A Presidential Decision

The vice presidency is a fabric of our democracy mockingly derided as “not worth a bucket of dry spit.” However, the selection of a candidate for vice president is important because it is the first choice a presidential nominee makes. The selection is indicative of the judgment of the prospective president. A good choice can build momentum towards victory in the general election. A bad choice could sabotage a political campaign. A great choice can make history.

In 2004, Senator John Kerry selected North Carolina Senator John Edwards, but the ticket was doomed to fail because this particular Democratic ticket could not agree on the right slogan for their bumper sticker. Senator Kerry campaign slogan was “Help is on the Way.” Senator Edwards was partial to “Hope is on the Way.”

In 2000, Vice President Gore selected Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. Selecting the first Jewish vice presidential candidate was a bold choice, however the move backfired because, in southern Florida, elderly voters were unable to master the infamous butterfly ballot. Numerous votes were lost because the ballots were insufficiently perforated. Also, Senator Lieberman turned out to be a neo-conservative who is actively campaigning for the Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain.

In 1972, Senator George McGovern selected Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton as his running mate. However Mr. Eagleton removed himself from the ticket when newspapers reported Mr. Eagleton received electro-shock therapy.

Not all Democratic vice presidential nominees were losers. Governor Clinton’s selection of Senator Al Gore was an excellent choice. Breaking with tradition, Governor Clinton selected a fellow southerner who was a centrist like himself.

Senator Lloyd Bentsen overshadowed Democratic presidential nominee Governor Mike Dukakis. Vice President Walter Mondale courageously made history by selecting Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman who was nominated to be vice president. Governor Jimmy Carter chose an able running mate in Senator Walter Mondale.

But the best Democratic ticket of all time was Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy and Texas Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson, the powerful Senate Majority leader.

Senator Barack Obama will become the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, despite the blowout loss in the West Virginia primary. The Democratic Party is fractured along racial, ethnic, gender, class and education fault lines.

Senator Clinton’s supporters changed their position regarding the Democratic ticket. Earlier, they argued Senator Obama should be the vice presidential nominee even though Senator Clinton lost the majority of the contests, was behind in pledged delegates and the popular vote. However, Senator Clinton’s operatives hinted she would be receptive to the idea of becoming the vice presidential nominee.

The Mainstream Media joined the chorus, reporting the benefits of Senator Obama and Senator Clinton running together, indicating such a ticket would unify the Democrats after a divisive campaign.

The temptation to select Senator Clinton as the Vice Presidential nominee is strong. Senator Obama should resist that temptation.

Senator Clinton should not be the vice presidential nominee because she is responsible for the division in the Democratic Party. Senator Hillary Clinton ran a tough, negative campaign against the Illinois senator.

It was President Clinton who attempted to diminish Senator Obama’s primary victory in South Carolina by declaring unprompted that another African American presidential candidate (Jesse Jackson) also won the South Carolina primaries in 1984 and 1988.

Also during the South Carolina primary campaign, Senator Clinton said the Reverend Martin Luther King (a black man) made great speeches, but it was President Lyndon Johnson (a white man) who passed the Civil Rights Act. Furthermore, Clinton operatives argued a black man could not win the presidency.

Senator Clinton has mocked Senator Obama’s impressive oratory skills. She diminished Mr. Obama’s political resume to simply delivering a great speech. His supporters are portrayed as delusional. The Clinton campaign labeled Obama’s supporters as “Gucci-wearing latte-drinking self-centered egotistical people.” Her operatives dismissed the states Senator Obama won during the primaries calling these states insignificant.

Senator Clinton argued the super delegates should overrule the will of the voters, and give her the nomination because she has a better chance of winning the general election than Senator Obama. The voters made a mistake in supporting Senator Obama.

Her campaign “leaked” the picture of Barack Obama wearing African garb to the media. The picture reinforced the mistaken perception that Senator Obama is a Muslim.

The Clinton campaign attempted to exploit the relationship between Senator Obama and his former pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

The controversy over seating the Michigan and Florida delegations at the Democratic convention was manufactured by the Clinton campaign mostly because she won two contests that were not sanctioned by the Democratic Party.

Senator Clinton argued the Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, is more qualified to be commander in chief than Senator Obama.

Choosing Senator Clinton as a running mate would be a mistake because she voted for the authorization to go to war with Iraq. The ticket should reflect Senator Obama’s position on the war in Iraq. The Democratic ticket should be an antiwar ticket.

It was Senator Clinton who divided the party and significantly damaged the Democratic Party’s chances of capturing the presidency. She created the problem; therefore she cannot be the solution.

Furthermore, an Obama-Clinton ticket is flawed. A presidential ticket needs ideological balance; therefore the Democratic Party should not have two liberals with identical voting records on the ticket.

Senator Obama is a basketball fan. He should use the 1997 NBA draft as a guide to selecting his running mate. Wake Forest center Tim Duncan was the first player selected in the draft. The talent gap between the first and second pick (Keith Van Horn) was huge. In fact, the 1997 draft only produced three All Stars: Duncan, Chauncey Billups and Tracy McGrady.

The talent gap between the first person who should be considered for vice president and the other contenders is also vast. There is truly only one viable Democratic vice presidential candidate: Senator Jim Webb from Virginia. The credentials of any other nominee would pale in comparison.

Like Senator Obama, Mr. Webb is a published author. He wrote eight books, six are best selling novels. He has worked as a screenwriter and Hollywood producer. Mr. Webb won an Emmy award for the PBS coverage of the US Marines in Beirut.

Senator Webb adds military credentials to the ticket. Mr. Webb graduated from the Navel Academy in 1968. He received the Superintendent’s Commendation for outstanding leadership contributions.

