Sunday, February 17, 2008

Analysis or Opinion: Veepstakes! Who do you think probable GOP nominee John McCain should/will nominate as his running mate?

Bob Novak said today on Meet the Press that a possible nominee could be Congressman Paul Ryan. He's young, he's a tax cutter, he's from the Great State of Wisconsin.

If you answer the first question, you can answer this question too:
Who should the Democratic nominee nominate for VP? Imagine a Jim Doyle vs. Paul Ryan vice-presidential debate!

If you answer the first and second question, you can answer this question too:
Can you tell us about your experiences seeing and listening to presidential candidates in WI?

REMEMBER: Test on the Civil Rights Chapter on Wednesday.
REMEMBER: Monday is a great day to get out there and work for the candidate of your choice. What a great experience to talk about later: go door to door or you can even make phone calls from home now-just go to your candidate's website to find out how. If your candidate wins or comes close, you get to claim that YOU made it happen! :)

52 comments:

Alex D said...

Didn't I say on thursday that a McCain Paul Ryan ticket would be unstoppable during class!

and that it would make Wisconsin a red state!

Jake_H said...

I think that an Obama, Doyle ticket would make Wisconsin a blue state for sure. At the dinner on Saturday Doyle and Obama seemed pretty close. I think that Doyle being a running mate is a possibility. The dinner was really awesome me and omen even got to shake Obama's hand.

Anonymous said...

I'd say the GOP's best chance to get in the Whitehouse was McCain Huckabee, but now that hes staying in, I doubt that will happen.

I think likely dem vps might be biden, edwards(if he can finagle that), and my favorite but probably not gunna happen, Kucinich(butchered his name).

I went to the same dinner Jake did. The master of ceremonies was a horrible speaker, Hillary Clinton made me want to stab myself, Obama gave me a funny feeling in my stomach, and I will never wash my hand again (I know that sounds weird). VOTE OBAMA!

Vlad said...

Who do you think probable GOP nominee John McCain should/will nominate as his running mate?
I don't really know who, but he's was with Rudy Giuliani everywhere when Giuliani dropped out of the race. I doubt that it will be Giuliani because then the republican party would be even more split due to Giuliani's liberal stances on social issues. No other name comes to mind besides Giuliani and I doubt that it would be Paul Ryan because the poltical pundits always change their VP predictions in every state McCain is in... Fl, LA, WI, blah...


Who should the Democratic nominee nominate for VP?


I would like to see Bill Richardson but then again, I originally supported him so I have a bias towards him. Maybe Edwards, but I don't like Edwards.


Can you tell us about your experiences seeing and listening to presidential candidates in WI?


I haven't seen any of the candidates, but I have seen this awesome Hillary Clinton video.

YouTube

Here's a lyric: Now Hillary will fight, for what we all know is right...

We in the hip-hop community call that "flow".

Jake_H said...

Agreeing with Omen I think that the best chance was McCain Huckabee but there is no way that will happen now. The GOP is split which is a bad sign for the general election.

As for the Dems, as i said above Doyle would be cool and it is a possibility but i doubt that it will happen. I think that Biden would be a strong running mate because he has a lot of experience and for some that might make up for what they think is Obama's lack of experience.

MorganJ said...

I have no ideas about who McCain might choose as his running mate; like Vlade said Republicans are pretty known for switching their VP choice.

As for Democrates, I would like to see Biden, being as that was who I originally supported. I agree with Jake that if Obama was to become the democratic nominee that Biden would make up for some of the lack of experience.

I haven't had the chance to see any of the candidates yet. There's a rally for Hillary tomorrow that I might be attending. I was really excited to find out that my friend's mom is giving Hillary a tour of the company she works at. (I asked if I could come... but "the company's not open to the public." I even tried the whole "but it's take your child to work day" tactic, but it didn't worl.)

Mr. Bretzmann said...

Why don't we all do a little research to find out what others are saying about who possible running mates could be? Maybe start by doing a google search for any articles. There are several out there. That would give you more background information so you could make an informed comment instead of the easy answer of some random name or I don't know.

