What's The Case Against Evan Bayh For VP? 8 Years As Governor & 10 Years As Senator Is Impressive

[malik flavors]

Why should I not feel that Evan Bayh is a top choice for Obama's VP?

And don't give me any of that DLC crap because that's meaningless.

He was an extremely popular 2 term governer of Indiana.

He's been in the US senate for 10 years

He serves on the armed services committee and the select intelligence committee, so he has foreign policy experience

He was a Hillary supporter, so he helps to bring the party together

He's from a red battleground state that borders Ohio and Michigan

His voting record seems to be fairly strong

He has working class appeal

He's young, good looking, and likeable

He's said he'd accept the position of VP

And Obama/Bayh sounds great.

Those are some reasons to be for the ticket. What are the reasons to be against it?

Once again, I don't care about him being DLC.

It's hard to find a running mate with both executive and foreign policy experience, so I think he's a standout choice. If Al Gore isn't eligible, i'm starting to think Bayh is the best choice dems have.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Because he makes watching paint dry look exciting?

[malik flavors]

7. The VP shouldn't over shadow the Candidate.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Well, he certainly wouldn't do that.

I would like to see a VP candidate with a bit more charisma than a corpse, though.

[book_worm]

36. But Obama doesn't need another rock star to share the ticket.

[BluegrassDem]

2. He was a Hillary supporter...

'nuff said.

[malik flavors]

6. That's a reason for him, not against him.

[book_worm]

37. 'nuff not said--why does that rule him out?

[MrsT]

3. He looks, speaks and acts like a generic politician

Personally, I think he is as good as a senator as we can get in Indiana, but I see why some don't like him.

[smoogatz]

4. Because he's a DLC douchebag?

It's not meaningless just because you say it is.

And how is Al Gore not eligible? He's eligible, he just doesn't want to be VP again.

[xxqqqzme]

5. case against Bayh?

he's a dlc handmaiden. Too bad he isn't more like his father.

[w4rma]

8. John Edwards shoots Obama's poll numbers up by 5 - 10 points in every state when he's the pick.

Bayh is boring.

[malik flavors]

10. John Edwards wasn't a boring VP for Kerry?

I like Edwards, but what's his executive experience?

or foreign polciy experience?

[joanski0]

9. Here some DLC crap. That's what he is.

I've watched him vote with the Republicans many times.

[malik flavors]

11. I've noticed Obama voting with republicans lately also.

[AllentownJake]

15. One vote

and the internets go crazy and no I do not feel like debating FISA right now.

[AllentownJake]

13. Lived in Indiana for 3 years

Never liked him never hated him. Voted for him once. If he helps us take Indiana and help seal the deal in Ohio and Michigan I'm for him. He knows how to talk to people in those states and we could pretty much camp him out in the midwest while Obama talks to the rest of the country (Obama would go there too but just not as often) We take those 3 the race is over. I don't care if he's DLC as long he helps us win.

Maybe Indiana can have a Bayh VP museum to match the Quayle museum they have :rofl:

[Cosmocat]

23. Best analysis in the thread ...

Bayh is boring, he is DLC ...

But, he is a dem ... Big tent, and all ... We have to take the moderate/conservatives with the rest ... It isn't like he is Lieberman ...

I agree that would help in those midwest states that BO has put into play ...

[dansolo]

44. Obama is moderate enough

Obama doesn't need a moderate DLC type as his VP. What he needs is a progressive who can appeal to rural voters, like Brian Schweitzer.

[book_worm]

38. to be fair Bayh is a lot smarter than Quayle.

[TheDonkey]

42. I wouldn't mind him if he delivered IN

and I think he could. Not my top pick but I'd support him.

[IndianaGreen]

14. If you are looking for Mister or Ms Excitement, Bayh is not the one!

Bill Richardson has the best all-around bona fides; however, as a campaigner he is more boring than Bayh and, unlike Bayh, he is often off-message.

I will accept whoever Obama picks for VP, even Hillary.

[AllentownJake]

16. Think he would do good in Ohio, Missouri and Michigan?

He seems to keep getting elected in very red Indiana. Other than the school the IU vs. Ohio State thing do you think his style will play well in the industrial midwest or is it a name recognition thing in Indiana that got him in the door and he just kept it open? I only lived there for 3 years so I don't know

[IndianaGreen]

19. Bayh's appeal is very limited, even within Indiana

Indiana is in play if Obama wants it, but he can take Obama without Bayh.

[AllentownJake]

21. 62% in 2004

Pretty impressive. I'm not for or against but if we lock up Ohio and Indiana its checkmate before the game even starts.

