Obama begins running-mate search

Page last updated at 20:26 GMT, Wednesday, 4 June 2008 21:26 UK


Mr Obama could be the first black
candidate from a major political party


Barack Obama has announced a high-profile team to help select his running mate, after declaring himself the Democrat nominee for US president.

At the end of the Democrats' primary season on Tuesday, Mr Obama had secured the support of enough delegates to clinch the nomination.

But his rival, Hillary Clinton, has yet to concede.

If confirmed, he would be the first black presidential candidate from a major political party.

Mr Obama's three-member panel comprises Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John Kennedy, former deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Jim Johnson.

Mr Johnson performed the same selection task for John Kerry in 2004.

Clinton 'open'

"Senator Obama is pleased to have three talented and dedicated individuals managing this rigorous process," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Illinois senator.

DELEGATE COUNT
Winner: Needs 2,118 delegates
Super-delegates: Obama, 389; Clinton, 282
Total delegates: Obama, 2,154; Clinton, 1,919
South Dakota and Montana (early results): Obama, 15; Clinton, 13
Source: AP projections at 1000 GMT on 4 June


"He will work closely with them in the coming weeks but ultimately this will be his decision and his alone."

Earlier, Mr Obama had paid tribute to Mrs Clinton and hinted that she would play a role in any future Obama administration.

Although she has yet to concede, Mrs Clinton has said she would be "open" to the idea of being Mr Obama's vice-presidential running-mate.

Referring to a brief conversation he had held with his defeated rival, the Illinois senator said: "I'm very confident of how we're going to be able to bring the party together."

The Republican party's candidate, John McCain has challenged Mr Obama to take part in debates in 10 town hall meetings before August's Democratic convention, and the Obama team is said to be considering the invitation.

The final primaries of the season were held on Tuesday - with Mr Obama winning Montana and Mrs Clinton winning South Dakota.

A candidate needs 2,118 delegates to secure the nomination and Mr Obama now has the support of 2,154 delegates. Mrs Clinton has 1,919.

Reference Source

He may have won the nomination race, but he didn't finish in a blaze of glory.

At the moment the polls show that he and McCain are in vertually tied.

Has anybody heard her say that she is open to the VP position, or this another fishing expedition by the Maedia??
I have listened to her speeches and there isn't anything to suggest that wants the VP job..

I would like to suggest Wickedford Burke for Obama's running mate. He would get the black racist vote for Obama, especially the ones from CDIG. All of the ONE CDIG's vote will make Obama president.

Stalin, you should read the article from Le Grasse in Fridays NY Times in which the polls mathematically predicted that if the elections were held TODAY Hillary would win via the marginal states. Basically, he argues that Hillary is quitting while she is ahead. Hillary would not only beat Obama but also McCain if the elections were held on June 8 2008.

Without Hillary's involvement, he will never get there.

Poll: Obama leads McCain nationally by slight margin

By The Associated Press
Friday, June 06, 2008 -– 53 minutes ago

THE RACE: The presidential race nationally

___

THE NUMBERS

Barack Obama, 47 percent

John McCain, 43 percent

Ralph Nader, 6 percent

___

OF INTEREST:

If Nader, the independent, is not included, Obama's lead is 49 percent to 46 percent. About one in five voters say they may change their minds. Four in 10 Democrats say Hillary Rodham Clinton should stay in the race until the party's August convention. If she is Obama's running mate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is McCain's, the Democrats' lead is 6 percentage points. Just over half of Democrats want Obama to put Clinton on his ticket, and if he doesn't one in four want her to fight for the spot at the convention. More than four in 10 Republicans still say they'd rather see the GOP nominate someone besides McCain.

___

The CNN-Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted June 4-5 and included telephone interviews with 921 registered voters. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Also included were interviews with 447 Democrats and 435 Republicans, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 points for each.

COMPLETE RESULTS: http://www.cnn.com

Reference Source

quote:

Originally posted by Na Cl:
Without Hillary's involvement, he will never get there.

