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When Second Place Matters

Carter Hendricks

Posted: 06.02.2008 / 5:34 PM EDT

Of course, I mean second on the ticket, the Presidential ticket that is. It would appear that the nominations are all but known at this point. Of course, I recognize that this is politics and anything can happen.

But, let me assume (at my own risk) that the nominees will be Obama and McCain. Though, I don’t rule out the possibility of a Clinton nomination. I do rule out the possibility of a Ron Paul nomination. Alas, anything is possible so I’ll admit that I’m wrong if I am wrong.

Nonetheless, I’ve never been more intrigued to learn who the VP choice is going to be for each of the two candidates. Like few times before, it seems to mean so much this year.

That’s really a testament to the fact that we have two major candidates with glaring issues that must be overcome.

For McCain, we have the issue of his support (or lack thereof) from the the Christian Conservatives and increasingly concern about his age.

Recently, a family member, 63 and registered Republican, shared that they were concerned about McCain’s age. They mentioned that they were considering voting for Obama as he represents change and fresh ideas. The problem is that our area is made up of a lot of older and conservative voters. They should prove to be McCain’s strength.

So, this age issue is one that McCain is going to have to deal with as he campaigns. How can he prove to us that he’s got the fight and vigor that it takes to lead the free world?

That’s going to be a challenge. Also, people are going to ask the question of who’s going to be in charge if the President is ill or worse.

It’s a question that will be front and center for McCain as he campaigns in the fall months. Because of this, it seems that McCain needs to identify a running mate who can appeal to the conservative core of the Republican party and who will convey a sense of youthful charisma…Governor Charlie Crist (Florida) may be able to do just that. Governor Tim Pawlenty (Minnesota)would be an interesting choice.

As for Obama, I’m looking forward to his choice as well. His appeal to upper income, moderates, independents, and young voters is well known. Yet, he continues to struggle in gaining traction among middle/ working class voters.

I’m not assuming that he’ll have problems as the general election approaches. But, his campaign ought to take the challenge seriously and they should consider VP choices that broaden his appeal.

For instance, Obama lost Kentucky big. He lost in our community by double digits and we were one of the closer areas. His support among minority voters was weaker here and his support from working class voters was low. In short, we followed the same trend that developed in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio.

This is cause for concern. Obama needs the middle/ working class voters, of all colors, to support him if he’s going to win in the general election. So, his VP choice has to be someone that appeals to this group. An obvious choice seems to be John Edwards. But, I’m sure there are others on the long list.

Whoever they decide, each candidate will need to choose somone that will round out the ticket well. I think many moderate and independent voters are paying attention to this very choice. With that in mind, I’ve never seen a time when second place has mattered more…