Jake_H said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jake_H said...

http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2008/02/john_mccains_top_22_potential.php

This is a link to a list of posibilities for McCain. I havent acctualy heard of most of them but there are some that would make a good GOP running mate. Think that Tim Pawlenty would make a good vp for McCain,

joannaz said...

I think it will come down to two people for John McCain: Senator Richard M. Burr of North Carolina or Joe Lieberman. Burr is a staunch conservative, young (52 years old), and would be a nice balance to McCain who is 72 and has been known to side with Democrats on some issues. Though, I believe McCain might end up choosing a governor since McCain has spent all of his time working in Washington. Choosing a governor might balance the ticket, but McCain has said himself that Burr would make a fine vice president.
Then again, McCain could always go the Lieberman route (a democrat, turned independent, who was voted in by mostly republicans last election to the senate, then sided with the democrats for the final count). Lieberman would snag even more independent votes, and possibly some Democrat votes in the election. Conservatives might be turned off by this, but if it becomes a choice between McCain and Clinton, chances are, they will choose McCain each time.

As for the Democrats... Obama-Biden ticket? Since someone mentioned it to me last year it has stuck with me as a winning ticket. Fresh, new ideas and change + experience and shiny white teeth = a democrat in the white house.

joannaz said...

oh. btw oman i saw you on c-span yesterday.

katiekso said...

I think McCain Huckabee would be a good ticket for the republicans and if Edwards ever comes out of hidding he may be a promising vp for the democratic party. however, he has run for vp before so maybe he won't be as willing to try again.

Unknown said...

I couldn't really say who's name will be on the ticket with McCain. I don't really follow that side. I personally think a McCain/Huckabee ticket could happen if Huckabee drops out.

I think an Obama/Clinton ticket would be a history maker for sure. I don't necessarily know if it would work out... but I think it would be interesting.

In terms of listening to candidates speak, I went to see Senator Barack Obama speak at the Midwest Airlines Center on Friday with Amanda K, Jake H, Laura H, Brandon S, and Erica G. (That is why I wasn't in class- but by the sounds of it, not many people were...) It was probably one of the best experiences. Originally we were standing in the outside circle because we had internet tickets. After a little investigation, getting yelled at by an employee, and a walk through a metal detector..we got in to this "VIP" inner circle. The assortment of speakers before Obama came out were entertaining.
It was awesome to see the amount of people out to support Obama. Not only was it informational it was FUN.

Unknown said...

Katie K also went with us. I forgot to mention her. With the help of 6 back seat drivers, she drove us there.

Mr. Bretzmann said...

I'm glad to see some of you are doing some research now. Good work. A couple of you have raised some good issues and some interesting names. Some issues to consider: 1. Does a senator have to choose a governor or doesn't it matter? 2. Does the person have to be a conservative or should it be another person who could win independent votes? 3. Should it be somebody from a swing state (e.g. Florida's popular governor). I'm going to look at the GOP list right now and see if I know anybody.

(btw: somebody mentioned Edwards on the Dem. side. Since Obama cancelled his event in Kaukauna today due to extreme weather, he was able to go to North Carolina. Obama met with Edwards today. No reports on what they discussed. Maybe: "Nice house/compound."

Vlad said...

For McCain, it would be a plus if he had Condoleezza Rice as his VP. If she were to be the VP, the historic value of this race would increase tremendously and the diversity in his campaign would increase.

For Obama, I did research and I got these two names, none of which I'm familiar with. Phil Bredesen(Gov. of Tennesse), Tim Kaine(Gov. of Virginia). Another possibility and a lot of buzz is floating around Michael Bloomberg.

ericag said...

Jamie and Jake also forgot to mention the best part of the Obama Speech.... actually was before the speech when they went through the different colleges and asked who from UWM was there and many others... Then proceeded to ask if any high schoolers had skiped... and the group of like 10 of us were what seemed like the only high schoolers at the speech. After our short shout for the high school. Everyone turned and look at us.

We had a blast. I'm not sure that anyone can go and see Obama speak and come out still not voting for him.

