What Might Have Been?... Alternative Democratic Nominees And Their Alternative Running Mates

I am a political nerd (a designation of which I am rather proud, by the way), and perhaps hopelessly so, given the fact that I speculate not only on the current political "scene" but also on what might have been. I guess I simply find such speculation interesting, and I don't think I ought to be ashamed of that--much to the contrary, actually, as I find that exploring "could-have-been" scenarios keeps the political grey cells active.

I am quite happy with this election cycle's U.S. presidential choices, Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain. (Of the two, I support Senator Obama.) But I often think to myself, "Okay, that's reality, and it's a good one. But what might have happened if [...fill-in-the-blank...] were to have won the Democratic or Republican nomination? Who would that person have selected to be his or her running mate?"

In the interests of letting my imagination run (once again) in the direction of alternative political universes, I have decided to share some of my ideas regarding who other "Democratic nominees" may have chosen to be their running mates--and why--and I invite any and all readers to do likewise. (I may or may not do something similar relatively soon with the Republicans.) Please indulge me, folks--such speculation placates a relatively active corner of my political mind....

1.) "Democratic nominee" Hillary Clinton's potential running mates: Wesley Clark; Barack Obama; Bill Richardson.

This is obviously the best person with which to start, as she gave Barack Obama a real run for his money in the primaries, and then some. Given this tightly-contested situation, Hillary Clinton would surely have selected Barack Obama to be her running mate, due to his insurgent campaign's strength and wide-ranging support. But who would she have selected if she ran away with the nomination, wrapping it up far closer to Super Tuesday in early February?...

Two names leap to mind, the first of which is General Wesley Clark, who would have helped her in the South and with military families, as well as with some skeptical independent-voting men, and men and women for whom national security is a big priority. The second is Bill Richardson, who in this scenario would not have endorsed Barack Obama. He worked in several important capacities for President Bill Clinton, and this time around would have helped her with the emerging Western swing-states. He would also have consolidated and expanded her already considerable popularity among Hispanic voters.

(*Note: I can certainly see Hillary Clinton as the president, but I find it hard to envision her as vice president, for a number of different reasons, which is why she won't appear later in this posting.)

2.) "Democratic nominee" John Edwards' potential running mates: Chet Edwards; Jack Reed.

John Edwards came in (a distant) third in the primary process this time around, so it's natural at this point to discuss who he would have selected to be his running mate (despite the fact that his on-going extra-marital affair would have probably destroyed his chances of winning the presidency.)

This is a tough one, as I'm not sure many folks would "mesh" well with him. Still, I've come up with two names, the first of which is U.S. Congressman Chet Edwards, who happens to be from Texas. (The "Edwards/Edwards" and "Edwards x 2" slogans would be easy to remember, at least....) He may have helped his potential boss with veterans and perhaps military families, for whom he's advocated in congress for years, and he'd probably have helped with moderates who think of John Edwards as being "too liberal," as well. He could also perhaps have helped with a few South-Western states and at least distract John McCain enough in Texas to put the ticket over the top somewhere else.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed, somewhat boring but solid insofar as credibility and integrity are concerned, might also have been a good running mate for John Edwards. Though a North-Easterner, Reed's military background and good-guy persona would probably have been enough to overcome any "elite liberal" labels the Republicans would have tried to hang on him. Like Chet Edwards, his no-frills speaking style might also have helped off-set John Edwards' overly-slick speaking style.

3.) "Democratic nominee" Bill Richardson's potential running mates: Evan Bayh; Wesley Clark.

Bill Richardson would have been a fun nominee because of his gregarious (almost to a fault) nature. Yet because of this aspect of his political personality, he would have required a quieter, rather uncontroversial, somewhat boring running mate. U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, from Indiana, fits the bill almost perfectly, and he's from a traditionally red state that his (statewide) popularity could have helped turn blue, as well. A former governor and now senator, he and Richardson (a former congressman, U.N. Ambassador, Energy Secretary, and current governor) could rightfully have declared themselves to be one of the most experienced presidential tickets in recent memory, and, given Richardson's paradigm-shifting time as New Mexico's governor, agents of change, as well. Plus, Richardson would have appealed to Hispanics while Bayh would have appealed to white suburbanites--and they'd both have appealed to some moderate Republicans. That would have been one hell of a strong ticket.

Given Governor Richardson's liberal-leaning stances on the Iraq War and Mideast policy, he might have also selected Wesley Clark as his running mate, in order to bolster his credentials amongst military families and skeptical Southerners.

4.) "Democratic nominee" Joe Biden's potential running mates: Barack Obama; Brian Schweitzer.

I am a huge fan of the Obama/Biden ticket, and I would have been an equally huge fan of a Biden/Obama ticket. These guys compliment each other nicely, and in a number of ways: the fired-up political conviction of Biden and the always-cool political conviction of Obama would have (and, in its present form, does) off-set each other very well; the international political experience of Biden would work nicely alongside the international personal experience of Obama; the political experience of Biden at the national level would work well alongside the working-his-way-up political outsider status of Obama; Biden's life-long Catholicism would compliment the more complex religious journey Obama took in order to become a Christian; etc.

Oddly, I think another fired-up individual, Brian Schweitzer (the present governor of Montana), would also have been a strong running mate for Biden. Normally, I would counsel against two such folks running as a team, but I'd make an exception in Schweitzer's case, for a number of reasons. First of all, he's a Westerner (and obviously so, given his Western-themed dress sense) who could help Biden compete in a lot of Western (and nearby) states--Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, even North Dakota--not all of which have been swing-states in the recent past. Secondly, his "Woooo-ieeeee!" style of oratory was a hit at the Democratic National Convention, and it is a lot different than Biden's more Eastern type of hard-hitting oratory, in which he mixes blue collar tough-talk with academic words like "metastasize." Hence, the two styles would not be likely to clash, but rather compliment each other. What a "wowser" team this one would have been....

5.) "Democratic nominee" Chris Dodd's potential running mates: Tim Kaine; Brian Schweitzer.

Chris Dodd is the only remaining Democrat who had a chance (though it was certainly a long-shot) at somehow pulling a rabbit out of his hat and winning his party's nomination. It didn't happen. If it had, however, I think that Tim Kaine, the governor of Virginia, would have made for a fine running mate. This is because Governor Kaine would have helped with the Catholic vote, the Southern vote (particularly in Virginia and--perhaps--North Carolina), and the blue collar vote. That he was born in the Midwest might also have been a bonus with a few critical voters from Midwestern swing-states, of which there are several. Kaine is less overtly cerebral--and is therefore often seen as less "elite"--than Dodd, which would have benefited the ticket, as well.

If not Tim Kaine, perhaps Brian Schweitzer would have made a good running mate for Dodd, for many of the same reasons he would have made a good running mate for Joe Biden. And, given that Dodd's appeal does not necessarily extend to as many blue collar voters as does Biden's, Schweitzer could have helped in that area, as well.

* Final Note: Of course, there are other folks who would have made fine running mates, as well, such as Mark Warner, Kathleen Sebelius, Jim Webb, etc., etc....