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Title: Candidates Narrow Lists of V.P. Prospects
Source:
Wall Street Journal
URL Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/
Published: Jul 26, 2008
Author: By MONICA LANGLEY
Post Date: 2008-07-26 16:43:27 by TwentyTwelve
Keywords: McCain, Obama, V.P. Prospects
Views: 157
Comments: 1
Wall Street Journal Article Candidates Narrow Lists of V.P. Prospects By MONICA LANGLEY July 26, 2008; Page A10 Both presidential candidates are closing in on their selections of running mates -- with the timing and atmospherics of their announcements complicated by the opening next month of the Olympic Games. Before leaving on his overseas trip, Sen. Barack Obama reviewed information on several prospects and narrowed the field. His focus now includes five colleagues in the U.S. Senate -- Joseph Biden, Evan Bayh, Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton and Jack Reed -- and two governors, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, according to Democratic operatives, though he could still make a different pick. On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain also is understood to be narrowing his list, with speculation focused on about the same number of choices. They include ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a rival during the Republican primaries; Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, with whom he has a strong friendship; and former Rep. Rob Portman of the battleground state of Ohio. Republicans also are touting Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, and campaign adviser Carly Fiorina, ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co., among others. Pleasing Supporters Some of the names may remain as prospects mainly to please supporters, rather than represent a serious option -- such as Sen. Clinton. And others may yet emerge; sometimes, so-called "short lists" don't include the final choice. In 2000, George W. Bush chose Dick Cheney, the head of his search committee, over everybody Mr. Cheney had vetted. George H.W. Bush's close aides intentionally kept Dan Quayle off the lists of potential running mates they discussed with reporters -- and many campaign officials -- to preserve secrecy. [John McCain] Sen. Obama's two-member vice-presidential vetting team, Caroline Kennedy and ex-Justice Department official Eric Holder, recently concluded their information-gathering phase. Some aides hope that the candidate will announce his vice-presidential choice before the Olympics begin Aug. 8 to avoid competing with the Games for attention; but he also could wait until the Democratic convention, which begins after the Olympics end in late August. "The window for both candidates is pretty narrow," says Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist. The stakes are higher because the conventions are relatively late and closely spaced, she says: "Their picks must be universally well-regarded, because there's not time to fix mistakes or smooth out problems with constituencies." The current Democratic front-runners for vice president, in simplest terms, give Sen. Obama a clear choice: experience versus change. If he wants to bring an elder statesman to provide heft to the ticket, he could pick any of the senators making the final cut: Biden, Dodd, Bayh, Reed or Clinton. If he decides to reinforce his message of change with a fresh face from outside Washington, he could choose Govs. Kaine or Sebelius. [Campaign 2008] CAMPAIGN '08 • America's Next VP: Take a closer look at the qualifications of potential vice-presidential candidates. Vote for your favorites. • Track your picks in the WSJ Political Market. But there are other considerations as well, such as pulling in a swing state or a key demographic. Two on the list could swing important states for Sen. Obama: Gov. Kaine could help deliver the battleground state of Virginia, and Sen. Bayh could do the same for normally Republican Indiana. Much buzz is currently directed at Virginia Gov. Kaine. "He plays perfectly to our change message," says one Obama official. He also was one of the first governors to endorse Sen. Obama when Sen. Clinton appeared the inevitable nominee. Sen. Clinton or Gov. Sebelius would help cement the women's vote. In a recent Kansas City TV interview, Sen. Obama said, "I love Kathleen Sebelius. I think she is as talented a public official as there is right now." But one operative said, "It would be tough to pick any woman other than Hillary." Wild Cards A wild-card pick, such as Sen. Reed of Rhode Island, a military veteran who went to Iraq this week with Sen. Obama, could beef up the commander-in-chief look of the ticket to help offset Sen. McCain's strength there. Sen. Biden of Delaware or Sen. Dodd of Connecticut also would bring foreign-policy credibility. The recent disclosure that Sen. Dodd received a mortgage arranged by Countrywide Financial Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo could be a negative for him, though Sen. Dodd says he did nothing improper. Former presidential candidate Sen. Biden, on the other hand, looks strong. "Biden is the one candidate who came out of the presidential race looking better than when he went in," says one Obama adviser. [Barack Obama] If Sen. McCain rewards an important politician who was crucial to his winning the nomination -- and whose state is crucial to both candidates -- it could be Gov. Crist of Florida. Gov. Crist's last-minute and unexpected endorsement helped put Sen. McCain over the top in the Florida primary. (One possible negative for Mr. Crist has been that he is single, but he recently got engaged.) Despite the hostile relationship between Sen. McCain and Mr. Romney during the campaign, his former rival is getting a serious look, Republican strategists say. The economy has taken on more importance to many Americans than the Iraq war, and longtime management consultant Mr. Romney is known as a turnaround specialist -- with his home state, corporations and the Olympics. Also, Mr. Romney is regarded as a stellar fund-raiser. In what one Republican consultant pointed to as a sign of a move toward Mr. Romney, Sen. McCain earlier this week met with former President Bush, who has high regard for Mr. Romney, as does his son Jeb Bush. Sen. McCain recently quipped that Mr. Romney "does a better job for me than he did for himself" on the campaign trail. On the other hand, some Republicans expect Sen. McCain to choose a running mate with whom he has a strong personal relationship, which has typically been his style. "McCain can look at the map, the money and the issue matrix and see Romney," this person says. "But in the end, he'll ask himself -- can I live with that choice, or do I want someone who's been by my side for a long time?" Accordingly, Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty goes high on the personal list. He is also governor of a potentially pivotal state. Electoral Map Another choice to help the electoral map would be former Rep. Portman of Ohio. He also can speak economics, having served as a former White House budget director. Sen. Thune brings relative youth at 47 years old and is pleasing to the party's conservative wing. Ms. Fiorina, who has traveled with Sen. McCain on the trail, is a long shot, but she makes the business case for Sen. McCain and met recently with a group of women who were supporters of Sen. Clinton. If Sen. McCain goes "outside the box," as one adviser put it, he might select Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a mother of five, or 37-year-old Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Sen. McCain isn't relying on a big team to seek input and make recommendations. He's got longtime GOP lawyer A.B. Culvahouse and a few other lawyers vetting possible running mates. "John is handling this himself, and we're saying nothing about the process or the prospects," said one McCain official. "Any names are the result of uninformed speculation." Sen. McCain could make his decision any day, he added.
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