Fake Plastic News

With the Democratic Primary even more locked up, talk will begin on who Obama will select as VP. I do not believe in the Obama-Clinton "dream ticket", but I think it would be important for Obama to select a "Clintonite" to help mend fences (if they really need mending). My choice would not be Evan Bayh, as I've heard elsewhere, but the same guy I suggested Senator Kerry should've selected in 04- Wesley Clark. Here's what I said then:

It is often overestimated about how important the Vice Presidential nominee is to the Presidential candidate. In my opinion, as long as the VP choice has some personal appeal, little or no baggage that would embarrass the Presidential candidate, and perhaps, comes from a State that can be put into play, he/she is a good choice. There are a lot of great people for Kerry to pick, Sen. John Edwards, Gov. Bill Richardson, Gov. Ed Rendell, Tom Brokaw, Sen. Evan Byah, etc., but nobody would be as good of a fit as General Wesley Clark. This is not the time to pick a VP surprise, like Mondale and Gore did. Yes, Clark ran for President and failed. However, he won a state (Oklahoma), he built a national organization in little time, and has a personal appeal that connected with people (more specifically vets). With Clark on the ticket, Arkansas, which is a conservative Democratic State, should be attainable as a Democratic pickup. He also should help a little in the more military friendly South.

Bush has been hammering Kerry on Kerry’s Defense and Intelligence voting record. Those of us who follow politics know that for the most part, Bush’s claims are a fraud However, many “average” Americans do not, and b/c of Kerry being a “Massachusetts Liberal”, they might believe them. With General Clark on the ticket, he adds the national security factor that cannot be argued. This ticket would be national security experience to the max and would make it nearly impossible for Republicans to say Democrats are weak on defense. Clark has more then his share of diplomacy experience, he knows foreign leaders, foreign policy, foreign cultures and our culture. He is a very intelligent man, with a Masters in politics, economics, and philosophy while he was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.

During the Vice Presidential debate, while Cheney rambles on about the WMD’s that he thinks will still be found in Iraq, Clark can say, “You’ve had your try, now it’s time to let the professionals take over.” The ability of Clark to be the bulldog on national security issues frees Kerry up to keep hitting Bush on jobs, education, etc.

Some may argue that General Clark wouldn’t be able to handle being the VP and in Kerry’s shadow. Yes, he was a high ranking General who’s used to giving the orders; however, he was also brought up through the military ranks, where he was taught to take the orders, as well. A good soldier knows his role...

The above is pretty much how I feel now. Of course, Obama doesn't have the Military/National Security experience that Kerry had/s, so adding someone who does, like Clark, is important. Moreover, unlike other Clinton surrogates, Clark hasn't been attacking Obama. That tells me something about his character. Of course, he was probably also thinking he'd want a job in an Obama Administration, but so what? Give him one, Obama: VP.