Nancy Pelosi Says: Chet Edwards for VP!
During a recent and brief interview with Newsweek?, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that United States Representative Chet Edwards (D-TX) of Waco would be an excellent choice as Sen. Barack Obama's running mate. Here's Pelosi:
“Anyone that Barack Obama wants is my choice for vice president,” Pelosi told the interviewer, who appeared to be from Newsweek. “But I do think in the list of considerations there should be somebody from the House of Representatives and Chet Edwards is a person that many of us think would be a good person to be in the mix.”And the video interview:
I've had the privilege of voting for Chet in the past two elections. Chet is an ardent supporter of church-state separation and one of the strongest supporters of religious liberty in Congress over the past 10+ years. Just a handful of months ago, Chet received the Abner McCall Religious Liberty Award presented by the Baylor University Alumni Association. Also, last year Chet read part of G.W. Truett's "Baptists and Religious Liberty" speech as part of the historic Baptist Unity rally from the steps of the United States Capitol. Chet attends Calvary Baptist Church in Waco.
Texas in Africa offers a few upsides and downsides to Chet as Veep. Check 'em out.
Here's a few of her upsides:
The military LOVES him. Fort Hood re-elected him over and over until Tom DeLay redistricted Edwards away from the base.
He knows defense policy.
He supported the Iraq war, which could help with winning moderates. Extreme anti-war rhetoric won't work in the general election, and Obama knows it, even if the DailyKos crazies don't.
Unlike certain governors of other states whose names keep getting tossed around, there aren't any skeletons in his closet. Edwards is a solid guy.
He's figured out how to beat the Republicans in what should be a solidly Republican district.
Labels: Barack Obama, Chet Edwards
posted by Big Daddy Weave at 10:51 AM
8 Comments:
If Chet was on the VP ticket it wouldn't keep me from voting for Obama, and I think he'd be good- both on church-state separation and foreign policy. He's a pretty conservative democrat, so there is that. But I would hate to see central Texas lose a democratic rep who has achieved so much for this district.
12:42 PM
My choices in order of pref. are:
1)John Edwards
2)Bill Richardson (though he'd make a better Secretary of State) He'd help with the Latino vote, but he might make the ticket look like an Affirmative Action ticket and thus turn off white working class men.
3)Joe Biden--Catholic, knows foreign policy, fighter as a VP candidate must be, working class roots. Although from DE, has ties in PA, OH, MD, & NJ--all places Obama must win.
4) Sam Nunn of GA. Drawback--has been out of the Sen. long enough that he's no longer well known outside of GA. But, he's a centrist Dem. with huge foreign policy credentials.
5) I like the idea of a woman VP so as to have a woman standard bearer for '16, but I worry about turning white men to McCain if given an "affirmative action ticket." If Obama goes this route, his top choices are: Kathleen Sebellius, gov. of KS--who shows an ability to work with GOP, but who was NOT dynamic on TV; Sen. Claire McCaskill of MO; Gov. Christine Gregoire of Washington State and Gov. Janet Napolitano of AZ--if the GOP candidate were anyone but McCain, she'd be a top pick.
6)Tim Kaine of VA.
7) A retired general who is not a hawk, like Anthony Zinni or Wes Clark.
2:55 PM
Pelosi to the contrary, Obama must stay firmly against the war. Moderates want out as much as "DailyKos crazies." Her district is furious with her for not pushing harder for an end to the war.
Pelosi has been a huge disappointment for progressives as a Speaker. She has caved to the Right far too often.
Obama could choose a running mate who voted for the war, but ONLY if they were firm in saying that this was a huge mistake--something Hillary Clinton refused to do.
The similarities between Kerry and Bush on Iraq was one reason Kerry lost. The differences were too subtle for the public.
2:59 PM
Michael,
Sam Nunn is a foreign policy expert, no doubt. When I was at UGA, he was on campus a good bit (taught a class, I think) and I heard him speak twice.
I can't imagine how he would help Obama. Seriously, he's more likely to put someone to sleep than win them over to Obama.
He's been gone for so long - I just don't think he has any real influence anymore even among his own state Dem party. In the world of Georgia politics, Sam Nunn just wasn't even that popular of a figure 4-5 years ago. Nonetheless, Nunn's name was thrown around in 04 and again in 08. I'm just wondering who is pushing Sam Nunn because I really don't think Kerry seriously considered Nunn. Same goes for Obama.
And I actually like Sam Nunn. This Georgian just has a hard time remembering him :-)
3:09 PM
One more thought,
I heard Wes Clark speak at a Hillary rally in Waco. He kinda, well not "kinda" - Wes Clark bashed Obama. Who knows what else he has said about him. I'd be for Wes Clark had he not shot his mouth off about Obama's credentials.
I love John Edwards.
I'm just not sure that enough people will love him too. I like Richardson but what's up with these allusions to skeletons in his closet? I think that's what Laura was referring to in her post? I heard similar remarks four years ago. Think Richardson has baggage we don't know about?
I like Tim Kaine. Virginia's past two Governors have been Dems and after November, they'll have two Dems in the US Senate. Northern Virginia is turning that state BLUE. With Kaine on the ticket, I'd like to see the capital state of the Confederacy leave the South! Virtually all of my relatives are in Richmond or one of the D.C. suburbs on the Virginia side.
3:16 PM
Thanks for the linkage!
The more I think about this, the better an idea I think it is...
7:24 PM
PS Michael, my understanding is that Richardson has way too many skeletons to be a viable nominee and that because of this, he isn't being seriously considered. But that's all rumor and hearsay, of course.
7:25 PM
Chet Edwards sounds way too solid to get mixed up with Obama.
Please stick with 'Lil John Edwards, as Michael suggested. His presence on the ticket won't confuse anyone into thinking about crossing over.
3:08 PM
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