Barack's Veepstakes

Today is the day we’ve been waiting for…the day that Barack Obama crosses the threshold and is now the presumptive Democratic nominee for the presidency. I can state very honestly that I was never certain that this day would come, and I think anyone who claims to have been confident when this all started that Obama would be the nominee when all of the primaries and caucuses were over is just blowing smoke.

This is a historic day on so many levels. We have the first African American presidential nominee in 232 years, and he has defeated his chief rival, a woman who proved that she is as qualified as any man in this country to challenge for the highest office in the land, and more importantly, has opened the door and taken the stigma away from any future woman who wishes to run for president in the future.

The next step for Barack Obama is to take some time to let this moment sink in. He needs to determine how best to state his case against John McCain and the mighty Republican spin machine that has been so effective in the past two presidential contests. Although Hillary Clinton so magnanimously has announced that she is now willing to graciously accept the vice-presidency, Barack should take her offer and all other suitors under advisement. He is in no rush to decide something so fraught with controversy and importance.

I honestly feel that Hillary Clinton would not make the best choice for VP, and my reasons are very simple. The main reason is that I don’t think Barack should take any active and sitting senator. The margin in the US Senate is just too slim, and although a Hillary Clinton or a Jim Webb would most likely be replaced by a Democrat, their stature and prominence in the Senate has already been established and would be sorely missed.

There are several other reasons which I will not state here, but suffice it to say that they don’t rise to the level of importance that Obama should not select someone else from the Senate. The Democratic ticket simply should not contain two senators. I can guarantee that John McCain will not select a sitting senator as his VP.

Ultimately, when Barack looks at the field of possible vice-presidential candidates, he should look at someone who is seasoned, has military or foreign affairs experience and is well liked. He should potentially select someone whose state’s viability for a Democratic win is in question and picking that state’s governor – a Ted Strickland of Ohio or a Tim Kaine of Virginia -- will more likely bring that state into the Democratic fold. New York, for example, is already an expected win for Obama without adding a Clinton to the ticket.

I will be in Denver as an Obama delegate from the State of California and will vote to nominate Barack Obama for president of the United States and will accept his vice-presidential candidate of choice, but I would so strongly encourage him to take his time, listen to his trusted advisors and recognize that this choice is his, solely his and is not the choice of anyone else, whether their name is Clinton, Smith or Jones.