...she only mekin bassa-bassa
but she gon accept if he offer ...simple... he nah gon las lang as president ...3 mths president then assassination an then (tan-tah-tah-dah)...ANUDDER Clinton ERA...

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)
shakes hands during a Chicago 2016 Olympics rally in Chicago June 6, 2008.

REUTERS/John Gress

========================

Obama's vice presidential choice now the focus
Sun Jun 8, 2008 12:53pm EDT

By David Wiessler

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With Hillary Clinton out of the U.S. presidential race, Democrats on Sunday began healing wounds from a bruising nominating contest and speculated about Barack Obama's vice presidential choice.

Obama, who clinched the Democratic presidential nomination last week, was off the campaign trail, preparing for a tour of the country in his race against the presumptive Republican candidate John McCain in November.

His next major decision was his choice of running mate. Clinton, who officially bowed out of the campaign on Saturday and threw her support to the Illinois senator, has strong support from some in the party but is far from the only possible contender.

"No one brings to a ticket what Hillary brings," California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said on ABC's "This Week."

Feinstein, who hosted a private meeting between Obama and Clinton on Thursday night, cited Clinton achievement in winning around 18 million votes during the nominating contests with particular strength among women and working class Democrats.

"I do think she has a chance, but that's up to him," Feinstein said. "It's going to take some time. The nerve endings have to be healed. They are being healed."

Clinton, a former first lady and New York senator, was out of the public eye but in the past has asked her supporters not to mount a vice presidential campaign for her.

"It's not a job that she's seeking and it's not a job that she's campaigning for," her campaign communications director, Howard Wolfson, said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "But she has made it clear, during the campaign and now, that she will do whatever she can and whatever she is asked."

DOING THE V.P. DANCE

It is traditional for possible vice presidential candidates to say they are not seeking or even thinking about the job -- part of the dance they have to do. Few actually say they would not accept if asked to take the job.

Guests on the Sunday television talk shows were in full "V.P. dance" mode.

"I'm not expecting it, don't spend a lot of time thinking about it," Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia said on "Fox News Sunday." "Of course, it would be difficult for anybody in those circumstances to say no."

"I would leave that to Barack Obama," Sen. Jim Webb, a fellow Virginia Democrat, told CBS. "I'm happy to give him as much advice as I can, and support. I'm not really looking to be in that spot."

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota said on Fox, "It would be an honor to be mentioned, honor to be asked. "It would be difficult to turn that down. But I don't have any designs."

Democrats have not won Virginia in a presidential race since 1964 and Republicans have not won in Minnesota since 1972. But both parties think they could win those states this year.

To win swing states, Obama must continue to draw support from independents as he did in the nominating contests and win the backing of the millions who voted for Clinton, a fair number of whom have indicated they are upset at her loss and are considering voting for McCain.

"Party unity is obviously one of the very top features that the Obama team will be weighing as they make the decision about the V.P.," Kaine said.

In her departure speech on Saturday, Clinton asked her supporters to rally behind Obama. She drew attention to the historic battle they waged between the first serious woman presidential candidate and possibly the first lack president.

"Using Senator Clinton's help, he needs to reach out to the Clinton supporters, and he needs to reassure them as to what he would do in the agenda for change, because the comparisons with McCain are very stark," Feinstein said.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)


Reference Source - Reuters

quote:

Originally posted by MARABUNTA:

quote:

Originally posted by Na Cl:
Without Hillary's involvement, he will never get there.

...she only mekin bassa-bassa
but she gon accept if he offer ...simple... he nah gon las lang as president ...3 mths president then assassination an then (tan-tah-tah-dah)...ANUDDER Clinton ERA...

This might pass for joke, but you really don't know the Clintons. They would have Obama wiped out if they believe he is blocking them. These Clintons had many associates who died mysterious deaths. But I think the country will erupt if he gets assassinated and it happens while there is a public rift between Obama and the Clintons.