[Hippo_Tron]

25. Against a black Republican college professor with no funding or NRSC help

Bayh would've had a much tougher fight in 2004 if the race had been seriously challenged.

[AllentownJake]

27. 1998 was 64%

Against the mayor of Fort Wayne where I used to live. Kind of the white working class town that Matthews loves to talk about.

[Hippo_Tron]

35. He was the sitting Governor with a famous name in a Democratic year

Sorry but Evan Bayh just doesn't impress me. He rides on his father's name and has been a speculated Presidential and VP candidate for the past few election cycles but never runs and is never picked. He hasn't really done much in the Senate.

[democraticinsurgent]

28. Agreed that Indiana doesn't need Bayh to go blue

...further, Bayh is more (or less) than just DLC. He does not appear to actually have any philosophical grounding or positions. He is with the wind. Nice guy and all, but seemingly an empty suit.

Obama can do much better. Plus, if Bayh gets picked, likely we lose a Senate seat. Mitch Daniels would have to lose to a very tepid Jill Long Thompson campaign or My Man Mitch would get to pick a Rethug to replace Bayh.

Net: mediocre choice + poor political calculus = won't happen.

[Upfront]

17. I don't like the S.O.B.

Will that work?

[butterfly77]

18. Too boring, hilllary supporter,...

and I don't like him there are better choices..

[asjr]

20. I like him and think he is qualified but

he doesn't have any oomph! Back in the day oomph was cool.

[newmajority]

22. Bayh is a textbook example of everything currently wrong with this party.

Right wing pandering DLC hack. Worse yet, he knows better, since his father was actually a Democrat.

[Hippo_Tron]

24. Lightweight legacy brat who has run against weak Republicans

[NorthCarolina]

26. You lost me at "DLC crap is meaningless"

eom

[ladjf]

29. He has consistently backed the policies of Bush during the past

eight years. His positions are more like the Republicans than the Democrats. Please no on Sen. Bayh.

[Radical Activist]

30. Lieberman was a DLC VP candidate and we saw how that turned out.

I do care and it does matter. We don't need more conservatives in the White House.

[CTyankee]

31. Is he prochoice? If he isn't, that's a problem.

Can't have an antichoicer one heartbeat away from the presidency...

[malik flavors]

32. Yes, he's pro-choice.

I think people need to realize that Obama is going to pick a moderate for his running mate. Everybody that wants a kucinich in the no.2 spot, I feel are going to be extremely disappointed.

[saltpoint]

33. Evan would bring a sort of scrubbed-clean, corn-fed Boy Scout thing

to the ticket, but I think he's a sub-par public speaker.

It could be that Obama wants someone with just his skill set and resume, and from Indiana to boot, but there appear to be stronger choices out there for the veep slot, IMO.

[CTyankee]

34. Well, I dunno. Sometimes a bit boring is good as long as he lines up on the other things.

What you said makes a lot of sense to me in terms of his being good running mate. Perhaps Obama is change enough and he needs the anchoring of a bland, midwestern governor who will appeal to the politically bland for whom change can cause gastric distress...

[Zhade]

39. Hey, here's a thought - how about actually making a case based on his voting record...

...and why he deserves to be supported for VP?

You've offered up nothing except a list of "popularity contest" factors. So he was a governor for 8 years, big deal - what did he DO during that time?

I mean, there are those out there who'd argue "b*s* was president for eight years, so he must have been great!"

How about some SUBSTANCE to your argument?

[malik flavors]

41. You want me to write the guy's whole biography? I got your substance right here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Bayh

Get to reading.

[AlinPA]

40. Maybe he would help in the mid-west states. Just guessing.

[justinrr1]

46. Sounds like a good choice to me

[TexasObserver]

43. underachiever, underwhelming

sorry, but he's a yawner

[beachmom]

45. Why don't you read the Iran amendment he just sponsored and get back to me:

The link to Thomas isn't working. Get the link via this post:

http://www.eyesonobama.com/blog/content/id_22117/title_Congress-Considers-Act-of-War-Against-Iran/

Fourth paragraph, it gives a link to the Senate bill that works.

Expressing the sense of the Senate on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. (Introduced in Senate)

SRES 580 IS

110th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 580

Expressing the sense of the Senate on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 2, 2008

Mr. BAYH (for himself, Mr. THUNE, and Mr. SMITH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.

