"It's a coin toss now between Bayh and Biden." - Barack Obama

[polichick]

Rachel just read this from Plouffe's new book.

REALLY???

YIKES!

[rwheeler31]

1. Good God did we get lucky .

[polichick]

5. Sure did! I don't see how the prez could have even considered Bayh. nt

[Misskittycat]

6. That gave me a chill.

[Clio the Leo]

2. But at least Joe would have been in favor of a PO! lol NT

[Oregone]

3. Unbelievable. I'm steaming mad!

Holy Joe wasn't even in the running?

[Clio the Leo]

4. What did Bayh offer?

Did she read that part? (I'm behind.)

Seems like Biden was a no brainer with his foreign policy experience.

...... and also because the ladies LOVE him! prrrrrr!

[polichick]

7. No, she didn't - and I can't imagine what the upside was...

...unless it was just to have a conservadem on board.

[Clio the Leo]

18. Indiana I bet ..... maybe it was ALL about getting Indiana.

Fortunately the President realized that DE's two electoral votes were MUCH more valuable. lol

And if you will allow me to continue to be superficial, just think how close we got to THIS....



Shew! Dodged a bullet on THAT one didn't we!!!


(plus, Jill has a REAL job ...... where she HELPS people!!!)

[polichick]

20. That's a great photo of Jill! (You're probably right about Indiana.) nt

[Clio the Leo]

22. There are no bad ones....

..... I had to just pick one.

It was hard.

[Jennicut]

9. LOL. You mean you wouldn't have loved Evan Bayh in the same way?

Actually, Bayh is a dull conservadem so yeah, we wouldn't have loved him in the same way. ;-)

[Clio the Leo]

21. you know my heart belongs to one.........

....... sexy man beast!



(and Austan Goolsbe)

[Jennicut]

24. Ha! My heart belongs to Joe...

(and Peter Orzag...I have a soft spot for geeky budget director types, okay?)

[Clio the Leo]

29. Yeah, I started to include Peter....

... but dont want to hog them all.

Besides, my heart is warming to Chuck Schumer. I just love the way he gets all excited pointing at things that aren't there. Watch him some time. It is SOOOO funny. In his MIND there are things around him that he's pointing to and pushing down and smoothing out .... but there's nothing there but air. lol

I also think he'd actually punch Harry in the nose if we needed him to.

[Jennicut]

32. Just as long as it never includes Harry Reid.

That is just one step to far for me. :)

[Clio the Leo]

35. I dont think you have to worry lol. NT

[Cha]

17. I'm sure this is just a coincidence

but the book just came out with this revelation(strange) and Bayh is ... as per your link.

<snip>

"Bayh now supports health-care debate on Senate floor"

By TOM MOOR
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND — Sen. Evan Bayh is now in favor of bringing the health-care debate to the Senate floor, a day after he told CBS News it may not be worth even "starting a discussion."

A brief statement today by Bayh's staff confirms the senator will support moving forward to a debate, where Bayh "will work hard to address his concerns and craft legislation that reduces deficit and lowers health care costs."

Bayh told CBS on Wednesday that he may not support a motion to proceed, depending on what the bill includes, especially if changes weren't made to the $800 billion plan. There was talk that Bayh may join the Republican ranks in filibustering a debate on the reform."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8722915

[tabbycat31]

34. I think Bayh was so Obama could carry Indiana

[Atticus]

8. Al Gore selected Lieberman and Obama ALMOST chose Bayh. BUT---

AT LEAST no Democrat has yet insulted the American people as McCain did when he tapped (ahem!) Lil' Sarah!

[polichick]

11. Or Dan Quayle.

[Mass]

14. By comparison to the two previous nominees, Obama;s final choice was inspired.

Does the book describe the forces pushing for one VP or another. That is the most interesting aspect of this question, I think.

[karynnj]

43. Gore could not have forseen the 2009 Lieberman in 2000, though I bet Gore would have won with Kerry

If for no other reason than Kerry would have excelled in the debate with Cheney in a way that Lieberman never could. Not to mention, Kerry would have been far more helpful in NH, which would have given Gore enough votes without FL.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Obama-bye would not have worked......

just based on the name.
I'm disappointed in President Obama, if he was serious when he said that....

[Clio the Leo]

12. The funny part is I somehow have managed to get Bayh and Pawlenty confused in my head....

... yes, I realize that Pawlenty is a Republican ..... but so is Bayh. :)



I mean, they're both pretty generic looking, you have to admit. And MN and IN are practically right next to one another (har har.)

Heck, I dont know why I have them confused but EVERY time I hear of Pawlenty my brain initially thinks of him as "Obama's former potential VP pick."

I know .... maybe Pawlenty can pick Bayh as HIS VP mate in 2012 and then I wont have to worry about keeping them straight anymore. They can run on the platform of "Returning Generic White Guys Back to the White House!" (heh!)