Obama has the United States Secrite Servics, protecting him. Not members of the Guyana Police Force. The USSS is a professional force, and will not easily allow and assisnation to accur. This is not the 60s.

quote:

Originally posted by Communicator:

quote:

Originally posted by MARABUNTA:

quote:

Originally posted by Na Cl:
Without Hillary's involvement, he will never get there.

...she only mekin bassa-bassa
but she gon accept if he offer ...simple... he nah gon las lang as president ...3 mths president then assassination an then (tan-tah-tah-dah)...ANUDDER Clinton ERA...

This might pass for joke, but you really don't know the Clintons. They would have Obama wiped out if they believe he is blocking them. These Clintons had many associates who died mysterious deaths. But I think the country will erupt if he gets assassinated and it happens while there is a public rift between Obama and the Clintons.

This is highly speculative, irresponsible, and downright libellous. Who are these Clinton associates who died mysterious deaths?

These fools only talk shyte EA. For as long as anyone can remember, Obama has been ahead of Clinton in the national Democratic poll while he and McCain has stayed very close. In the end, Obama with Hillary or not, will walk away with the presidency leaving McCain scratching his head. I still would like to see him pick Hillary as VP though.

There was a one hour special on Obama yesterday on MSNBC and it shows how remarkable he really is. And an advice for you racist Guyanese. If you can't vote for his half blackness, then vote for his half whiteness. It is strange that we still refer to him as black when he is half and half. Like latte.

Or you can vote for full white McCain and continue to live in the shit that the Republicans have put us in during the last seven years.

quote:

Originally posted by ksazma:
And an advice for you racist Guyanese. If you can't vote for his half blackness, then vote for his half whiteness. It is strange that we still refer to him as black when he is half and half. Like latte.

Guyaneze doz look at de hair! De man need to get a Sharpton hairstyle!

quote:

Originally posted by ksazma:

a)If you can't vote for his half blackness, then vote for his half whiteness. It is strange that we still refer to him as black when he is half and half. Like latte.

Or you can vote for full white McCain and continue to live in the shit that the Republicans have put us in during the last seven years.

a) Your reasoning to vote for Obama is absurd.

b) you assumption that if you vote for a white man, you'll live in shyte is double absurd..

quote:

Originally posted by Na Cl:
Without Hillary's involvement, he will never get there.

After telling america that Obama will not be ready on day 1, do you think that anybody will believe her, if she canvasses for him now?
he will off without Hillary.

quote:

It is strange that we still refer to him as black when he is half and half.

...thereis no HALF & HALF...white mooma + black dadee = BLACK picknee...black mooma+white dadee = BLACK picknee...there is no MULATTO ...LATTE...DOUGLA...any mixture of black even 1/16 ...in WHITE america eyes yo is a
NIQQER...I have seen this repeatedly in this country...hence my analysis that THEY will not make him PRES....

quote:

Originally posted by MARABUNTA:

quote:

It is strange that we still refer to him as black when he is half and half.

...thereis no HALF & HALF...white mooma + black dadee = BLACK picknee...black mooma+white dadee = BLACK picknee...there is no MULATTO ...LATTE...DOUGLA...any mixture of black even 1/16 ...in WHITE america eyes yo is a
NIQQER...I have seen this repeatedly in this country...hence my analysis that THEY will not make him PRES....

That is what I am trying to break away from. His genes are mixed with a black and white perent.

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:
a) Your reasoning to vote for Obama is absurd.

b) you assumption that if you vote for a white man, you'll live in shyte is double absurd..

Like your math the other day, you are also missing brain cells. Where did I say that voting for a white man is going to cause us to live in shyte? Clinton was white as well as McCain but McCain is no Clinton.

Obama is ready and right for the job. Despite being the product of a black father. Who was an educated man I must add.

McCain can't even remember what he said ealier in the day. Inspite of being the product of white parents.