US Presidential Race - Part #2: Obama v McCain

The only factor that has not yet been decided is the one that will determine whether or not he will become president - who his running mate will be. If he chooses the wrong one he will not beat McCain, if he chooses the right one he will walk into the White House with a massive mandate. Virtually everything else is irrelevant when there is so much prejudice among Democrats against him that they would rather vote for a Republican. There are certain states that he has to carry, such as West Virginia and Kentucky, that he will not do without help. Get the wrong RM and he will fail.

Obama has captured the imagination of a lot of people - outside of the USA! For the record, yesterday's rally in Berlin attracted an audience of 200,000 people, a few more than JFK's 120,00 who heard him say "Ich bin ein Berliner", back in 1963. I can report exclusively for CaFE that many cars in Lewisham and Catford are now sporting photos of Obama - which is a bit curious given that many people in those areas don't bother to vote... There is a lot of momentum building up and, I agree with Tony, the choice of running mate could clinch the election. He needs a popular and well-known face, but someone who is perhaps not too bright, someone like Schwarzenegger, maybe?

Schwarzenegger? That would be a first - he's a Republican!

And as for telling him that he's not too bright... you'd be a braver man than me!

Schwarzenegger? That would be a first - he's a Republican! ...I know that Tony!!!! However, that's the kind of gesture that would capture the public imagination. Schwarzenegger is a bit of a maverick in his own party and quite liberal on a number of issues. It would be a brave move, a first, but Obama needs something of that magnitude to sweep home. McCain will continue to play the 'Commander in Chief'. Who knows, while Bush is still in charge the Republicans might just turn up the heat on Iran a bit to make Obama look like a dangerously weak choice in comparison to the military man, McCain.

Somehow I don't think that Obama needs to be THAT radical! Hilary Clinton would be the soft option in comparison - but I don't think that she will be the choice either. I don't think that he can hold off too much longer, after the summer break the presidential election will kick off in earnest and he can't do that without filling out the ticket.

You really think that Hilary (Obama might be assassinated) Clinton is a SOFT option???? Anyone but her.

Read it carefully... I said in comparison to Arnie she would be a soft option - with regard to being radical. There are several 'unknowns' being touted around, but as you rightly pointed out, a 'name' would have major advantages. John Edwards remains a possibility, but hardly anyone talks about him any more, so maybe he's off the list already.

Can Arnie hold such high office since he is foreign-born? I know you can't be President if foreign-born, not sure about VP though. John Edwards looks a good choice since Obama is struggling with white working class males. That's who he needs to appeal to in his choice of VP. Which rather rules out Hilary!

When I was in the US, at the time Edwards made the 'grand gesture' of pulling out of the race and supporting Obama, I did say then that I thought it was his gambit for getting the nod, but it's all gone quiet. There is no doubt at all that Obama would be an absolute shoe-in if he chose Clinton as his running mate, but I'm sure that Bill is too much baggage for him to cope with and that it won't happen. Although Edwards would be beneficial in some respects he is seen by some as a failed candidate, being Kerry's running mate in 2004. He also has little experience having only served one term in the senate from 1998, giving it up to concentrate on his presidential campaign for 2004. Personally, I think he has tried to get on the ticket, but I'm not sure that Obama is going to buy it. I suspect that it will be a complete outsider that nobody has discussed yet.

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