Warner says no to VP spot

[ccharles000]

http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/govt_politics/article/warner_says_no_to_vp_spot/12572/

Richmond Times Dispatch
Published: June 14, 2008

Former Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner said today he would not accept the Democratic vice presidential nomination.

Speaking to Virginia Democrats at their state convention here, Warner said he is devoted “110 percent” to winning the U.S. Senate seat this fall.

Warner is one of three Virginia politicians, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, who have been mentioned as possible running mates for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Webb and Kaine, who also spoke at the convention today, did not rule accepting the nomination, but said they did not expect it to be offered to them.

About 2,500 Democrats are attending the convention at the Hampton Convention Center.

Democrats had hoped Obama would come to Virginia to address the convention, but he was in the state last week. Obama was holding a town hall meeting in Philadelphia today.

The Obama campaign says Virginia is in play this year, although the state has not gone for a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon B. Johnson, 44 years ago.

In addition to the speeches, delegates to the convention are electing 18 at-large delegates to the national convention in Denver, 11 pledged delegates, two unpledged delegates and two representatives to the electoral college.

[Youphemism]

1. I also decline the nomination...

Just to help make this difficult decision easier, I'd like to announce that I am another nobody who will "absolutely not" accept a VP slot under Barack Obama.

While I wholeheartedly support his campaign, I believe the people would prefer me to continue the futile pursuits of my boring, everyday existence. I don't want to let them down.

If asked, I will politely decline; if proposed to, I will not wed; if employed, I will try to get myself fired.

I don't know how much more or less entirely non-opaque I can be.

I will continue in my pathetic efforts to see Senator Obama win the election, but I feel it necessary to preemptively nix my nomination. I offer this refusal just in case the good Senator from Illinois considers nominating me based on my ability to flare my nostrils at will, stomp down a trash can that already seems to be filled, and talk a bank manager out of a bounced check fee by waving a completely unrelated utility bill while whining.

I urge other unworthy Americans to follow the example set by Governors Strickland and Warner, and myself, to help Senator Obama choose a running mate who is both willing to serve and not a total loser.

Thank you.

[ruggerson]

2. If you are Sam Nunn

then I'm a happy camper.

[ccharles000]

3. I agree.

Sam sucks.

[Hope And Change]

8. I agree too.Don`t like him either.

[trocar]

4. Strickland?

Is there a trend and something we should be worried about here? At least two people on the supposed "short" list have now completely taken themselves out of the running.

[JI7]

5. in Mark Warner's case it's probably to help him win the Senate Seat

it's important to let people in his state know that if they vote for him for Senator, that's what he will be. you can't let republicans and others take advantage of it to attack Warner and claim he will not serve out his term.

this will help with donations and any other help he needs for his campaign also since people might not want to commit if he might run as VP or become vp.

Ted Strickland is a Clinton loyalist and probably knows Obama wont pick him anyways so why deal with it. and of course annoyed at constantly being asked the question.

but i have to admit, i always thought Strickland would be a good VP choice.

[Recursion]

13. My guess it's the same unspoken reason he dropped his Pres bid

If you recall 2 years ago, he was being talked about as the only outsider with a chance to defeat Clinton in the primaries. Then halfway through his exploratory committee work he dropped it; I'm assuming there was some skeleton that wouldn't survive a national campaign.

[Hope And Change]

6. Damn!Warner would have been an excellent choice.

[Eurobabe]

7. He will be VA's next Senator

[Hope And Change]

9. How about Obama/Biden?

:)

[Eurobabe]

12. I'm all for that

O'Biden '08

:patriot:

[Honeycombe8]

14. I love Biden, but he doesn't fit in with a "change" or "no vote for Iraq War" campaign meme. nt

[fujiyama]

10. He's running for Senate

and if Obama doesn't make it, he'll likely run for President himself...or he'll run in '12.

It was kind of silly to think he was in the running anyways. VA doesn't exactly have a lot of Dems that can win the Senate seat with little doubt (short of eating a kitten on TV, he's going to win). The VP spot is more iffy.

[dsc]

11. I just love the double standards at this forum

Strickland and Warner do the very same thing. One is an evil ho and the other a great statesman. Go figure.