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1. Gov. Bill Richardson (NM): Has it all. UN Ambassador, Diplomat at-large, Cabinet Secretary, Congressman, swing state Governor, Hispanic. Richardson is maybe the most all-around seasoned and capable option out there. He’s the ideal number two for a president light on experience, particularly on the foreign policy side. A rock-solid option who also helps to blunt McCain‘s hope of dominating the Southwest.
2. Former NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark (AR): Clark is a strong second to Richardson. Brings military gravitas and diplomatic experience, very likeable and charismatic presence. Crossover from Clinton camp. Instant credibility with military. Son of the South (Arkansas) and knows life on the campaign trail. Very solid option.
3. Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY): The unity ticket. Clinton brings stature and experience. Would please Democratic base who seems to really like both candidates a great deal. Tough time believing she would do it, but if willing would merit serious consideration. No worries about whether she could tough it out against the Republicans in a general election slug-fest. Probably comes with a Bill Clinton option to help shore-up foreign policy bona fides.
4. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (SD): If Obama is looking for experience and gravitas from someone he trusts, Daschle is probably top option. The nucleus of the Obama world is littered with Daschle loyalists. Daschle himself was one of Obama’s earliest supporters and advisors. Daschle‘s long-time chief of staff, Pete Rouse, became Obama’s top Senate aide after he was elected in 2004 (and Daschle was defeated). Obama’s deputy campaign manager and field general (and my political mentor), Steve Hildebrand, comes from Daschle’s inner circle in South Dakota. Daschle could be Obama’s Cheney, without the baggage. Downside is that Daschle’s decades in Washington and ties to lobbying community (Wife Linda is a top DC lobbyist) would run counter to Obama’s core theme, maybe making Daschle a better choice as White House Chief of Staff.
5. Sen. Jim Webb (VA): Webb was Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan and comes from the top-tier swing state of Virginia. One of the stars of the 2006 Senate freshman class, Webb would provide Obama with military cred from a more rough-and-tumble type. Has only been in Congress since January 2007 which would nicely dovetail Obama’s message of Washington being the problem.
6. Sen. Joe Biden (DE): Though a long-time Washington presence, Biden’s experience as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would serve Obama well. While Biden can be hard to control and prone to not always filtering his words before speaking, can’t overstate the importance of his experience. Would require Obama to reconcile or tone-down the anti-Washington rhetoric.
7. Gov. Janet Napolitano (AZ): Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is another option (along with Richardson), who’s both a solid choice as running mate and someone who help blunt McCain’s hope of dominating the American Southwest, especially considering that she‘s McCain‘s governor. Napolitano is a popular second-term female governor from what Democrats believed would be a swing state this cycle (McCain’s ascendancy has made that a much tougher feat) and one with an enormous Hispanic population. She was named by Time Magazine as one of the nation’s Top Five Governors. Previously, Napolitano earned her law-and-order stripes as a U.S. Attorney and as Arizona’s first female Attorney General. A strong choice.
8. Gov. Tim Kaine (VA): Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine was one of Obama’s early supporters. He’s a moderate, likeable, and popular governor from a crucial swing state, having previously served as lieutenant governor and Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, but originally from Kansas City and attended school in Missouri, another critical swing state. Light on experience outside of the local and state level, but a strong choice nonetheless. An ideal choice if Obama opted to break tradition and name a Secretary of State (like a Richardson) at the same time to blunt any experience attack from Republicans.
9. Sen. Mark Pryor (AR): Elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving as Arkansas Attorney General, Pryor ought to merit serious consideration. Son of former U.S. Senator David Pryor, Mark has emerged as a bipartisan figure in the Senate and was one of the few Democrats who backed Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (I) general election bid following his Democratic primary loss to Ned Lamont, providing Obama with a number two who has shown his independence over the years.
10. Gov. Brian Schweitzer (MT): If Obama wanted to continue to make inroads into the smaller, rural states -- as he has done so successfully in the primaries -- he might consider the wildly popular, truly straight-talking maverick Brian Schweitzer, elected in 2004 as Montana’s first Democratic governor in 16 years. Schweitzer is a charismatic cowboy who’s strong on agriculture, sportsmen, a leader on energy issues (particularly renewables), and has a solid relationship with the business community. Schweitzer caused a firestorm when he selected a Republican legislator as his running mate (who ironically supports McCain). Schweitzer’s agricultural irrigation experience led him to spending more than a decade working in foreign countries throughout South America, Africa, and Asia, as well as seven years in Saudi Arabia, providing him with some useful and real international experience.
