David Ignatius had a characteristically entertaining column yesterday suggesting either Chuck Hagel or Mike Bloomberg as Obama's running mate. Ignatius is right that each man would help Obama in areas where he's perceived as weak: Hagel on national security, Bloomberg on managing a large organization. It's a fun read, but I think ultimately neither man is very likely, a) because they're not Democrats at a time when the party is more than a bit divided, and b) because it could come across as gimmicky for a campaign that needs more grounding. I could see a certain portion of swing voters reacting to Obama-Hagel with an unreasonable and unarticulated but nonetheless very real aversion to a ticket that is so unlike any we've ever seen. Each man would probably be an easier pick for cabinet positions: Hagel at defense, Bloomberg at treasury. The safer choice for veep would be Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Sam Nunn, or some other Democrat with national security credentials.
In any event, both Bloomberg and Hagel are likable, have impressive records, and appeal particularly to the center, so I could be totally off.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment