Chuck Hagel, Fantasy Running Mate
When word leaked late last week that Barack Obama would be joined on his upcoming visit to Iraq by Chuck Hagel, it set off an understandable round of Hagel-for-V.P. speculation. But the actual prospects of the Nebraska Republican joining the Democratic ticket can be summed up simply: a bold and brilliant idea that has just about no chance of becoming reality.
In terms of Mr. Obama's general election imperatives, the impact of Mr. Hagel's addition to the ticket would be seismic - easily dwarfing the boost that any other potential ticket-mate (except Al Gore, if you place him in that category) might offer.
Start by simply considering the nature of the media coverage of such a unique bipartisan teaming. Typically, a presidential candidate's announcement of his running-mate dominates the news for a few days, providing that candidate (and his running-mate) with a rare opportunity to mold mass opinion and to create impressions that will shape the public's response to future campaign events. The interest from the press would be sustained and overwhelming.
More important, though, is what voters would see in the resulting saturation coverage. By choosing a Republican, Mr. Obama would be making an unmistakable statement that he's serious about moving beyond traditional partisan divides. It would instantly obliterate John McCain's charge that Mr. Obama is a doctrinaire liberal ideologue who - unlike Mr. McCain and his "straight talk" - has never displayed bipartisan instincts on consequential matters.
There would be audible protests from two somewhat overlapping groups on the left: liberal activists and interest group's appalled by Mr. Hagel's conservative voting record on Issue X, and former Hillary Clinton supporters, many of whom would fixate on Mr. Hagel's pro-life stance. But the effect, even then, would be a net plus for Mr. Obama. The dissent from within his party would only endear Mr. Obama to independents, further discrediting the G.O.P.'s claim that he is a hostage of his party's fringes. And with some skillful massaging, most of the liberal activists would eventually calm down, especially when they hear Mr. Hagel shred the Bush administration's foreign policy at their convention.
Then there's the cover that Mr. Hagel would provide on national security, Mr. Obama's prime vulnerability against Mr. McCain. Even though polls show that voters reject many of the individual components of Mr. McCain's foreign policy platform - like his undying support for the Iraq war - he continues to outpoll (significantly) Mr. Obama when those same voters are asked which candidate they are more comfortable with on various foreign policy and national security questions.
This seems wildly inconsistent, but actually it makes sense: Voters know and care little about the specifics of either candidate's platform, but Mr. McCain - thanks to his age, war heroism, soldier's swagger, and maverick's reputation - "feels" safer than the youthful Mr. Obama, who's just four years removed from the Illinois state Legislature.
Mr. Hagel could help neutralize this gross image disparity, and not simply because he's a Vietnam veteran and war hero who's won national reputation for breaking with his party and his president on the Iraq war (and the broader goals that have defined the Bush overseas doctrine). As we learned with John Kerry in 2004, a decorated veteran can seem less comforting to the masses on national security issues than a politician with a light military resume.
Mr. Hagel is no John Kerry. With his no-nonsense bearing and demeanor, he looks and sounds like a military man, while Mr. Kerry, with his urbane manner, doesn't. The image of Chuck Hagel, Republican war hero, standing side-by-side with Mr. Obama would provide powerful emotional reassurance to the independent voters are most susceptible to the G.O.P.'s assault on Mr. Obama's national security seasoning.
For all of these benefits, though, Mr. Hagel almost certainly won't be the Democratic candidate for vice president. For one thing, he hasn't even endorsed Mr. Obama yet, and he's still friends with Mr. McCain (although their differences over the war have created some distance).
But the bigger reason is that the establishment forces in the Democratic Party - top elected officials and money men and women - are passionately opposed to the idea of their party placing a conservative Republican a heartbeat away from the presidency. Angry activists and interest groups are one thing, but a concerted effort by the party's most influential behind-the-scenes forces to kill the Hagel idea would be quite something else.
Mr. Hagel may be the strongest potential V.P. candidate from an electoral standpoint, but Mr. Obama has other decent options. Most likely, he'll opt for the path of least resistance.
