bush and his supporters (read Swiftboaters) for smearing a good man who served his country honorably.
Though interesting to bat about endlessly, I am very skeptical that any of these idealistically theoretical possibilities will come to pass.
Essentially, what this all means is that it will likely come down to Joe Biden, Bill Richardson or Tim Kaine. And all the smart money is on Joe Biden at this point, with Richardson being primed for Secretary of State.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
