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Obama begins search for vice president



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With the Democratic National Convention only three months away, Senator Barack Obama has asked a tight circle of advisers to begin conducting a confidential search for prospective running mates.

Mr. Obama, who intends to wait until the final primaries end on June 3 before declaring victory in the presidential nominating fight with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, has sworn his advisers to secrecy. The search is in its earliest phases, officials said, and Mr. Obama has asked Jim Johnson, a longtime Democratic hand, to lead the process.

Mr. Johnson, who is a vice chairman of the Obama campaign, led the vice presidential search for Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, in 2004 and Walter Mondale in 1984. In recent weeks, officials said, he started to compile information – largely biographical – for a long list of potential running mates.

Democratic officials discussed Mr. Johnson’s role on condition of anonymity because Mr. Obama has demanded that the process be kept secret, and they did not want him to know they were talking about it. Advisers to Mr. Obama declined to discuss the search or any elements of the process.

[Credit: Jeff Zeleny, New York Times; Photo by Yuri Gripas, Reuters]
mako2424

81 responses // Obama begins search for vice president

  • http://current.com/items/88954502_who_s_going_to_be_oba...
    who do you think Obama's running mate will be!
    clemwilson
  • I hope it will be Hillary, just so that all of her silly fanatics won't be so damn absurd and vote for McCain.

    Otherwise, John Edwards or Chris Dodd.
    Saladin
  • very intersted. hmmmm... who could that be?
    sk8bs55
  • pick me mr obama pick me pick me, i think he should pick jesse ventura myself
    riverdeer
  • http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/05/22/us/22oba...
    “I haven’t hired him. He’s not on retainer. I’m not paying him any money. He is a friend of mine. I know him,” Mr. Obama said. “I am not commenting on vice presidential matters because I have not won this nomination."

    aka: no speculation, it takes energy from what comes before
    although it also confirms it is in the works

    good political answer

    though, what is that useful for? starting speculation? it sounds he is begining to be more politically correct, more neutral.

    speculation
    if he chooses to be the quiet one, then his vice will have to counterpart ... biden and edwards are well aligned in this prospect....

    if he chooses to look for other kind of backup, then maybe he should try a vice w good pro economical history

    or someone who is totally neutral, which would only grow his figure and probably cause more division than the trouble already caused by muroch and others

    he may need a counterbalance more than the other option, not because of the situation the media created, but because it shows there is a broad spectrum of acceptance, which would help future relationships and business, needed so as to be able to switch the industry enough to start helping the environment. but are we ready for such change or will there be unbalancing resistance from bush's puppeteers?

    or maybe it is all just to fill Al's pockets with more gold and diamonds that he keeps in his gravity bong in his attic, while throwing the precious rocks into the air, having them fall to the sound of precious rain, laughing and plotting w michael moore, jon stewart, bill maher, bill moyer, charly rose, the old bill clinton, arianna huffington, markos moulitsas zúnigahow, bono, sting, david suzuki and lisa simpson, how to make all republicans go live on mars

    and dave chapelle, this way they dont run out of weed to smoke through Al's diamond bong


    ps: great picture
    lfm
    • lfm
    • 3 months ago
  • I wish that Obama didn't have to worry about experience - then he could pick Claire McCaskill in Missouri. I love her.
    radiovolume
  • I think the top four most likely are

    Jim web
    Ted Strickland
    Evan Bayh
    Wesley Clark
    ocanada
  • Why is Al Gore being so quiet? I think he would be a perfect compromise for all Democrats since no one can hate the man.
    mako2424
  • no one can hate the man, but many still do. Just youtube anything with Al Gore in it and you'll see a long comment list of haters.

    the explanation I heard that makes the most sense is that Al Gore has taken every bit of defeat and turned it on its head, emerged victorious and more successful than ever. The Republicans cant touch him without it backfiring. Meanwhile he's the symbol of everything that could have been but for our own collective stupidity we failed to see.

    Also, Gore is not being quiet, he may not be talking about politics but he's definitely voicing his opinion on political issues.
    recommended by  jade_azul16, Chique, Marilynn_Murray
    stephenthomson
  • i think he wil make the right desicion so lets let him brainstorm. Cause if he is gonna pull this milestone off he gonna need to get his game on! Lead the resistance! lol
    redqueen81
  • I think it will be John Edwards. It would help explain why he switched from Clinton to Obama. He was made an offer he couldn't refuse. Just a guess.
    recommended by  Marilynn_Murray
    huntre
  • I hope it's Hillary, with the young support for both Obama and Clinton if they team up they would be an unstoppable political force! :-)
    macmonster
  • EDWARDS!!!! XDD
    anglcazn
  • Al Gore. Instant expirience and international credibility.
    keithponder
  • Should Obama wait and make sure he's going to be the nominee before he goes looking for a running mate? This guy's arrogance never ceases to amaze me.
    JohnA
  • Good thing Obama is acting quickly. He is going to be nominated yay!
    Spiral9
  • I think an Obama Edwards ticket would be a great idea... even in Australia we are paying attention to US politics.
    recommended by  Marilynn_Murray
    UWAZell
  • Obama needs to have a VP who 1) makes up for the things Obama lacks, and 2) negates any advantages McCain might have. Therefore, he needs someone who is:

