By Rich Rubino
March 27, 2008 08:03 am If Barack Obama is awarded the Democratic presidential nomination, his first major decision will be the selection of a running mate. While some favor Hillary Clinton for that post, he may want to consider a broader array of strategic options. The most important asset for a potential running mate is that he or she not become a liability in the campaign. For example, in 1968, when the Republican nominee Richard Nixon chose the little-known governor of Maryland, Spiro Agnew, the reaction from political observers was, "Spiro Who?" Nixon's opponent, then Vice President Hubert Humphrey, exploited Agnew's lack of experience and credibility, running an advertisement on TV with a banner reading: "Agnew for Vice President" with laughter in the background. The ad ended with the punch line: "This would be funny if it weren't so serious." It is imperative for a vice presidential nominee to be viewed by the electorate as a credible person with the requisite experience should he/she be forced to assume the presidency. Beyond that, it helps that the nominee hails from a state rich with electoral votes. Back in 1960, then Sen. Lyndon Johnson helped win the Lone Star State for John F. Kennedy. Johnson was the ideal nominee in that he served the ticket in a micro sense by bringing to the campaign his enormous popularity in his home state of Texas. But he also helped in the macro sense with his 24 years of congressional service, including almost six years as the Senate majority leader. Having Johnson on the ticket helped to inoculate Kennedy from the charge that he had too little experience. Obama is more of a political neophyte than Kennedy was, having just been elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Given this dearth of experience, I would suggest Obama choose Florida Sen. Bill Nelson as his running mate. Like Johnson, Nelson can serve a micro purpose in that he represents arguably the most important state in the Electoral College, Florida. No Republican has won the presidency without carrying the Sunshine State since 1924. It is hard to envisage a scenario in which a Republican wins the presidency without garnering Florida's critical 27 electoral votes. Nelson has shown his electoral prowess in Florida, having been re-elected in 2006 with 60 percent of the vote. In addition, he won five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from a district that includes Brevard County, not known as a citadel of liberalism, and where President Bush garnered 57 percent of the vote in 2004. In a state as important and as closely divided as Florida, Nelson's presence on the ticket could tip the electoral scale. (Had Al Gore chosen Florida's then-popular Sen. Bob Graham as his running mate in 2000, Americans still wouldn't know what a "hanging chad" is.) Nelson's presence on the ticket would also be a major asset to the Obama candidacy at the macro level. He would bring gravitas in the critical area of national security, being a member of both the Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees. From a strategic standpoint, the choice of Sen. Nelson would likely put Republican John McCain on the defensive. Knowing how pivotal Florida is to his electoral chances, the Arizonan might be forced to choose a running mate from this battleground state simply to neutralize Nelson's presence in the race — either former governor Jeb Bush or current Gov. Charles Crist. Crist is immensely popular, but his selection would be seen as an act of pure political expediency and would not go over well with conservatives. As for the former governor, his last name could be a major hindrance given the anemic approval ratings of his brother, the current president. There are some interesting similarities between Johnson and Nelson. Both positioned themselves at the center of the Democratic Party. While Nelson voted for the use of military force against Iraq in 2002, he has since become a critic of solving the conflict with military might and voted against President Bush's surge, favoring instead a phased redeployment of U.S. troops. Also, Nelson is pro-choice yet favors notifying parents of minors who seek out-of-state abortions. Furthermore, Nelson voted for the confirmation of President Bush's choice for Supreme Court chief justice, John Roberts, yet voted against his choice of Samuel Alito as associate justice. Adding Nelson to the ticket would be an prudent call for Obama. Let the games begin! nnn Rich Rubino, a Marblehead resident, is a political adviser specializing in independent political campaigns. He is a graduate of Assumption College and holds a master's degree in journalism from Emerson College. Locally, he was a policy adviser to the Christy Mihos 2006 gubernatorial campaign.
—
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.