The "Other Woman" VP - Will Obama Pick Sebelius?
Monday August 11, 2008
Is Kathleen Sebelius, Democratic governor of Kansas, about to be named Obama's running mate? Does she know something she's not telling? Team Obama sent the following email notice out to supporters last night:
Be the First to Know - Barack is about to choose a running mate, and he wants you to know first. You have helped build this movement from the bottom up, and Barack wants you to be part of this important moment. Sign up today and we'll send you an email announcing Barack's running mate.Sounds like they're pretty close to deciding. Those in the know say Sebelius is on the short 'short list' and is his best bet for a running mate. Her name was brought up as early as January 2007 as a possible VP choice in 2008. The Washington Post had this to say about her at the time:
The 58-year-old governor is a self-described "aging rocker" who squeezed a ride in an Indy race car and a Rolling Stones concert into the same day last year. She runs nearly 15 miles a week and regularly attends college football and basketball games.Some believe that it would be a slap in the face if another woman (i.e. a woman other than Hillary) is chosen for the VP slot, and that Obama doesn't dare risk this offense. Would die-hard Hillary supporters then completely turn away from the man they've labeled Nobama?Her wit occasionally gets her into trouble, as during a 2002 gubernatorial debate when she said driving roads in neighboring Missouri was "much more terrifying to me than the attacks on the World Trade Center."
Her father, John Gilligan, a Democrat, was governor of Ohio in 1971-75, making them the only father-daughter governors in U.S. history.
Hillary aside, Sebelius seems like an interesting choice. But is she his choice?
Photo of Governor Kathleen Sebelius © Jamie Rose/Getty Images
Related articles:
Comments
Worth mentioning: NOW, which is often cited as the most pro-Clinton of the special interest groups, spoke out in support of choosing Sebelius (and against choosing Kaine or Bayh):
http://www.now.org/news/note/073108.html
I’ve also had a lot of conversations with diehard Clinton supporters in the feminist movement who don’t understand the “Obama should not pick another woman” argument, and many of them find it offensive. So I dunno. My guess would be that if Obama chose a woman other than Clinton, that would tick off far fewer Clinton supporters than if he didn’t put a woman on the ticket at all–and that the people who would be ticked off by a female running mate have already decided not to vote for Obama anyway.
Clinton deserves a slap in the face but I’m still hoping for Caroline Kennedy.