Whereas Iran is a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at Washington, London, and Moscow July 1, 1968, and entered into force March 5, 1970 (commonly referred to as the `Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty') and, by ratifying the Treaty, has foresworn the acquisition of nuclear weapons;

Whereas Iran is legally bound to declare all its nuclear activity to the International Atomic Energy Agency and to place such activity under the constant monitoring of the Agency;

Whereas for nearly 20 years Iran had a covert nuclear program, until the program was revealed by an opposition group in Iran in 2002;

Whereas the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that the Government of Iran has engaged in such covert nuclear activities as the illicit importation of uranium hexafluoride, the construction of a uranium enrichment facility, experimentation with plutonium, the importation of centrifuge technology and the construction of centrifuges, and the importation of the design to convert highly enriched uranium gas into a metal and to shape it into the core of a nuclear weapon, as well as significant additional covert nuclear activities;

Whereas the Government of Iran continues to expand the number of centrifuges at its enrichment facility and to enrich uranium in defiance of 3 binding United Nations Security Council resolutions demanding that Iran suspend its uranium enrichment activities;

Whereas the Government of Iran has announced its intention to begin the installation of 6,000 advanced centrifuges, which, when operational, will dramatically reduce the time it will take Iran to enrich uranium;

Whereas the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate reports that the Government of Iran was secretly working on the design and manufacture of a nuclear warhead until at least 2003 and that Iran could have enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon as early as late 2009;

Whereas allowing the Government of Iran to obtain a nuclear weapons capability would pose a grave threat to international peace and security;

Whereas allowing the Government of Iran to obtain a nuclear weapons capability would fundamentally alter and destabilize the strategic balance of power in the Middle East;

Whereas, if it were allowed to obtain a nuclear weapons capability, the Government of Iran could share its nuclear technology, raising the frightening prospect that terrorist groups and rogue regimes might possess nuclear weapons capabilities;

Whereas allowing the Government of Iran to obtain a nuclear weapons capability would severely undermine the global nuclear nonproliferation regime that, for more than 4 decades, has contained the spread of nuclear weapons;

Whereas it is likely that one or more Arab states would respond to Iran obtaining a nuclear weapons capability by following Iran's example, and several Arab states have already announced their intentions to pursue `peaceful nuclear' programs;

Whereas the spread of nuclear weapons capabilities throughout the Middle East would make the proliferation of nuclear weapons elsewhere around the globe much more likely;

Whereas allowing the Government of Iran to obtain a nuclear weapons capability would directly threaten Europe and ultimately the United States because Iran already has missiles that can reach parts of Europe and is seeking to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles;



MORE at the link. Evan Bayh is the CHIEF SPONSOR of the bill. Look at the co-sponsors:


Sen Alexander, Lamar - 7/10/2008
Sen Cantwell, Maria - 6/3/2008
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. - 6/25/2008
Sen Carper, Thomas R. - 7/10/2008
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. - 6/12/2008
Sen Chambliss, Saxby - 6/26/2008
Sen Coleman, Norm - 6/16/2008
Sen Collins, Susan M. - 6/4/2008
Sen Conrad, Kent - 6/11/2008
Sen Corker, Bob - 6/10/2008
Sen Cornyn, John - 6/5/2008
Sen Crapo, Mike - 6/12/2008
Sen DeMint, Jim - 6/16/2008
Sen Dole, Elizabeth - 6/4/2008
Sen Dorgan, Byron L. - 6/26/2008
Sen Isakson, Johnny - 6/18/2008
Sen Johnson, Tim - 6/16/2008
Sen Klobuchar, Amy - 6/10/2008
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. - 6/24/2008
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. - 6/16/2008
Sen Martinez, Mel - 6/4/2008
Sen Menendez, Robert - 6/16/2008
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. - 6/10/2008
Sen Murray, Patty - 6/3/2008
Sen Nelson, Bill - 6/26/2008
Sen Roberts, Pat - 6/5/2008
Sen Sessions, Jeff - 6/18/2008
Sen Smith, Gordon H. - 6/2/2008
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. - 6/12/2008
Sen Stabenow, Debbie - 7/9/2008
Sen Sununu, John E. - 6/6/2008
Sen Thune, John - 6/2/2008
Sen Vitter, David - 6/12/2008
Sen Wicker, Roger F. - 6/25/2008
Sen Wyden, Ron - 6/9/2008


ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

[Kahuna]

47. He's so boring he puts himself to sleep when he speaks. nt

[WinkyDink]

48. He's "good-looking" in a blah oatmeal way.

[BlooInBloo]

49. He's not onboard with the Change-thing.

[ShadowLiberal]

50. I agree, the only problem is we'd lose a senate seat if Obama/Bayh won