[ProSense]

13. .

:rofl:

[AspenRose]

39. BOR-ing!

:boring:

Thank God it was Joe. :-)

[Garam_Masala]

41. Dey both brudders from the udder mudder?

[high density]

15. Well, thank God the "coin" landed on Biden!

Jeeze.

[AllentownJake]

16. That would have been a disaster

Bayh is such a boring tool, plus I'd fear for the President's life.

[Jennicut]

19. I think Obama talked to Bayh and practically fell asleep and realized how boring he was.

Joe is more fun and has more experience on foreign policy, of course.

[Clio the Leo]

27. lol Jenni nails it!!!!

Joe was the better pick to be one heart beat away from the Presidency because he's MORE FUN!!!!!







But you only say that because it's TRUE!!!!!

Besides, without Joe around ..... the women (and the men who are so inclined) of the Democratic party would be just left to sit around and LUST after the President all day! And then we'd NEVER get anything done! Joe provides a convenient distraction!!!! ;)

[Jennicut]

30. So much better then this...

or this



or this




ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ :boring:

[Clio the Leo]

31. Yeah, I'm getting sleepy just looking at those...

.... and he needs to get his money back from whomever did that portrait.

[Cha]

37. E gods..

Dino Bland.

[Autumn]

33. Wonderful pictures

:fistbump: Obama did good.

[Tom Rinaldo]

23. I was afraid of Bayh at the time

That was one of the reasons why I argued strongly for Biden on this board and others for VP (if it couldn't be Clark which I realized it would not be).

[Egnever]

28. Me too

I hoped the rumors weren't true with a fervor then. I honestly think we would have lost had he picked Bayh. Although Sarah was losing her sheen at the end there.

[Barack_America]

25. I can't believe that.

It can't be true.

[IndianaGreen]

26. Bayh is a worthless POS, a whore of the health industry.

Obama should have picked Hillary!

[Freddie Stubbs]

52. A few years ago DUers were saying similar things about Biden regarding the credit card industry

[NYCGirl]

53. A lotta short memories here. NT

[Arkana]

36. Hey, we got lucky and got Joltin' Joe Biden.

If Bayh was made VP it would have gotten him out of the Senate...but with Indiana having a Republican governor, a Republican would have replaced him.

We probably wouldn't have noticed much of a difference, but the whip count would.

[lumberjack_jeff]

38. I'd rather have Biden in congress than Bayh.

So long as Obama remained healthy, it might have been better the other way.

[geek tragedy]

40. Picking Bayh would have had one very, very good consequence.

It would have meant that the Senate would no longer have Evan Bayh in it trying to undermine the President.

[plantwomyn]

45. The Dilbert Principle

Not a bad idea for my Senator. "Promote" him to a position where he can do the least harm. Maybe Obama can make him an ambassador to somewhere that we have a great relationship with so Bayh doesn't have to actually do anything.
Unfortunatly, I'm sure that their are a lot of us here that would nominate our Senator for an ambassadorship. Yep, our Republican "governor" would appoint an equally inept Republican to replace Bayh.
If being a "Bluedog" symbolizes being choked blue by liberals we should finish the job. Choke off the Bluedog and run a REAL Dem in Indiana PLEASE.

[Hekate]

42. I'm so glad it turned out the way it did. Joe Biden is a kick; also very knowledgable...

... about foreign policy. I think he's the best pick for the job. I think Hillary is far more effective as a Sec of State than she would have been as either POTUS or VP, due to the excess amounts of RW baggage that is attached to her. And she looks so happy!

Hekate

[Tom Rinaldo]

44. To his credit Obama went with who was better for America

and against conventional political thinking of adding a VP who can win you the votes of his/her home state. That was always the lure of Bayh, a way to add some crucial electoral votes. And Obama could easily have chosen that. On paper Bayh has a very solid resume and no one could have called it only a cheap shot to get a few votes had Obamna tapped Bayh.

[PopSixSquish]

46. If Decision by Obama to Pick Biden Over Bayh Doesn't Prove the Existence of God

then I don't know what does. Goes to light a candle...

:hide:

[Divine Discontent]

51. Hallelujah!

sen. evan bayh could've doomed the Obama term! I don't like him.

[and-justice-for-all]

47. Bayh is my rep and I can not stand him anymore..fucking dino..nt

[QC]

48. Not hard to believe at all. n/t

[WI_DEM]

49. Bayh was considered because he was a HRC supporter and came from a key state

that Obama wanted to win. He would have won DE anyway, but obviously he was swayed by Biden's grasp of issues and long experience. Bayh, btw, would have been on HRC's short list too.

[quantass]

50. IIRC, Bayh was considered because of Indiana..and nothing more. nt