VP buzz: "I won't be screaming about Joe Biden"

by: Jay Stevens

Mon Aug 18, 2008 at 14:54:43 PM MDT

The CNN report identifies the favorites: Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Evan Bayh, Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Kathleen Sebelius, Wesley Clark, Chris Dodd, Chet Edwards, Chuck Hagel, Sam Nunn, Jack Reed, and Ed Rendell. Brian Schweitzer's name is not mentioned in the CNN article, but a number of folks among the Internet crowd are still high on the Good Guv winning the second slot on the national ticket.

Still, the buzz is that anyone who's not been scheduled to speak at the Convention on Wednesday - during the spot reserved for the VP nominee - is not going to be tapped as Obama's running mate. Schweitzer is scheduled to speak on Tuesday. Kathleen Sebelius is also speaking Tuesday. Those speaking on Wednesday include Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, and Evan Bayh.

Other opinions:

MSMBC's First Read points to a New York Times profile of Joe Biden and says "the CW buzz seems to be pointing in Biden's direction right now."

The WaPo's Shailagh Murray speculates that Tim Kaine and Evan Bayh's appearances on Sunday talk shows this week may be more than coincidence, but then can't resist Joe Biden's trip to war-torn Georgia this weekend.

The odious horse-racer, Jake Tapper, lists his favorites, in order of his perception of likelihood: Joe Biden, Tim Kaine, Evan Bayh, and Sam Nunn as the dark horse.

The Washington Note's Steve Clemons "knows" it won't be Evan Bayh, Tom Daschle, Wesley Clark, or Jack Reed. Clemons thinks it's Biden, although "one well placed political expert just told me on the phone that we may all be wrong and that Obama could come out with something completely unexpected," like John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, or Al Gore.

Frankly, none of the pundits' favorites really inspire me. If Biden is the pick, I'm with Chris Bowers, who says, "I won't be screaming about Biden," which is a kind of endorsement, sort of. Honestly I'd expect more out of the Obama campaign. Someone to really dazzle the country for a little while, someone that complements Obama, not contrasts him. And why would the Obama campaign draw out the suspense and announcement of its VP choice...for Joe Biden?  

The Last Best Place has the First-Best Contender . . .

by: The Caped Composer

Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 18:58:41 PM MDT

Now, I've swung through here a number of times, and, a few months back, I floated out the idea of Brian Schweitzer as the ideal VP for Barack Obama. I'm glad to know that no less than Sen. Tester shares my opinion.  And, apparently, I'm not the only denizen of the blogosphere who thinks this way, either.  Over at FiveThirtyEight.com, they ran a long post yesterday all about Schweitzer and why he would make a perfect addition to the ticket:  http://www.fivethirtyeight.com...

Stephen C. Rose also posted a lengthy item on Schweitzer's VP potential:
http://stephencrosehome.blogsp...

Your thoughts?

NoDak and Wyoming are More Swinging Than Montana?

by: Matt Singer

Tue May 13, 2008 at 12:18:58 PM MDT

[Brian Schweitzer] also doesn't bring in any delegates from his own state (though that could be offset if he helps in places like North Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado).

Let's head to 538, the new election guru website for rankings.

538 pegs Obama's chance of winning North Dakota at 32% and his odds of winning Wyoming at 0%. Montana, by comparison, is 22%.

The basis for those numbers? Wyoming polls show McCain up by 20%. In ND and MT, by comparison, polls show Obama only down by 6-8%. In other words, Schweitzer would probably help make both states pretty competitive -- and he would probably do more to move numbers in Montana than in NoDak.

All that said, I'm a little less bullish on Schweitzer's chances of being tapped by Obama -- or on Schweitzer's likelihood of taking the nod.

But who knows? Stranger things have happened.

(Hat tip to David Crisp.)