Whether the public or the media or the blogosphere realize it or not, issue #1 is IRAQ, with AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN sharing a very close second. In fact, the number one domestic issue is IRAQ! If they don't believe that, then they are in for a very rude awakening. And, they won't have to wait long.

Do I think the US electorate would go for a team like that? Not in a million years!

Anyway, I am absolutely sure that Senator Obama WILL NOT pick Biden. And, I don't expect him to win the general, either.

This election is about old v new and new is winning (though in a very tight battle).

Obama needs to select a VP who is more of a "fresh face" (or at least appears to be). His cabinet can then be filled with the "old guard".

If Obama is continuously going to be compared to JFK and RFK and MLK - it's time to make the ticket LOOK like those "young upstarts". I go back to my belief that his running mate needs to be near his age (under 60 and over 40). Male or Female. And throw in some executive experience ... Governor Janet Napolitano of AZ, Governor Bill Ritter of CO, Governor Brad Henry of OK, Governor Tim Kaine of VA. All of these selections would put those states into play (and regions) - Though Napolitano wouldn't "guarantee" a win in AZ, it would make it a more lively race in McCain's homestate. However, Ritter or Napolitano would help in the West and Southwest.

McCain cannot pick a VP that is TOO young looking. Otherwise it will look like Ol'grandad and his kid. He has to pick closer to his age (either male or female). Use the "new v old" to the full extent - Obama should pick an "outside the beltway youngin'."

You could be right, but politically speaking, Obama may look for executive experience and economic experience in a VP. The American public (from exit polls done after various states voted) has switched from Iraq being their number one issue to the economy being number one.

Now, the public is fickle, and there's a lot of time before November. But the question is, when will Obama pick his VP? If it's during the summer with $4 a gallon gas, it might just influence him.

But you know what? I bet we're all wrong. I bet Obama is going to ignore the conventional political wisdom and pick who he wants as VP. Maybe it'll be the best one, maybe it won't, but I get the feeling he's going to pick someone that will surprise a lot of people, myself included. That's just a gut feeling, though, and certainly won't stop me (or anyone else) from writing columns speculating about it!

But I refuse to call it a "Veepstakes" because that is just too darn silly....

-CW

I think this presidential campaign is going to be about foreign policy and national security, first and foremost.

If Senator Obama doesn't have a foreign policy heavyweight with him on the ticket who can say, for example, in the VP debates, that "the military option for Iran is OFF THE TABLE!" and talk about Iraq with the highest authority...and have the impeccable credentials to back those words up and resist being knocked down as "soft on national security", then we better start preparing ourselves for another four more years of more of the same.

I'm not saying that John McCain has a more sound judgement on foreign policy, particularly on Iraq, because he does not. But, I am not convinced that the kind of foreign policy/national security arguments he will undoubtedly be making won't sway 51% of the electorate. Barack Obama needs a running mate who can not only counter those arguments but obliterate them, so to speak.

I don’t think Obama wins the general without Biden on the ticket. But, again, I don't think Biden should even consider the offer - for any position - unless it comes with the Iraq file...otherwise, what would be the point?

Besides, we can return to the wallflower veeps in another campaign. And, if anyone can make us forget all about Cheney, Biden certainly can. I can damn sure guarantee you one thing...after having the opportunity to see Biden in action under the spotlight of the national media for a few months, there will be many in this country scratching their heads and wondering why on earth Biden isn't sitting in oval office!

I was all set to write today about "Gary, Indiana" stealing the election for Obama (I was in "The Music Man" in elementary school and played Ron Howard's role "Winthrop," who gets a solo in the song, sung with a lisp, of course). But alas, they needed an extra 14,000 votes or so that Gary just couldn't provide.

So thanks first to those North Carolinians I got my information from (you know who you are) who were the basis for my call that the state was an absolute lock for Obama.

And thanks be indeed for all the Tar Heel voters who refused to let the media control the storyline and voted for Obama, even after all the blather about Reverend Wright.

-CW

Personally, I would prefer Biden as SecState, and we could go back to the way things are supposed to be, with the VP as just a spare part for the Oval Office instead of being the Svengali running things behind the scene. [I'm not disparaging Biden here, but Cheney.] I think the SecState's job should be most of what Cheney has been doing with foreign policy, and I'd like to return to that model of government is what I'm saying.

VP should be chosen for political reasons, to help pick up states in the election. And to be a good attack dog on the campaign trail, so the pres. candidate doesn't have to. And then once in office, they should fade into the background as they're supposed to.

Obama, if he's thinking this way, will pick someone from Ohio or Pennsylvania (or Florida or Michigan) to help him out in November. I could see him picking Sibelius of Kansas, to put a woman on the ticket with him, too.

But I think I'd want Biden to be in a more powerful and more effective office than VP -- namely SecState or even SecDef.

What do you think?

-CW

However, just in case we are back to politics as usual this fall and people insist on voting against interest - their own and that of their country - I would suggest that Senator Obama must make a very important decision as to who he will select as his running mate.

Since Senator Obama does not have a strong footing in the realm of foreign policy and national security, as has been much in evidence throughout this campaign, his running mate should be a leader among Democrats on foreign policy/national security and have credentials in these areas that are impeccable and unimpeachable.

Now, of course, I don't believe Senator Biden should accept the Veep position in an Obama administration unless he is given full reign over the Iraq file and carte blanche to implement his strategy to promote and facilitate a sustainable political settlement in Iraq, regardless of what the incoming SOS has to say about it!

While it would be nice to have a great speech I am more concerned about what Sen. Obama will do if he becomes President. However, an inspiring speech will hopefully convince Sen. Clinton supporters to vote for Sen. Obama so that we don't end up with Sen. McCain.

...Stan

P.S. I will continue to use "an" when I say or write "an historic...."
- So there.