Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A Watched Phone Never Texts

Here are a few random thoughts while pondering why Barack Obama hasn't named Hillary Clinton as Vice President.

I personally would love to see John McCain choose Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential nominee. I'm deadly serious. Now McCain isn't going to do that, the Republican backlash would just be too overwhelming, but Lieberman reflects my values and my positions on a dozen important issues. And I admire and respect Lieberman.

But, let's also remember that Dick Cheney ate Lieberman's lunch in the 2000 Vice Presidential debate. Of course, Cheney also ate John Edwards lunch in 2004. Never mind that it turns out that Edwards is out to lunch.

Now that I think of it, Cheney would eat the lunch of any prospective candidate currently being mentioned by either party. Except maybe Hillary Clinton. Maybe. Cheney is just that powerful and brilliant.

Now if any of my progressive or liberal readers survived my praise of Lieberman above, they are absolutely going into a blind rage over my praise of Cheney. They shouldn't. Even if you disagree with every thought, position, word or deed Cheney ever even considered, you simply cannot deny the absolute impact of his Vice Presidency. There has never been and will never be a more powerful or influential Vice President.

History will long remember Vice President Richard B. Cheney. Probably longer than history remembers George Bush.

So do we really follow Cheney with Vice President Evan Bayh? Vice President Tim Pawlenty? Do we think history will remember them? Give me a break.

A powerful election would be Obama-Clinton against McCain-Lieberman.

But Obama seems to lack the courage to make the difficult choice. I think he fears Hillary and especially Bill. And I doubt McCain has the courage to buck the conservative right.

Perhaps I'm being unfair. Perhaps courage has nothing to do with it. But can we be happy with either McCain or Obama choosing the homogenized, bland, poll driven, do no harm Vice President?

If it's the top of the ticket that really matters, why not make a daring Vice Presidential choice.

5 comments:

Vigilante said...

A good essay, Wizard. My only comment has to do with many of your other columns as well as this one. I often think you are thinking about politics as a spectator on the sidelines of a game than as a player on the contending sides. This is meant as an observation, not as a criticism or judgment.

Vigilante said...

And clever title!

Stella by Starlight said...

What blog am I on?

Stella by Starlight said...

I think I've used this Cheney quote all over the place: "I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls." I have always found that an astute quote.

I have never once accused Cheney of being stupid: I save that for Bushit. But I do think he's a deeply evil psychopath.

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