I was also shocked to see how many young people were there; it really does show how young people are getting involved.

amandak said...

I can't stand Doyle. He can't even say Wisconsin correctly. I hope he's not Obama's running mate.

Jake and Ryan-- I'm really jealous.

All I have to add about the Obama rally on Friday is that Congresswoman Gwen Moore is AWESOME.

Unknown said...

Erica is right, that was probably one of the best moments. Obama himself offered to sign a note to excuse us from classes. It was great. He knows what he's doing. I don't know about the rest of you, but I personally believe Obama tries to relate to the people on a personal level more than any other candidate. I like that.

After doing some research, I found that after endorsing Obama, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, might be a possible VP for an Obama ticket. I was reading that she was described as a "white, female version of Barack Obama" Interesting...

amandak said...

Also, is anyone else planning on making calls for Obama tomorrow? I was thinking about it, but I'm not a big fan of talking to strangers on the phone, and I'm not entirely sure what I would say. Any advice?

aly mac said...

I think that McCain is going to need a Vice President with a strong background knowledge in economics. Since he lacks a lot of knowledge in this area, which he openly admitted to, I don't think it would be much of a surprise if choose his running mate based off of how strong his knowledge was in economics. There are a few possible running mates I believe that McCain might choose from. Joe Lieberman is one possible choice. He is a long-time friend of McCain and a strong advocate for his presidency. His endorsement sparked some attention to the idea of a possible McCain-Lieberman ticket. In addition, he did receive his BA in Politics and Economics from Yale and he's been trying to get Congress moving on bipartisan social security reform. Jack Kemp is another possible Vice President for McCain. Kemp endorsed McCain just before the New Hampshire primary and McCain frequently uses him as an example of people he refers to about economic policy. Kemp supports "supply side economics" and was said to have an impact over Reagan's economic plan. He also helped to create the 1981 Kemp-Roth Tax Cut, which sparked economic growth from 1983-1990 and is said to be the United States’ “largest peacetime expansion of GDP". Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi I believe could also be a possible running mate for McCain. He has proved to have a very strong economic program for the state of Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina. He is a strong conservative and would bring the southern Conservative voters to the polls in November. Over all, though, I do think it is early to decide who McCain will choose for his Vice President.

Mr. Bretzmann said...

The campaigns have sample scripts that you can use when you make phone calls. They also have questions they want you to ask so they can gauge who will be voting and their preferred candidate, etc. Log onto your candidate's website and give it a try. The worst thing that could happen is that somebody in Wisconsin who doesn't know you could think you're bad at it. On the other hand, you're anonymous so it gives you the freedom to express yourself without worrying. Have fun!

joannaz said...

Amanda.
I can't make calls for Obama tomorrow but i did do it a few weeks ago.
It isn't so bad, at least at the place I did it. You had a prompt that basically told you what to say on a computer... I would diverge and have discussions with some people who were on the fence or who didn't know who they wanted to vote for. I also got a lot of hang ups and angry people frustrated that I was calling on super bowl sunday. Another lady I spoke to could only speak spanish so I was telling her how to caucase in minnesota and where to call for 2 minutes in spanish. One the guys next to me though, had a really angry guy who was swearing and shouting because someone had called him several times from the same place. Overall though, its a fun experience and once you get through the first 5 phone calls it becomes natural to you.

So. I recommend that you go.
Thats all.

joannaz said...

Mr. Bretzmann beats me to the punch again. I feel this is a reoccuring theme.

amandak said...

I'm not going anywhere to do it, I signed up on his site and I'm making calls right from home.

I read the script that they provide and to me their talking points just sound fake. I don't know if I can sum up the reasons I support him in the 30 second period that most people's attention spans last.

Well, I'll try it, even if I do have to step outside of my comfort zone.

Mr. Bretzmann said...

I think Alyssa's analysis is very effective. There is good, sound reasoning there. FYI: Haley Barbour is the former chair of the national Republican Party. In his blunt way, he has said that any Republican who needs him on the ticket to win in his state is in real trouble and probably won't win five states total!

