Back in May, I wrote about my thoughts for the Obama veepstakes. The most likely candidate in my view was Wes Clark, who has probably knocked himself
down the ladder a bit over the past few days making sensible but politically incorrect statements about John McCain's military service vis-à-vis qualifications for the presidency. Though some argue
it may help him.
In my view, it hurts him a bit, but Clark is still a compelling vice-presidential choice for Obama. I would move him down from the number 1 slot to 3rd or 4th (behind Nunn or Webb).
This is however a name I didn't consider before that I should throw in there.
Howard DeanThis sounds very irrational at first glance, but Howard Dean is a lot different than the caricature that has been drawn by the media.
Dean governed Vermont as a moderate and the Progressive Party grew stronger under his tenure due to his weakness on the left. Did you know that was
endorsed eight times by the national rifle association? He also said he wanted to be the candidate for
"guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks". This could be helpful in the Mountain West where gun control is the one thing holding Obama back and in the winnable states in the South (Virginia primarily but also North Carolina, Arkansas, Florida).
He was also a fiscal conservative who insisted on balanced budgets. Anti-pork much in the same vein as McCain.
He is an outsider and reformer which fits Obama's message and has already been vetted by the national media. He and Obama share a 50-state competitiveness goal for the Democratic Party.
Dean could be a real outlier in the veepstakes. Watch for it.
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