Now that Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee, it is time to play the veepstakes game for real.
Eight years ago, I urged Al Gore to consider picking a woman to be his running mate. Four years later, I asked John Kerry to do the same. This time around, an Obama-Hillary Clinton ticket is being called the “dream team.”
For too many reasons to go into here, I am afraid this “dream” might turn into a nightmare. That is why I am going in a completely different direction in 2008.
Since April, the drum beat to name Gen. Wesley Clark as Obama’s running mate has been getting louder by the day. Not surprisingly, I agree.
That’s because Clark was my pick for president in 2004. What I liked about him four years ago still resonates with me today.
First, as the former NATO supreme allied commander, Clark knows how to deal with America’s adversaries. When it comes to fighting international terrorism, few people in politics (or at the Pentagon) today have the military credentials the retired Army general has. Are you listening John McCain?
Second, because he is from Arkansas, Clark could inspire blue-collar, lower-income whites in West Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere to vote for Obama. Key states, all in the Democrats’ strategy to win back the White House this November.
And last, as a true-blue Clinton insider, Clark’s presence on the ticket will send an unmistakable message to millions of Democrats who, today, say they might not vote this fall. In its simplest form, this message is one of party unity, another key element in the campaign to win the presidency.
Here’s how writer/TV commentator Lawrence O’Donnell framed the Clark issue last month:
“The silly season of TV talk about Obama-Clinton, Clinton-Obama tickets is almost over. There was general agreement on ‘Meet The Press’ recently that Obama will consider military experience in choosing a vice president. James Carville foolishly suggested Anthony Zinni and other politically untested generals. That will continue now that the conventional wisdom has settled on the military angle for VP. But no former general, other than Wesley Clark, will make it onto the short list in the end.
“Yes, Clark was a bad campaigner in 2004. So was every other Democrat who lost the nomination to John Kerry. Clark has learned enough since then to survive a two-month, one-debate vice presidential campaign.”
Clark’s addition to the Democratic ticket means that Obama’s wildly popular campaign theme of “change” will not be compromised, nor will the senator’s views about U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Cuba, Europe or Asia.
America’s responsibilities in these regions require a delicate balance of military strength and political will. Some people argue that these two strategies are mutually exclusive. I don’t buy that.
Clark is the one person who can best help the Democratic Party and the country’s new president straddle this elusive divide.
Now that Obama is the Democratic nominee in waiting, I hope he quickly names Clark to be his running mate. This ticket will be a dream for the Democrats and a nightmare for the Republicans. It is time to start the veepstakes watch now.
Freidenrich is the founder of First Strategies consulting in Laguna Beach. He helped raise $125,000 for Obama when he visited OC last June.