The first person to post who Jack Kemp already ran with as his vice presidential nominee and the year gets 5 points of extra credit. Type fast!

joannaz said...

Kemp was in 96? i think with dole. but i'm not positive

Alex D said...

he played high school football for Fairfax high school

Played professional ball for the Detroit Lions in a 17th round pick

and finally ran for the vp ticket under Bob dole in 1996

come on Joanna does NOT need the extra credit, besides she made a guess and I made a statement

newkirk said...

sarah

newkirk said...

Sorry, bout that, I've been trying to blog for the past 15 min and my computer hasn't been working. I honestly don't follow that side of the election. I am going to say that the Mccain/Huckabee option would be the best, but honestly haven't thought about it. I tried to go to that link that Jake H put on to do some research, so that I didn't dissapoint Mr. B in my blog. ( to make an informed comment) But the link didn't work. So Newkirk is coming in again with the minimal blog but I honestly tried to put forth the effort this time to make an informed decision, but failed again. Maybe next week will be better sorry.

BrookeS said...

Frankly, I've always seen the chemistry between Giuliani and McCain and would be a definite supporter of the duo. I'm also a supporter of former candidate, Fred Thompson, and think he would be an interesting choice for a running mate. Downside: Thompson wasn't exactly seen as a go-getter at the start of the race.
All-in-all, I can't say I'm exactly too sure of who the running mate will be. Realistically, I'm not sure I have full confidence in Paul Ryan, (but hey, it'd be an awesome outcome.) All I can say is I hope McCain chooses wisely for the GOP.

Mr. Bretzmann said...

http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2008/02/john_mccains_top_22_potential.php

I couldn't get to Jake's link either, but the one above might be the same one he mentioned.

Or just do a google search for 'Mccain Vice President Nominees'

BrookeS said...

yo yo yo we love glitter
-brookes friends!

we enjoyed reading all of these comments. we have learned alot! thank you mr.bretzmann

Erica C said...

I took a good look at that list Jake posted and it's pretty interesting.

In my opinion, McCain will go for a very conservative running mate to win back the confidence of conservatives who view McCain as too moderate.

Marsha Blackburn seems like a great VP candidate when first looking at her credentials; however, her lack of name recognition could be a huge problem. (TN congresswoman)

Huckabee/Romney MIGHT end up with the nomination simply because they would have a lot of name recognition, but with Huckabee still in the race and Romney seeming to have poor relations with McCain, the chances of either becoming a running mate look slim.

Haley Barbour is a name I've seen a lot on the internet. He's the governor of Mississippi and like Guliani, is noted for his strong leadership during time of disaster--hurricane Katrina. The downside is that he is a former Washington lobbyist. Unfortunately for Barbour, McCain is for some serious lobbying reform. Barbour might not look so good when speaking on that issue.

Charlie Crist seems like a good potential running mate for McCain. He's the governor of Florida, a swing state. BUT, he's pretty moderate and that could make him the wrong man for the job.

Mr. Bretzmann said...

Learning = Good
Glitter = Bad

You're Welcome

btw: a lot is twowords

Johnny B said...

This is tough. I don't really have much knowledge about this.

Article
The article talks about how some people are saying Condoleezza Rice is a possible choice. But I don't necessarily agree with any of the reasons given by the short article. It would be quite interesting to see though. Another article says she'd bring a "gender and racial balance" but is closely related to Bush and Iraq.

BrookeS said...

thank you for informing us that "a lot" is two words. See how much we've learned!!! You're the best!=]

Mr.Bretzmann = Super Duper Smart

-brooke's friends
this will be the last. sorry to interupt your political talk.

mente said...