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 49.7
- 43.3
- Obama +6.4
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 56.0
- 35.8
- +20.2
- McCain
- 51.8
- 40.2
- +11.6
Obama doesn't have the spine to choose Hagel. The guy has already flip flopped on Iraq three times in two weeks... so frightened of the Left that he rushed his "new" Iraq policy to print... BEFORE GOING TO IRAQ! It'd be humorous if it weren't so terrifying. The guy is unfit to be Commander-in-Chief... and he proves it more every day.
That's ridiculous. Anyone who says Obama flipped on Iraq has not been paying any attention. He's had the same position on getting out of Iraq since he started his campaign.
Never mind Obama. There are many of us conservatives who regard Hagel as a turncoat of the worst kind. We are reserving a portion of our election dollars to send to whomever Hagel, should he decide to run again, opposes in the next Nebraska Senatorial election. He is truly a "go with the way the wind is blowing" kind of guy. Despicable.
It's time to move beyond the 1900's -- and make GWB the last president of that divisive century. We are all Americans and we need to work together. Mr. Hagel and Mr. Hagel can get us started in this exciting new direction.
Got for it, President Obama and VP Hagel.
Clearly rinosaurusrex has the intelligence of a dinosaur and needs to just as extinct. Obama has been consistent in his Iraq policy. Flip Flopper McSame, however, was against the Bush tax cuts, before he was for them. McSame was against torture before he was for it. McSame was against off-shore drilling before he was for it. McSame was against the influence of the radical religous right before his spinless weak old body went flip flopping over to them to beg for their endorsements. Yeah. Real nice pic for a president....Dinosaur.
psst, hey, here's a little secrect: the VP choice is already made. And here's the other secret: Hagel will be in the administration. . . Hmmm, sure is interesting to follow the story. . . VP? or Sec of State? Any guesses? But remember, you have to guess who gets each position. . .
I think Chuck Hagel would make an excellent Vice President for Obama. While a Republican, he is middle of the road and a person who makes a lot of sense when he speaks. He is also opposed to Iraq war and he is exiting the Senate.
My feeling is that Hagel will be part of an Obama Administration, be it as a VP or Secretary of Defense charged with the responsibility of extracting US troops out of Iraq.
Geechee shows how grossly uninformed knee-jerk conservatives truly are. Just to set you straight, Geechee, Sen. Hagel is retiring. He did not even run in the primary election.
The seat he holds in the Senate will go either former Nebraska Governor and Bush Ag Secretary Mike Johanns, or the former ranch-hand and current college professor Scott Kleeb.
It's good you're reserving a portion of your election dollars -- uninformed clowns should stay the hell out of Nebraska politics.
Don't be silly. You can't defeat Chuck Hagel for Senate. Most Americans whether liberal, conservative or libertarian, don't support staying in Iraq.
The only thing I'm quite certain about is that Obama's unpublicized pick for Attorney General will be John Edwards. I don't care who will be Obama's VP or who will be his Sec of State, as long as Edwards is named Atty General.
I am sure Obama will make the right decision as we don't need an old, inconsiderate, ill-conceived and maligned who is incongruous like Maccain to be President. He can;t even differentiate Sunni from Shiite and has to be corrected by a 'Judas' named Liberman.
Maccain can't even stand on his own, he flip-flopped so gravely inorder to appease Banda Bush' base and Maccain is history after trying how many times to win his party's nomination. His views are achaic, parochial, primitive and out of place in the 21st century.
We need change. and a change we can believe in. GO BARACK; and give blind eyes to jealous people for your accomplishments andmaking history with Hilary Clinton.
My prayers to you and your family.
I am sure Obama will make the right decision as we don't need an old, inconsiderate, ill-conceived and maligned who is incongruous like Maccain to be President. He can;t even differentiate Sunni from Shiite and has to be corrected by a 'Judas' named Liberman.
Maccain can't even stand on his own, he flip-flopped so gravely inorder to appease Banda Bush' base and Maccain is history after trying how many times to win his party's nomination. His views are achaic, parochial, primitive and out of place in the 21st century.
We need change. and a change we can believe in. GO BARACK; and give blind eyes to jealous people for your accomplishments andmaking history with Hilary Clinton.
My prayers to you and your family.
Hagel is much more interesting as a Republican criticizing fellow Republicans--the same way McCain did eight years ago.
Should Hagel switch parties in an actual or defacto manner by running on Obama's ticket, he'll quickly lose his allure.
