Obama scouting retired military

ARTICLE: Obama veep vetting team looks at retired military, By NEDRA PICKLER and MARY CLARE JALONICK, AP, June 10, 2008

Interesting possibility, but you sense Obama's simply taking advantage of the selection to do all sorts of scouting.

I still like Webb, the younger John McCain who steals some thunder.

But who knows ...

(Thanks: Louis Heberlein)

Comments

[Galrahn]

I like Webb too, historical minded and smart.

Clark is interesting. He is very partisan, but he was the first modern Joint Command Commander who turned the job into the diplomat in the footsteps of Macarthur.

[TEJ]

I think Webb's association with confederate causes will make him unpalatable. Maybe Wes Clark?

[Anonymous]

Wes Clark's association with himself could make him unpalatable ;-)

[David Emery]

I -want- to like Jim Webb, after all he's my senator (I live in Northern VA). I don't mind brash, but I do mind rude, and some of his actions have been rude. What's needed is leadership both in the Senate and the White House to build government across the aisle that can work. I'm not sure Jim Webb's up to that.

With respect to Wes Clarke, same thing applies. I don't see him as being an effective coalition builder, both from his US domestic political endeavors and from his EUCOM experience.

That leaves the other 'military men' as more viable candidates, if you accept my argument that the VP (as well as the President) has to be a coalition-builder. That argument applies first for domestic politics, but second for international relations.

It seems to me that Bill Richardson (clearly the most qualified by virtue of resume of any party's candidate this year) would be a good choice for Secretary of State. What about Secretary of Defense? Any chance Obama would ask Gates to carry on? Any chance Gates would accept?

The one thing I think is A Bad Idea is to have a retired military officer as Secretary of Defense.

[large]

Wesley Clark would certainly diminish any claims to Partisanship efforts Obama might make!

[stuart abrams]

I'm not sure what Webb has said about the Confederacy that is so bad, and believe me, I'm not somebody who promotes a Margaret Mitchell view of the Old South so I tend to be sensitive to this kind of thing. Webb has written some very interesting things about the historical role of the Scots-Irish in America, recognizing their role in leading to secession, largely because of their historical antipathy to the Yankees who dominated the North, especially New England. This is a very sophisticated, and I think accurate, understanding of ethnic conflict in American history. He has also written about the Scots-Irish as being in many ways the most economically disadvantaged group in America, particularly in Appalachia, other than African-Americans, suggesting a natural alliance between the Scots-Irish and African-Americans. This may be too esoteric for mainstream America, and particularly, for the mainstream media, but I find it fascinating, even exciting. It really would be a very bold way for Obama to put his "post-racial" vision into action. Anyway, who is going to be upset about Webb's writings about the Confederacy - African-American voters? I don't see that as a big problem for Obama. Tailhook might be more of a problem, and Obama might decide it's just too much trouble. In which case, I like Warner - never been a big fan of Clark and Webb made a smart observation recently that you shouldn't pick somebody who hasn't had the experience of actually going through a full-fledged election campaign. If you can't get the right guy with a military background, go for the business guy.

[Lexington Green]

Clark ran once, and poorly: No charisma, gaffe-prone, comes off as arrogant. Richard J. Daley, a man who knew how to win elections, said "don't back no losers". Words that David Axelrod, a Chicago political veteran, and the field marshall behind Obama's (so far) winning strategy, will know well.

Webb may be the man, particularly if the strategy is to nail down the Jacksonian backcountry voters who seem averse to Obama, and whom McCain could appeal to in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, etc. Webb literally wrote the book on our Scotch-Irish population. Webb's backlog of culturally conservative statements may, however, alienate the very white, middle class, female Hillary-supporters Obama wants to get back into his coalition. So, Webb may have dealt himself out of the game.

I have long thought a good out-of-left-field pick for the Democrat candidate would be Gen. Zinni. He would give instant credibility on defense issues. He probably has little or no public record on domestic issues, and has probobly been quiet or guarded on gender-type issues. He could invent himself in those categories with no baggage. How he would do under the glare of a campaign is an open question and a judgment call.

[Anonymous]

i'm so impressed with Gates. i'd love him to stay on.

and Zinni is an intriguing idea.

[Michael]

If one is looking at former military, Gen. Shinseki and Adm. Fallon would both be good choices for the same reason--they were both good military commanders with anti-war cred (albeit only semi-deserved).