PA Primary Could Determine Obama’s VP Pick

by Randy Shaw, 2008-04-07

The six weeks between the Mississippi and Pennsylvania primaries has left the media desperate for new story lines. There is a point—which I reached last week—that one cannot bear to listen to another discussion of whether Hillary can win, the impact of Reverend Wright, the fate of the superdelegates, or when the nominee will ultimately be decided. Obama’s speech on race and poor bowling skills, and Clinton’s false account of Bosnian snipers and her releasing of tax returns have helped pass the time, but most outside future primary states likely feel “Enough Already!” One feature of the Pennsylvania primary that I have not seen much discussed is whether a stronger than expected showing by Obama among white voters will push Senator Bob Casey into the top-tier of vice-presidential picks. Obama’s vice-presidential choice should be able to both win the ticket a key major state and help secure white working and middle-class votes—something Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is clearly positioned to do and that Casey—who joined Obama on the recent bus tour through Pennsylvania—may also get credit for after the April 22 primary.

The camaraderie between Barack Obama and Bob Casey as they traveled through the economically depressed Pennsylvania heartland harkened back to the 1992 “Putting People First” bus tour of the Clinton-Gore campaign. The two make a strong team, but if Casey cannot deliver white Catholic voters for Obama in his home state of Pennsylvania, he is unlikely to do so nationally as the vice-presidential nominee.

So Casey has a lot at stake on April 22. It is not a stretch to say that if Obama were to somehow win Pennsylvania, or even come close, Casey would quickly become a front-runner to be Obama’s choice for vice-president.

But Casey has his limitations. He is more conservative than the core Democratic base, is anti-choice (though not militant in his views), and he is little know outside his home state.

A far better choice for Obama’s running mate is Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.

The Case for Brown:

Brown would be close to an absolute dream pick for Obama. He would guarantee that the ticket carries Ohio, and has a long record of opposing free trade, fighting for health care, and knows how to win the support of working and middle-class families.

Brown’s only shortcomings is his lack of military service and the fact that he is Lutheran rather than Catholic; Obama has shown particular weakness among white Catholic voters. Brown may also be reluctant to take the vice-presidential slot for fear of jeopardizing the job of his wife, Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

But an Obama-Brown ticket would galvanize the Democratic base. This would not only represent the party’s strongest most progressive and pro-labor ticket since FDR, but Brown’s selection would help frame the fall campaign around kitchen table economic issues—the focus that John McCain and the Republican Party fears most in the wake of the worsening recession.

Christopher Hayes of In These Times wrote an excellent account of Brown’s history when he was running in the Ohio Senate primary in 2005. It is at http://www.chrishayes.org/articles/who-is-sherrod-brown

Reed’s Potential:

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed is a progressive Roman Catholic who attended the United States Military Academy in West Point and served in the 82nd Airborne Division. He has among the most progressive voting records in the Senate, and is one of its most hard-working members.

Reed addresses Obama’s lack of military experience, and is extremely knowledgeable on defense issues. He has long been a Senate leader in pushing for affordable housing funding, and has a strong following among the progressive groups that work in Washington D.C.

Obama did miserably in the Rhode Island primary, losing the white Catholics that Reed can help him secure in November. Reed would be an ideal choice but for two factors: he is little known nationally and he does not represent a large electoral state.

It is completely unfair that Reed should be penalized by Rhode Island’s size, but pundits could have a field day over Obama’s decision to “go small” in his vice-presidential choice. In contrast, Ohio is seen as a bellwether state, and Brown a savvy choice.

Forget Sibelius and Richardson:

Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitisas has been promoting Kansas Governor Kathleen Sibelius as a VP choice, but she has little national experience and is not ready for prime time. The last thing Obama needs is a VP choice with no federal experience, as this has been a leading line of attack against him. And securing Kansas in November is not a top Democratic priority.

If Bill Richardson were eager to be picked as vice-president, he would not have appeared at his endorsement of Obama with a beard. Governors and Senators can wear beards, but not potential presidents (at least since the 19th Century ended).

Richardson wants to be Secretary of State, and will probably get this position in an Obama Administration, particularly if he swings New Mexico to the Democrats.

Incredible as it seemed only six months ago, a dream ticket of Obama-Brown is actually possible. And if you are reading this in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, Oregon, Montana, or Puerto Rico, consideration of VP choices does not mean the race is over so get off your computer and start making phone calls or knocking on doors.