Hagel would be distrusted by Democrats and disliked by Republicans. Since he's an unpredictable maverick, don't expect Obama to give him anything significant, certainly not the Vice Presidency --perhaps a UN or subcabinet job, where he can be sat on.
Hagel is much more interesting as a Republican criticizing fellow Republicans--the same way McCain did eight years ago.
Should Hagel switch parties in an actual or defacto manner by running on Obama's ticket, he'll quickly lose his allure.
Hagel would be distrusted by Democrats and disliked by Republicans. Since he's an unpredictable maverick, don't expect Obama to give him anything significant, certainly not the Vice Presidency --perhaps a UN or subcabinet job, where he can be sat on.
Is this double post Tue for NYO? Look at Anonymous, "I am sure Obama..." & Mark Shea. Where are the NYO's editors?
Senator Obama will not select Senator Hagel. It would be a media event to be sure, but fantasy is the right way to say it. My best guess is that he selects Sebelius or Jack Reed. I think that gives him his best shot this fall. I don't support Obama, but I'm not going to sink to the level of some of these posters who personally malign these people and they don't even know them.
On the other side of the coin, I think McCain would best be served by Romney or Portman...two people that have some economic heft but are strong conservatives. I think that would be a good ticket.
This fall seems to favor Obama. With the economy the way it is, the perceived difficulties (perceived is key word) in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a media that swoons everytime Obama speaks...he ought to win big. If he doesn't, he'll have no one to blame but himself.
Chuck Hagel is the perfect choice for the first African
American candidate that many working people in the heartland
view as possibly "a muslim" possibly "not eligible to
be president" married to a "angela davis type" Hagel
could dispel that notion immediately..the biggest issue
that Obama faces is not that he is black..but that he
is a liberal chicago political machine guy who is elitist
and over the heads of average uneducated but hard working
americans...Hagel is the anti-dote to that hurdle...He
is without question the most talented Republican out their
he has gravitas...he may be conservative but so what..
he is the kind of conservative that independents love
Hagel for VP would be more than an electoral strategy; he would signal a visionary governing strategy. Obama would be saying he's leaving partisanship behind by picking the best the Republicans have to offer. No one could offer Obama more military and foreign policy gravitas. And all progressives can applaud his willingness to defy his party and president on Iraq. I'm not too concerned about Hagel's conservative record on domestic issues. He would hardly be credible with Republicans and independents if he suddenly started talking like Ted Kennedy. Give him time. He's a work in progress.
"We are reserving a portion of our election dollars to send to whomever Hagel, should he decide to run again, opposes in the next Nebraska Senatorial election."
Good God, that is a dense comment! Anyone who's been reading any news at all knows that Hagel is retiring from the Senate this year. The election to replace him is between Mike Johanns (R) and Scott Kleeb (D).
If Hagel isn't on the ticket with Obama then he will presumably continue on in retirement.
As far as conservatives regarding him as a 'turncoat,' so what? You already aren't going to vote for Obama (and you wouldn't even if he ran on a ticket with Newt Gingrich or Grover Norquist) so who cares what conservatives think? You're going to vote for McCain anyway, and you only get to vote once.
Being Irish Catholic and since the liberal left say Obama,
( WHICH I FIND INSULTING TO Irish Catholics ), reminds
them of JFK. So Obama should pick an Irish Catholic to be his
mate.
Kairos my friend. Time has come to age. Obama is not only brilliant he is also very smart. Wait and see. Americans are tired of a bunch of liars who speak lies as if truths.
That is rediculous Geechee. Hagel cannot be called a "go with the way the wind is blowing" kind of guy. He is one of the few republicans who voted against the Iraq war from the beginning! Having the audacity to stand up against your own party shows the ability of a senator to think on his own and determine what is right from what is utterly stupid-rather than going with the flow. You have it completely backwards. despicable
Honesty hurts, doesn't it?
It's LIEBERMAN and McCain - please spell correctly!
I am a conservative and so is Hagel, whom I support wholeheartedly. He is not a "turncoat". Rather, conservative Republicans are the turncoats; en masse. Bush and the RNC has spent this country into debt and worn us out with a meaningless war. True Conservatives want limited government. Meaning, limiting ourselves to international afiars as nutcakes like Geechee cannot fathom. Geechee is the turncoat, not HAGEL.