(San Francisco, California)
Bill Kristol of "The Weekly Standard" was a guest this morning on "The Ronn Owens Show" on San Francisco's KGO-AM 810. The conservative Kristol said that if he were Barack Obama he would pick former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) as his running mate. 
Kerrey is a former governor and a decorated war hero.
Kerrey is a former governor and a decorated war hero. As I was driving on the interstate, listening to the show, I just had to call in with my opinions. I promised to blog about it today, so here we go on this fascinating idea!
When picking a running mate, the presidential nominee has to ask, "What do you bring to the table?" This is where Al Gore and John Kerry (no relation) lost their bids for the White House. The first question then for Bob Kerrey is, "Can you win your own state and its electoral votes?" (Something Al Gore and John Edwards failed to do). The answer in Kerrey's case is yes! He was a very popular one-term Governor of Nebraska and a two-term U.S. Senator. So he not only brings experience to the table, he brings viability. This is key, and here's why: The last Democrat to carry Nebraska in a presidential campaign was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Remember, the last two elections were decided by one state. So, if Kerry wins Nebraska for Obama and they take the remaining "blue states" from 2004, they win the White House. So he might be the right choice!
Kerrey can help the Democrats and Obama in other areas too. Obama, no matter how you slice it, is perilously short on experience; and the GOP will attack him for that. But if you attach someone who has been a governor and a senator and a successful businessman and a college president, you have a seasoned and mature candidate for VP to pair with a relatively inexperienced boss. Sound familiar? Walter Mondale, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore and Dick Cheney offered similar "chops" when they were running mates. They all won!
And finally, like John McCain, Bob Kerrey is a bona fide war hero and Navy SEAL. He lost part of a leg in an explosion while saving his fellow troops. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor. His military record gives him the military and foreign policy experience to match McCain. That has been a glaring hole in the resume of many other potential candidates.
Many people who aren't political junkies probably remember Bob Kerrey best when he was the boyfriend of actress Debra Winger back in the 1980s after she filmed "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Terms of Endearment." While they never married, their relationship was the buzz of Hollywood and the entertainment world. It made Bob Kerrey a household name, and many voters will know him best in that role. High name recognition is a huge political asset!
Bob Kerrey is 64, and Barack Obama is 46. They might be good "bookends" for the Democrats in November!
It's always on www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com
Kerrey can help the Democrats and Obama in other areas too. Obama, no matter how you slice it, is perilously short on experience; and the GOP will attack him for that. But if you attach someone who has been a governor and a senator and a successful businessman and a college president, you have a seasoned and mature candidate for VP to pair with a relatively inexperienced boss. Sound familiar? Walter Mondale, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore and Dick Cheney offered similar "chops" when they were running mates. They all won!
And finally, like John McCain, Bob Kerrey is a bona fide war hero and Navy SEAL. He lost part of a leg in an explosion while saving his fellow troops. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor. His military record gives him the military and foreign policy experience to match McCain. That has been a glaring hole in the resume of many other potential candidates.
Many people who aren't political junkies probably remember Bob Kerrey best when he was the boyfriend of actress Debra Winger back in the 1980s after she filmed "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Terms of Endearment." While they never married, their relationship was the buzz of Hollywood and the entertainment world. It made Bob Kerrey a household name, and many voters will know him best in that role. High name recognition is a huge political asset!
Bob Kerrey is 64, and Barack Obama is 46. They might be good "bookends" for the Democrats in November!
It's always on www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com
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