Veep Hunting

I highly recommend MSNBC's Veepstakes. It's like March Madness, but far more worth your time. It's fun to watch, because it's a way to see what people think. Chuck Todd got all the people together and the obscure people have lost, the tv-friendly people are winning.

Currently, the Republican contest is in its final round: Mitt Romney v. Colin Powell. Really? Either the Republicans that use this site are idiots, moderates, or Democrats are looking at it, voting, and then going "this is exactly what we want to see! The odds on favorite in the halls of Congress are Mitt Romney or Bobby Jindal. Colin Powell will never work because his trustworthiness has so faltered that it's just not worth it. Anyway, Powell still has a shot at being made Obama's Secretary of Defense....

Mitt Romney, though, would help. He's got loads of cash and is an excellent manager. He's also young enough to, you know, lead when/if McCain keels over behind the Resolute Desk. I like the fight though, and right now Barack is so far ahead that don't you just sort of feel "blah" about the election? Like we should just go ahead and give Barack his eight years to put us back together? This is why I'd love to see Bobby Jindal become the Republican Veep. Think about it, he's young-younger than Barack. He's a minority, a Catholic, and as a member of the House and Southern Governor has shown he can work past the racist tendencies of people. He's lively and has vigor. Jindal doesn't have Romney's money though and this race will come down to money-they all do.

As for the Democrat, geez, it's down to Hillary, Wes Clark, Evan Bayh, John Edwards, Mike Bloomberg, Joe Biden, Kathleen Sebelius, and Sam Nunn. Sheesh, it's difficult to know where to start. There is already a Obama/Bayh website. So someone is really hoping for something. During the primary I qorked with the John Edwards campaign, with tendencies towards Dennis Kucinich's beliefs and use of language.

I was out not long ago with a few staffer friends and the talk had a lot to do with Jim Webb, there was much agreement that if he left the Senate to be Vice President that it would cause such issue within the Senate that it would be a generally bad thing for the country. Bayh is so boring that it's a bit amazing that anyone has mentioned him at all or that we don't get daily updates on his heart rate. He's quiet and unassuming, that's not going to help once the Veep debates come around.

Who do I want? Russ Feingold. We need first and foremost to move beyond what this current administration has given us. And while I love Barack, I want someone in the executive branch who can say they were there in 2001, and that they saw through the lies and "man-behind-the-curtain" tactics of the Bush Administration. He voted against the PATRIOT Act. He voted against the resolution to allow force in Iraq. Feingold has shown clear and nuanced leadership when no other (or few) Democrats had the courage. I have no doubt that Feingold could stand against any Republican VP in debates.

Who will it most likely be? Webb. There's a lot of support for him in the popular arena. He speaks well and can boost the credentials of the Democratic Party when it comes to war and the military.

Anyway, the cabinet is being set. Edwards is in there, so is Richardson, Clark is setting himself up for SecDef. Clinton's war debt will go away and she'll be a Johnson-like leader of the Senate or else Gov. of New York.

Imagine though, how cool would it be to see a debate between Russ Feingold and Bobby Jindal? If you love politics than you'll understand. If not, and if you still think I'm some type of closet Republican, then so be it.