Hey Mr. Bretzmann-
Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth... surprise, surprise I was sick again. I hope you don't mind that I sent the letter myself. Thanks again for writing it. =]

I don't really have a thought on the McCain running mate issue at the moment, but I thought some of the questions in Mr. B's comment at 5:30 were thought provoking. First, I don't think it necessarily matters if a senator chooses a governor as their running mate but I think that it's the most intelligent choice. The understanding of the legislative branch with the experience in the executive branch and the DC political perspective with the more personal state perspective combines to make a ticket that would suffice for most people. Second, I think a running mate needs to be contrasting to the nominee in order to make any intelligent decisions in office: conflict arises questioning and new ideas that are extremely beneficial. So if the candidate is Obama, I think because of his idealistic nature he needs to choose a running mate that is more politically minded, even if that opposes parts of his "change" message. It's the smartest thing to do. And third, I don't think that the being from a swing state is necessarily relevant or beneficial.

And I want to add that I'm EXTREMELY jealous that everyone got to go listen to Obama speak while I was dying. He must be ridiculously powerful in person to have converted Josh. =]

See you on Tuesday.

Erica C said...

P.S. Forgot to mention Tim Pawlenty, governor of MN. Pawlenty (age 47) is much younger than McCain and is very charismatic. Pawlenty has a much stronger stance on immigration. In addition, MN might be an important swing state in 08.

As for the democratic side, it's probably pretty early to try to call it. Obama will probably choose an experienced democrat, especially because experience will be a big issue against McCain. If Clinton gets the nomination, Obama? Too soon to call it.

P.S.S. Andrea... whhhhat?
P.S.S.S. Vlad, I can't get to that youtube site!

Angelina said...

Agree with Vlad, that Giuliani will most likely be John McCain's running mate.

Anonymous said...

First off, Vlad, I was really... um... suprised to learn that Muskego is now a hip-hop community. (Who says we're not diverse?)

Here's something I found interesting when I was researching possible VP's for the Clinton campaign. A Clinton Campaign Chairman said Monday that Clinton/Obama would be a winning ticket because he has already "excited so many people" and Clinton needs to make sure her VP "could take over if anything happened to her”. But I thought he had no experience, Clinton? That's a pretty high praise for Obama coming from a Campaign Chairman. I don't even want to talk about other possible VP's because I am sure she won't get the nomination.

On to Obama. I have seen Kathleen Sebelius mentioned in quite a few articles. One thing that may turn voters off about her-- she is currently fighting against coal plants in Kansas about CO2 emission gases and has taken memebers of the coal industry to the Kansas Supreme Court. If she wins, it will help her image as a strong, liberal governor and maybe win some votes from Green Party memebers! If she loses, her image could be one of yet another liberal who doesn't care about the blue collar working class. To bring up the Obama/Clinton ticket again, Republican political stratedgist Rich Galen: "A President Obama wouldn't want Bill Clinton roaming around reminding everybody of how he would have done it. A President Clinton wouldn't want to be overshadowed by the star appeal of Obama." I just don't think it would work out. I also really don't want it to happen. I would prefer anything, except maybe an Obama/Biden ticket in the case that Biden has anything to do with the situation in Iraq. I strongly dislike his Three Point Plan. Personally, I'm a fan of Bill Richardson. I think he was smart to get out of the race when he did. Unlike Clinton, he stayed on Obama's good side. Maybe Obama will remember/consider his former running mate. But as for former running mates, John Edwards officially said he is done with running for VP after his failure with John Kerry.

John McCain needs someone that will fill in his weak spots. McCain is not uber-conservative as it is so I think we can rule out Guiliani. He needs someone more conservative than him that will help him win Southern states. Mike Huckabee.

I went to see Obama at his Stand for Change Rally at the Midwest Express Center on Friday. I was really blown away at his ability to connect with his audience and spark hope among his followers. If he is as powerful in office as he is at speaking, we've got a good eight years ahead of us.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone else but me noticed that these blogs are getting a lot better? Dare I say... fun?

amandak said...

No way will we see an Obama/Clinton ticket. Anybody else notice how he carefully sidestepped the question in the debate when asked if he would consider Clinton as a running mate?

arletap said...

I went to bed last night, knowing there was something I had forgotten to do: blog. Sigh. My memory is worthless.

Who do you think probable GOP nominee John McCain should/will nominate as his running mate?
Huckabee? What could Huckabee possibly add to McCain's campaign? Huckabee may be in the lead with his Evangelical following, yet, when polled, they stated McCain would be their second choice. McCain already has Huckabee's votes come election day -- making him VP would be not be beneficial.