2. Former NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark (AR): Clark is a strong second to Richardson. Brings military gravitas and diplomatic experience, very likeable and charismatic presence. Crossover from Clinton camp. Instant credibility with military. Son of the South (Arkansas) and knows life on the campaign trail. Very solid option.
3. Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY): The unity ticket. Clinton brings stature and experience. Would please Democratic base who seems to really like both candidates a great deal. Tough time believing she would do it, but if willing would merit serious consideration. No worries about whether she could tough it out against the Republicans in a general election slug-fest. Probably comes with a Bill Clinton option to help shore-up foreign policy bona fides.
4. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (SD): If Obama is looking for experience and gravitas from someone he trusts, Daschle is probably top option. The nucleus of the Obama world is littered with Daschle loyalists. Daschle himself was one of Obama’s earliest supporters and advisors. Daschle‘s long-time chief of staff, Pete Rouse, became Obama’s top Senate aide after he was elected in 2004 (and Daschle was defeated). Obama’s deputy campaign manager and field general (and my political mentor), Steve Hildebrand, comes from Daschle’s inner circle in South Dakota. Daschle could be Obama’s Cheney, without the baggage. Downside is that Daschle’s decades in Washington and ties to lobbying community (Wife Linda is a top DC lobbyist) would run counter to Obama’s core theme, maybe making Daschle a better choice as White House Chief of Staff.
5. Sen. Jim Webb (VA): Webb was Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan and comes from the top-tier swing state of Virginia. One of the stars of the 2006 Senate freshman class, Webb would provide Obama with military cred from a more rough-and-tumble type. Has only been in Congress since January 2007 which would nicely dovetail Obama’s message of Washington being the problem.
6. Sen. Joe Biden (DE): Though a long-time Washington presence, Biden’s experience as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would serve Obama well. While Biden can be hard to control and prone to not always filtering his words before speaking, can’t overstate the importance of his experience. Would require Obama to reconcile or tone-down the anti-Washington rhetoric.
7. Gov. Janet Napolitano (AZ): Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is another option (along with Richardson), who’s both a solid choice as running mate and someone who help blunt McCain’s hope of dominating the American Southwest, especially considering that she‘s McCain‘s governor. Napolitano is a popular second-term female governor from what Democrats believed would be a swing state this cycle (McCain’s ascendancy has made that a much tougher feat) and one with an enormous Hispanic population. She was named by Time Magazine as one of the nation’s Top Five Governors. Previously, Napolitano earned her law-and-order stripes as a U.S. Attorney and as Arizona’s first female Attorney General. A strong choice.
8. Gov. Tim Kaine (VA): Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine was one of Obama’s early supporters. He’s a moderate, likeable, and popular governor from a crucial swing state, having previously served as lieutenant governor and Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, but originally from Kansas City and attended school in Missouri, another critical swing state. Light on experience outside of the local and state level, but a strong choice nonetheless. An ideal choice if Obama opted to break tradition and name a Secretary of State (like a Richardson) at the same time to blunt any experience attack from Republicans.
9. Sen. Mark Pryor (AR): Elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving as Arkansas Attorney General, Pryor ought to merit serious consideration. Son of former U.S. Senator David Pryor, Mark has emerged as a bipartisan figure in the Senate and was one of the few Democrats who backed Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (I) general election bid following his Democratic primary loss to Ned Lamont, providing Obama with a number two who has shown his independence over the years.
10. Gov. Brian Schweitzer (MT): If Obama wanted to continue to make inroads into the smaller, rural states -- as he has done so successfully in the primaries -- he might consider the wildly popular, truly straight-talking maverick Brian Schweitzer, elected in 2004 as Montana’s first Democratic governor in 16 years. Schweitzer is a charismatic cowboy who’s strong on agriculture, sportsmen, a leader on energy issues (particularly renewables), and has a solid relationship with the business community. Schweitzer caused a firestorm when he selected a Republican legislator as his running mate (who ironically supports McCain). Schweitzer’s agricultural irrigation experience led him to spending more than a decade working in foreign countries throughout South America, Africa, and Asia, as well as seven years in Saudi Arabia, providing him with some useful and real international experience.