    > older
    > managerial/fiscal experience
    > military experience
    > not in Senate, not from Illinois
    > popular with blue collar workers
    > white, male (sorry, but let's face it)

    So -- who is this person????????
    shelchak
  • watch this comment being used here, here, here, here, here, and here
    John Edwards will be an Attorney General, he has declined any VP role as has Gore. Though i wish each would reconsider.
    current89
  • Me Me Me ! i wanna be a vice president !
    malathion
  • I don't care who he chooses as a VP. If Hillary Clinton isn't the Democratic nominee - I will vote for McCain. ABO (anybody but Obama) !!
    amoams
  • amoams, really? Why? Clinton and Obama differ on very little. McCain may very well shoot us even further backwards.
    recommended by  Marilynn_Murray
    ILiveonaClock
  • I can't think of anyone he could pick that would make me want to vote for him. He'd still be the President regardless.
    JohnA
  • I think either Webb or Edwards. Please not Hillary. She is miles away from him in integrity. She needs to go back to being senator from New York. I don't trust anyone that wants to be president as much as her to stay VP.
    Marilynn_Murray
  • I won't support Obama because:
    -platform is change but 'where's the beef?' and by that I mean no substance in his speeches or the debates I've watched him in--basically just repeats or agrees with other debaters.
    -inexperienced
    -has a history of voting just 'present' in Congress - doesn't appear to take a stand on issues
    -appears very arrogant (both him & his wife)
    -does not appear to care about the majority of Americans - only a select few not the average
    -seems to be dividing all of us JUST LIKE BUSH did.
    -everyone in his 'camp' appears to be using the race card - basically it seems if you don't vote for him - his supporters seem to indicate they will riot (hello--talk about negative campaign tactics)
    -his questionable affiliations with Rev Wright, Tony Rezko, that nutty professor Jim and goodness knows who else.
    -he is unknown factor - not vetted enough.
    -keeps saying he's African-American - not entirely true; appears to be ashamed of his white heritage??

    I just have a bad gut feeling about him and feel his lack of foreign experience is going to ultimately bring the war over here.

    If he thinks the Clintons were tough on him - wait until the Republican party gets started - that's when I think we will finally see the rest of the skeletons in his closet.
    amoams
  • amoams, Obviously you haven't read his platform have you? Here is a link go read it and stop spreading untruths it makes you look silly.

    http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
    Marilynn_Murray
  • he should pick a wwe star..... sense its all just a show
    KINGSTON916
  • Since? "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players." - Shakespeare
    Marilynn_Murray
  • Let' see. How about Jeremiah Wright or Hugo Chavez or mayby Ahmed Yousef, the chief political advisor or Hamas. Any one of the three should fit is well with Hussein.
    Paratus
  • You two are so smart and know what is happening. I'm impressed. NOT. Obama could pick Attila the Hun and he would win over that senile old drooler McCain. She has to go back to New York so he will prolly pick Edwards or Webb, makes no difference he will win.
    Marilynn_Murray
  • Well it won't be Hillary and it won't be Gore. I know that much. The Hillary/Obama ticket died months ago when the primary's took a bitter turn and Al Gore has stated that he has no interest in running for office in the general election. I assume that also means the office of vice president.

    Edwards would be a good, safe choice but something tells me that that won't happen either.

    Someone mentioned that this is an arrogant step for him seeing how he hasn't won the nomination yet but what makes you think that Clinton, or any other presidential hopeful, hasn't looked into a running mate yet?
    devo64
  • Edwards appeals to the people Obama hasn't reached yet. They would work well together and no one would want Obama to die because those that would hate Edwards even more. I think the pair of them would be landslide material. There is no sane person that would vote for McCain over them. We could have the changes everyone wants. Oh, I hope. I hope.
    Marilynn_Murray
  • amoams:

    I'm not going to get into all of the points that you raised, but if you ever study racial identity, you'll find that most biracial individuals identify as either one or the other. Bircial identification is usually consistent with how biracial individuals are identified by others, and in Barack Obama's case, no one is referring to him as the white guy.
    radiovolume
  • Hillary!
    PhilipBlaine
  • By the way, his first name is Barack. His last name is Obama. People who refer to him by his middle name obviously have some xenophobic tendencies and by calling attention to his muslim name call attention to their own intolerance. that one's for you, Paratus.
    recommended by  Chique, Marilynn_Murray
    stephenthomson
  • Four star Gen. Wesley Clark is my vote for vice president. He Is a white male aginst this war. He is liberal, and could help take the military vote from McCain. McCain's viice should be Atrail from 'The Never Ending Story'.
    pigmonkey
  • I just can't see Obama choosing Edwards, who has no more experience in government than Obama himself. He has GOT to choose someone experienced, in order to neutralize the 'experience' and 'foreign policy expertise' slams that will certainly be coming from the McCain campaign. This will be a dogfight -- Obama has got to use every bit of leverage he can to be in the best position. Gore would be perfect, of course, but he won't be doing it -- been there, done that.
    shelchak
  • malathion? You just want the gig so you can do "The Nasty" in Lincoln's bed.
    Admit it.
    huntre
  • Obama's choice on how he was identified was his own. No, that's not true, I'm sorry, it was his wife's.
    JohnA