The Short Lists

I trust Chuck Todd's sources better than my own, but I'm hearing that the list of names he's floating is a bit narrow... and that Johnson and Holder discussed a variety of different names.. at least three former military officers, one of which was, as Chuck as, Ret. Gen. Jim Jones.... Also, several of the names on Todd's list were brought up by the Democrats who were asked, not necessarily by Johnson and Holder. One Hill source who has been reliable in the past says that his/her boss was specifically asked about Sen. James Webb. In general, I shouldn't, and you shouldn't, read too much into this early Galivanting-Sans-Caroline Kennedy. If history is any guide, most of the names floated are courtesies, and a large number of short-listers don't show up in the first round.

Comments

Marc - Do you think Hagel will be seriously vetted? If he is going to be, it would seem that Obama's people would want to short-list him later rather than sooner. I could see a lot of HRC supporters pretty angry at a GOP senator being floated for the #2 spot so soon after her exit.

Posted by floridian | June 10, 2008 5:02 PM

I don't quite understand this post. The wording got me lost... sorry. Do you mean that:

1- The Obama team was specifically askign others about Webb?
2- Reporters were asking about Webb?

Who did the questioning of Webb?

Posted by Steven R | June 10, 2008 5:07 PM

I think the majority of those names were placed there as a formality. Dodd, Kerry, Daschle? No, lost in that list is one name that jumped out at me: Mark Warner. He's the most obvious choice, as he's from Virginia, left the office of governor with a 90% approval rating and conveniently decided not to run for president this year. I beleive Obama will chose one of the three Virginians. Biden's a gaffe machine, Richardson's been promised Secretary of State, Edwards is AG and opens the ticket up to attacks of inexperience. If Obama chooses Webb look for McCain to choose Sarah Palin as his VP and attack Webb on his sexist writings regarding women in the Navy as Undersec. Otherwise McCain will choose Tom Ridge and run the Republicans as a moderate ticket. No one has made mention of the fact that McCain's color scheme isn't Red or Blue: It's Green. Even the powerpoints his campaign put out highlighted the states where he shows strength as green. Also, McCain/Ridge will do well in Michigan and Pennsylvania which is McCain's entire strategy: those two states.

Posted by Gabriel Ramirez | June 10, 2008 5:15 PM

I would not be able to support Obama nor do anything for him if he chooses Hagel. There are some limits to post-partisanship.

Posted by Ron | June 10, 2008 5:42 PM

The funniest name on that list was John Kerry. Are they serious? Some of those names were so bad I'm convinced Obama is actually going to swallow his pride and pick Hillary. If you match her to some of those folks (Daschle? Dodd? Kerry?!?), she comes off really well on both the dimensions of change. And then of course she comes off better on foreign policy and experience compared to many of the other names (Warner? Kaine?).

Posted by John | June 10, 2008 5:49 PM

Gabriel Ramirez:
As a PA resident, I say you are nuts. He was last Governor, Ridge that is, almost 10 years ago now. Besides, I guess you'd love hearing about duct tape and the like for the next few months. Ridge is only a moderate in the mind of the likes of David Broder.

Posted by Joe Klein's conscience | June 10, 2008 5:53 PM

Yes of course most of those names sounds like honorary mentions, smokescreens, etc. Only a few sound legit.

The more legit sounding names are Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Jones, Strickland (at least until he Shermanesque'd).

Some other potentially legits out there are Sebelius, Schweitzer, Zinni.

And then there are the ones no one thinks of (what (ass-)hat did Quayle or Lieberman come out of?).

Clinton (no way), Richardson (womanizing, lousy speaker), Biden (old, greater zing-meister but not controllable) aren't realistic.

Posted by red nimbA | June 10, 2008 6:16 PM

Clinton is the top of that list.

Posted by Regina | June 10, 2008 7:00 PM

Your first sentence gives your sources the shaft. Really want to do that?

Posted by Chris | June 10, 2008 8:56 PM

I don't know who your sources or Chuck Todd's sources are, but you're nuts if you think Jones would run w/Obama. Jones is a close friend of McCain's. I seriously doubt he would consider running w/Obama. I think Obama's people are putting out these names to an all too willing lapdog media who writes down everything they say w/o doing any reporting. Pretty pathetic.

Posted by kate | June 10, 2008 9:27 PM

No westerners? Makes me wonder about the accuracy of the reported list. I think that there will be at least one westerner on the short list. I think you could also see Bob Casey end up being Obama's running mate. That's more of a political calculation as to whether it'd work or not. But, given the realities of who is going to bail on the party and what Republicans (Evangelicals) are up for grabs, I could see it working.

Posted by The Bag of Health and Politics | June 10, 2008 11:31 PM

How many recent VPs were on the short list before they were announced? I'm pretty sure there have been a lot of surprise choices. This whole thing strikes me as a game. Obama said that if anything leaks out, don't believe it. I'm sure the real list is being very closely held. The future VP might be on this list, but most of the folks are being mentioned to thank them for their support.

Posted by NHCt | June 11, 2008 9:23 AM