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David Sirota is a political journalist and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist at Creators Syndicate. David writes about political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties.
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August 18, 2008 11:59 AM
An I-71 Candidate for VP
So John McCain is potentially doing a VP rollout in Ohio, according to ABC News. In light of this, I have a question: Can someone - anyone - please explain to me why no one in Obama's campaign, in the media, in the progressive infrastructure sphere, in the labor movement or even on lefty blogs, is pushing Sherrod Brown for VP in any real way? Seems to me, if you want to win the presidency as a Democrat, its a pretty sound strategy to simply put Brown on the ticket and tell him to spend the entire campaign simply doing events up and down Ohio's I-71 corridor.
I mean, is this really all that difficult? Please, someone - anyone - tell me how a gaffe-prone, Iraq War-supporting, bankruptcy-bill-voting senator from Delaware, or a warmongering DLC corpse from Indiana is a better pick than an economic populist with 3 decades of government experience (including 16 years in Congress, many on the House International Relations Committee) who has a proven ability to crush Republicans in Ohio, the most politically important state in the nation?
Can someone please answer this question? Anyone? Bueller?...
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About David Sirota
David Sirota is a political journalist and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist at Creators Syndicate. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Hostile Takeover. He lives in Denver, Colorado. His daily blog can be found at CREDO Action. He contributes regularly to the Denver Post's Web site, is a senior editor at In These Times magazine and is working on his second book. He has been profiled in Newsweek and the Rocky Mountain News and is widely known for his reporting on political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties. Sirota serves as co-chair of the Progressive States Network, a 501(c)3 organization that supports state legislators and that is a partner of CREDO.
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The views expressed on this blog are his own, and do not necessarily represent the views of Working Assets (publisher of CREDO Action) or the institutions Sirota works for.
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Discussion
I agree 100%! Brown for VP!
Wait, that's a rhetorical question, right? Why would a neoliberal presidential candidate pick Sherrod Brown for VP?
Right, because it would help him win the election, as you have pointed out, moving the ticket further toward the real center. But at what cost to Obama's principles? Assuming the other two VP-candidates are nods to electability are confused about the presidential candidate's positions.
I think David answered his own question. No way is a right-winger like Obama gonna pick an economic populist. The whole DLC scam is to pretend that ninety percent of the Democratic party is so irrelevant it doesn't even exist, exist on election day when it had damn well better vote for someone it hates if it doesn't want to be blamed for the wars the DLC starts and continues.
Obama will not pick anyone as far left as Hillary.
cdupree, PLEASE!!!
HRC has been the epicenter of DLC/NEA corporatism, Iraq war ennablement, "security moms", NAFTA, etc. If she's a "working class hero", then I'm Dick Cheney.
Bayh, Nunn, and Hagel were centrist-building headfakes.
More on topic, am far more in agreement w/ Brown than Biden on just about any issue. Moreover, OH may well decide the electoral totals.
Am glad you noted Biden's record on Iraq: authorizing, "send more troops" then killing Senate defunding of this blunder. He'll have some 'splainin' to do (not that he minds).
Can almost forgive him for bankruptcy reform. So many bank card issuers in DE. Like Harkin (IA) supporting gasohol/agbiz?
Notwithstanding his nay vote, Biden could/should have killed the Clarence Thomas nomination before the Anita Hill circus broke out.
BUT, Biden's "foreign policy experience" provides the ticket's needed perceived competence through the election. There's VA, FL, CO, IN, etc. to chase.
AND, he'll make the difference in the real battles of '09 for universal health care, fair trade, etc. These will be decided in tough Senate cloture votes. Biden would be far more persuasive/effective here than frosh Sherrod Brown. And why do pundits & bloggers want to mess with promising first-term Senators in purple states?
Dave, maybe some of us are just getting too old for any more righteous defeats.
cdupree, PLEASE!!!
HRC has been the epicenter of DLC/NEA corporatism, Iraq war ennablement, "security moms", NAFTA, etc. If she's a "working class hero", then I'm Dick Cheney.
Bayh, Nunn, and Hagel were centrist-building headfakes.
More on topic, am far more in agreement w/ Brown than Biden on just about any issue. Moreover, OH may well decide the electoral totals.
Am glad you noted Biden's record on Iraq: authorizing, "send more troops" then killing Senate defunding of this blunder. He'll have some 'splainin' to do (not that he minds).
Can almost forgive him for bankruptcy reform. So many bank card issuers in DE. Like Harkin (IA) supporting gasohol/agbiz?
Notwithstanding his nay vote, Biden could/should have killed the Clarence Thomas nomination before the Anita Hill circus broke out.
BUT, Biden's "foreign policy experience" provides the ticket's needed perceived competence through the election. There's VA, FL, CO, IN, etc. to chase.
AND, he'll make the difference in the real battles of '09 for universal health care, fair trade, etc. These will be decided in tough Senate cloture votes. Biden would be far more persuasive/effective here than frosh Sherrod Brown. And why do pundits & bloggers want to mess with promising first-term Senators in purple states?
Dave, maybe some of us are just getting too old for any more righteous defeats.
cdupree, PLEASE!!!
HRC has been the epicenter of DLC/NEA corporatism, Iraq war ennablement, "security moms", NAFTA, etc. If she's a "working class hero", then I'm Dick Cheney.
Bayh, Nunn, and Hagel were centrist-building headfakes.
More on topic, am far more in agreement w/ Brown than Biden on just about any issue. Moreover, OH may well decide the electoral totals.
Am glad you noted Biden's record on Iraq: authorizing, "send more troops" then killing Senate defunding of this blunder. He'll have some 'splainin' to do (not that he minds).
Can almost forgive him for bankruptcy reform. So many bank card issuers in DE. Like Harkin (IA) supporting gasohol/agbiz?
Notwithstanding his nay vote, Biden could/should have killed the Clarence Thomas nomination before the Anita Hill circus broke out.
BUT, Biden's "foreign policy experience" provides the ticket's needed perceived competence through the election. There's VA, FL, CO, IN, etc. to chase.
AND, he'll make the difference in the real battles of '09 for universal health care, fair trade, etc. These will be decided in tough Senate cloture votes. Biden would be far more persuasive/effective here than frosh Sherrod Brown. And why do pundits & bloggers want to mess with promising first-term Senators in purple states?
Dave, maybe some of us are just getting too old for any more righteous defeats.
Oops. Slap me when that happens. K?
A VERY GOOD QUESTION!
I think actually a bigger question is, what mechanics within our system, or mechanics within the Democratic Party, seem to make it impossible for Populists to win the Democratic nomination, or even be nominated for Vice-President.
I really believe as long as the Democratic Party has a leadership, that is center-right on economic and other issues, it not only will not be able to win elections in a way that will help govern, in the end because of their economic policies it will not really matter to most of us if they do indeed win.
Regards,
As Truman said, given a choice between a republican and a republican light, the people will vote for the real deal every time. This I believe.
who gives a crap who the veep is. we should be talking about how change will come from the BOTTOM, not from the top
who gives a crap who the veep is. we should be talking about how change will come from the BOTTOM, not from the top
i am voting nader
A vote for Nader is a vote for McBush. Period.
I am voting Nader too. Economic issues are my main concern, and I am not going to vote for the Obama/Goldman Sachs/Goolsbee/Rubin corporate ticket, and I will not vote for the other corporate ticket of McCain etc. I realize Nader will not win, but my hope is that somehow, though I know the odds are extremely long, a candidacy like Nader's will somehow propel a 3rd party to form that is populist in nature and not controlled by corporate interests like our two major parties are.
Regards,
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