Although countless hours of news network time have been spent speculating on who the vice presidential picks will be for each candidate, there remain only a few weeks until the conventions and thus it is about time to find out for sure. Here is a selective version of what the field looks like:
As you can see, there is an unprecedented amount of estrogen and color among this year’s possibilities. Let’s walk through what each person may bring to the ticket.
Democratic:
Hillary Clinton:
-pro: woman; has 35 years experience in politics; will mollify alienated “Hillary Dems”
-con: may overshadow Obama; brings a lot of baggage (Bill); Republicans hate her
Jim Webb:
-pro: Navy vet; cabinet official under Reagan; supports our troops; is a Southerner
-con: likes the job he already has
John Edwards:
-pro: wife’s cancer may endear him to voters; champions the working man
-con: may be too suave for the “rock star” Obama; possibly bangs women who aren’t his wife
Republican:
Condi Rice:
-pro: woman; black; experience in Washington; knowledge of state and foreign affairs
-con: may be “unpopular by association,” given her boss’s approval ratings
Mitt Romney:
-pro: New Englander; youthful and handsome; ran for president; fixed Massachusetts budget
-con: sucked at aforementioned presidential running; viewed as elitist and potentially not conservative enough
Bobby Jindal:
-pro: parents were immigrants; one of precious few non-white, ultra-conservative Republicans
-con: likes his job as governor
Up for grabs:
Ann B. Davis as “Alice”:
-pro: witty; can keep the White House kitchen spotless
-con: no discernable experience; soft on terrorism
7/28