Mr. Webb graduated first in his class at the Marine Corps Officers’ Basic School in Quantico. He served with the Fifth Marine Regiment in Vietnam. Senator Webb served in Vietnam with honor and distinction. He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts.

Senator Webb’s service in Vietnam counteracts Senator McCain’s service in Vietnam. In fact, Mr. Webb is a sharp contrast from current Vice President Dick Cheney who did not serve because he had other priorities during the Vietnam War.

Senator Webb’s service in the Marine Corps demonstrated strong leadership skills. Mr. Webb served as a platoon commander. He was an instructor in tactics and weapons at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School. He served on the Secretary of the Navy’s immediate staff before he left the Marine Corps in 1972.

After the Vietnam War, Mr. Webb attended Georgetown University Law and graduated with a law degree in 1975. Mr. Webb was a staff member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs from 1977 to 1981. Mr. Webb established his credentials regarding veteran’s issues. During this period, he represented veteran’s pro-bono.

Mr. Webb served, during the Reagan Administration, as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from 1984 to 1987. He became the first Naval Academy graduate to serve as Secretary of the Navy In 1987.

Democrats are portrayed as weak regarding national security issues. Selecting a marine who served in Vietnam, and was the Secretary of the Navy under conservative icon Ronald Reagan would counter that argument.

Furthermore, Mr. Webb is qualified to assume the presidency in the event of an emergency.

Senator Webb is a Reagan Democrat. He could attract other Reagan Democrats back to the Democratic Party as Senator Obama’s running mate. Furthermore, Mr. Webb balances the ticket ideologically. Mr. Webb is a conservative Democrat, thus strengthening Mr. Obama’s argument about unifying the country.

The Iraq War will be a major issue in the presidential campaign. Choosing a running mate who supported the war at its inception, but later changed his mind would encourage the Republican Party to attack the vice presidential nominee, labeling him a flip-flopper. Senator Kerry became a target in 2004 when he was unable to clearly explain his position on the war in Iraq.

Mr. Webb displayed leadership prior to the Iraq War. He wrote an article published in the Washington Post arguing against an invasion of Iraq before the Bush Administration initiated the public relations campaign to launch the war. His analysis demonstrated discerning insight. “The issue before us is not simply whether the United States should end the regime of Saddam Hussein, but whether we as a nation are prepared to physically occupy territory in the Middle East for the next 30 to 50 years. Those who are pushing for a unilateral war in Iraq know full well that there is no exit strategy if we invade and stay… Their expectation is that the United States would not only change Iraq’s regime, but also remain as a long-term occupation force in an attempt to reconstruct Iraqi society itself.”[i]

Mr. Webb had a better understanding of the politics in the Middle East than the Bush Administration. “The Iraqis are a multiethnic people filled with competing factions who in many cases would view a U.S occupation as infidels invading the cradle of Islam. Indeed, this very bitterness provided Osama bin Laden the grist for his recruitment efforts in Saudi Arabia when the United States kept bases on Saudi soil after the Gulf War.”[ii]

Mr. Webb’s foreign policy goals would correspond with Senator Obama’s. “Unilateral wars designed to bring about regime change and a long-term occupation should be undertaken only when a nation’s existence is clearly at stake.”[iii]

Senator Obama wants to withdraw U.S. troops in Iraq over the period of 16 months. He will need someone with a strong military background to counter the arguments from the neo-conservatives who will have a platform to make their accusations on cable talk shows and talk radio.

Selecting Senator Webb would demonstrate Senator Obama is not insecure or intimidated about choosing a running mate with stature and prestige, unlike former President George H.W. Bush who was criticized for selecting Dan Quayle, a political lightweight, as his running mate.

Race will be an issue in the general election. “You’ve got some conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African American candidate,” said Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.[iv] He was correct.

However, Senator Webb should be able to inoculate Senator Obama from white voters who would not consider voting for a black man. Mr. Webb could nullify the racist elements from the presidential campaign. In effect, Mr. Webb will vouch for Senator Obama’s character.

The Democratic Party is perceived as antimilitary. Senator Webb said he became a Republican after the Vietnam War because of the Democratic Party’s position during the war. Selecting Mr. Webb could repair the damage.

Senator Webb introduced a new GI Bill to provide military personnel with “comprehensive educational benefits.” An Obama-Webb ticket could make the new GI Bill a major issue in the presidential campaign. Furthermore, the Democrats should make the care of veterans a central issue in the campaign, to provide better healthcare, more services, and shelter to all veterans who proudly served in the military.

Politically, enhancing services to veterans will expose the hypocrisy of the Republican Party who claim to support the troops, but refuse to fund programs for veterans. Senator McCain is against the new GI Bill. Furthermore, Mr. McCain “voted to kill an amendment that would have increased veteran medical care by $2.8 billion in 2006… Just a year later McCain voted against an amendment that would have increased Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid by closing corporate tax loopholes.”[v]

Senator Obama is on the verge of making history by becoming our nation’s first African American president. It will be an accomplishment that will echo throughout the world. Our country will recover a measure of respect. Senator James Webb from Virginia is an excellent vice presidential candidate who will greatly contribute to Senator Obama’s historic achievement.



Please visit http://webb.senate.gov/ for more information about Senator Jim Webb. The website was an invaluable source for this article.

[i] James Webb, “Heading For Trouble,” The Washington Post, September 4, 2002.
[ii] James Webb, “Heading For Trouble,” The Washington Post, September 4, 2002.
[iii] James Webb, “Heading For Trouble,” The Washington Post, September 4, 2002.
[iv] Gaiutra Bahadur, “The Keys to the Keystone State,” The Nation, May 5, 2008.
[v] Brian Beutler, “McCain Sells Out Vets,” The Nation, June 2, 2008.