Also, Condoleezza Rice isn't an option. People are looking to stay as far away from the Bush administration as possible. McCain + the Secretary of State = an actual never-ending war.

Now, my predictions:
Due to the diversity McCain would be facing against either Dem. candidate, the possibility of a woman VP is greatly increased. From the female hopefuls, Marsha Blackburn seems the most likely choice. Pros: Younger than McCain (but who isn't?) at age 55, may help with female voters, very conservative fiscally and socially. Con: Only a three-term Congresswoman, Blackburn may have a hard time convincing the public that she's experienced enough for such an office.

Jim DeMint could be another option. Fifty-six, DeMint and his very right-wing ideals may be enough to offset McCain's more moderate views. However, he was a Romney supporter; can McCain become his alternative?

The fact that Colin Powell's name has even been mentioned intrigued me: McCain-Powell? Two old war heroes...certainly an idea, but one senior citizen is plenty. It can't be denied, however, that Powell is chock-full of that thing all people love: experience.

Another name that really made me stop for a bit was Steven Forbes. McCain has admitted his weaknesses lie in economic policy -- well, here's a man that knows economy inside and out. Fun fact: his income tax cut plan was the reason another McCain VP hopeful, Christine Todd Whitman, obtained the position of NJ governor. On other issues, Forbes stands well on the right. It's simply a matter of what kind of politician he would make. Then again, with a net worth of $430 million... who needs skill?

Who should be the Democratic nominee nominate for VP?
Joanna, I agree with Obama-Biden, completely.
And the idea of Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton is laughable.

Can you tell us about your experiences seeing and listening to presidential candidates in WI?
Friday, I too was at the Midwest Airlines Center, and one can't help but admit Obama's got the whole charisma thing down pat. My favorite part, which summed up the whole event, was the elderly, 4'something" woman with an Obama face mask and homemade sign that was as big as she was. My friend and I held her sign for awhile because she "want[ed] to dance." Now that's devotion.

arletap said...

Wow.

[/rant]

BrandonSh said...

Hey Mr. Bretzmann, just would like to let everybody know that if you don't want to be sick: make phone calls. Or, be prepared to go door to door even when you weren't planning on it.
It gets extremely cold after about an hour. My mom also wasn't very happy that I was at 39th and Locust.

Also, the rally for Obama on Friday was awesome. Our group got into the VIP section and we were about 20 ft away, dead center, from Sen. Obama.

And no, I don't have to follow the exact question because I am a proud graduate of AP Gov.

Unknown said...

I voted :-)

Good job for going out and knocking on doors Brandon.
Haha. It was nice for you to volunteer :-)

P.S the rally WAS awesome and our group pretty much rocked.

Johnny B said...

About today:

Being 17, I cannot vote. I did, though, have my mother vote on my behalf. I also attempted to influence as many people as I could. Even though I couldn't vote today, I believe that my "vote" still counted.

joannaz said...

Oh why coudln't my birthday be a month earlier?
It's awful being 17 on a day like today. I was almost hoping for a snowstorm because I knew it would keep the old people home and all the Obama supporters would be more likely to come out to vote.

I don't feel too bad though, I did end up converting my mother and father. My father was a hard sell but watching his speeches finally got to him.

I wasn't able to see Obama this last week :(... though I did see him a year ago at the milwaukee art theatre. I was literally 5 feet away from him, front row center and was like the third person to shake his hand (twice). Plus I got to sit down. That was nice.
And maybe i'm bragging a little.

joannaz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ericag said...

I voted. =]

It was exciting. Jake and I did the I just voted for the first time dance down the hallway... we were the only people there. =]

But we voted. =]

CassieH said...

I am jealous.

I could not vote.

I sent a txt to all contacts over 18 and in wisconsin in my phone book a reminder :)

I'm a little upset though. My own parents did not vote. And then joked of voting for the other Clinton. Erg. ok.

Oh well. yeah

Obama wins Wisconsin. :)