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Obama's Sleeper Cell: Chet Edwards?
Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Friday, Aug 22 2008, 11:43AM
The one concern that many in the VP prediction games have had is that there was a "sleeper candidate."
One of Joe Biden's close allies who kept telling me that they have heard nothing from the Obama camp and that there had been full "radio silence" pondered whether there was a sleeper candidate.
I mentioned that possibility.
Now, we have this odd leak of Congressman Chet Edwards as a new angle.
I still think Joe Biden is the right choice -- and until I learn more, I'm going to leave all this where it is. We'll know soon.
-- Steve Clemons
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Reader Comments (20) - post a comment
I agree 100% KathyF. And, I'm not sure the Constitution allows for
a Vice President named "Chet."
...gonna be Clinton. That's my final guess.
What a bone to toss. Edwards name is too familiar w/low information types.
Too much Johnny Haircut. WHat a sorry example of pandering.
Fact is, Obama has not chosen because he cannot choose. Someone else is telling him who to pick.
Interstingly, the ratings for stories about Obama not naming a VP yet can't break two and a half stars.
Four star Wes would have changed that....
Cool title. Not.
Steve, I fail to understand why you think Biden(D-MBNA) is a good
choice. he headed the SFRC at the time of the AUMF in Iraq and
voted for it. he failed to generate any excitement in his ?4?
presidential bids, his logorrhea and bloviating are legendary. he has
said some pretty embarrassing things this year about Obama that
will no doubt be resurrected if he gets the nod.
I could see him as Sec of State. but not much says "washington
establishment" like Biden. that does not feed the hope and change
theme that was allegedly Obama's premise for running.
IMO, Biden has as much if not more baggage than HRC.
Yeah, I am now so fired up for it to be Biden. I really think he makes the most sense now. He's got a great personal story to tell and he's one of the most knowledgeable voices on foreign affairs this country has. He will trounce McCain's VP in a debate and he will make mince meat of McCain's foreign policy vision over the next few months. He has a long record of bipartisanship in the Senate and he comes from a working class background. The Republican fear card will win big again on national security issues if Obama picks an inexperienced VP like Kaine or Chet Edwards.
Biden has as much if not more baggage than HRC -- and MUCH less support. He's Foggy Bottom material. I can't see him on the stump doing the Hopey Changey okie-doke from now until November.
http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/03d1652b-dd73-46f0-bda4-2b74353abefc.html
Bottom of the barrel time. People see the polls, few want to be stuck a future arsenal of endorsing Obama that would accompany the ticket sharing.
Bayh is the party pick so he can run in four years after McCain drives us further south in terms of world prestige and by then displays a kind of Reagan sensibility about himself(get him away fromt he Mic, have his wife finish his statements for him).
Boy, I feel like I'm seeing things through the looking glass.....so while all the '"guys'" on the short list are hovering around their homes/phones, Hillary is out there stumping for O'Bambi...Why? Because he called her at 3 a.m. and said. "Girl. you're the one...now let's get out there and shatter some ceilings together. Why is O'Bambi using some of her lines, if he doesn't think she had a message that resonated with voters he needs?
Yeah, Paul Begala was trumpeting Edwards last night.
Well, once again I am back to worrying about how any of the candidates usually mentioned can possibly match the hype that has surrounded the pick. It's shaping up to be a big letdown, no matter what.
Chet Edwards? Eh. Biden? Eh. Kaine, Sebelius, Richardson? Eh, Eh, Eh.
And then there are the "Oh, God no!" candidates: Bayh, Leberman.
I agree with Marty. The title of this post is in very bad taste.
Wes Clark trumps them all.
I have to 3rd Matt. "Sleeper Cell" is "ill-advised" and "unfortunate."
The real "Sleeper Cell" is Michelle Obama's "Black America (will wake up and vote for my husband because he's black)".
--
Wes Clark trumped them all -- in Oklahoma.
Chet Edwards looks like a good choice as he would help Democrats appeal to the center.
Nancy Pelosi had mentioned Chet Edwards, or responded to some talk of Chet Edwards, a couple weeks ago.
Less likely to jeopardize a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate.
I live in Chet Edward's district (Waco in the center extending to College Station to the southeast and the southern Fort Worth burbs in the north. The bizarre district was tailor-made by Tom DeLay in an attempt to defeat Edwards and put his own crony in the seat. Edwards beat them back in a vicious campaign in 2004. Edwards was so strong with the military and veteran's vote that DeLay's scheme to gerrymander him out of a seat was to strip Temple/Killeen and Fort Hood (nation's largest Army base) out of his district. Didn't work.
I'm not originally from this district. Moved here from the west coast to follow my wife's career about 5 years ago. I've been very impressed with Edwards and have campaigned locally for him. This is the most Republican district in the nation held by a Dem and Edwards usually cruises to victory on the strength of the veteran and centrist Republican vote Yet he is nothing like a Blue Dog. Politically he's a mainstream Dem. Yet he does the heartland Baptist thing really well. Very active in local Baptist church stuff in the Waco area and people know it. He has this small city heartland TV anchorman persona, very comforting and safe for all the church-going old timers. They like him. He would be the candidate to turn loose throughout the middle-America and southern swing states.
During Katrina Waco was flooded with refugees. Chet was volunteering down in the shelters every day and when one family showed up he just gave them the keys to his car and his house in Waco. Made no fuss about it, the press didn't catch wind until months later. His family was in DC so the house was unoccupied.
Chet often shows up at local events solo without any aids or handlers. And he'll just talk and and listen until everyone gets tired.
I don't dislike Biden. But Edwards would be a very good choice and we'd have the same "getting to know Chet" tour around the country that would go over very well with the middle of America voters that reportedly has difficulty with.
On the downside. The Dems would never again capture this district and Chet is not a big enough statewide figure to bring Texas with him.
Personally I see Chet as the Dem's best candidate to take Kay Bailey Hutchison's seat in the future when she retires or runs for governor as has been rumored.
I think Obama is part or a middle eastern sleeper cell. Raised in JAKARTA, Indonesia , refuses to say the pledge of allegiance and/or refuses to put his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance or even the national anthem.launched his political career with a fundraiser in the house of Bill Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist who—along with his wife Bernardine Dohrn—founded a radical Marxist group in the 1960s called the Weather Underground.
The Weather Underground was responsible for a number of bombings around the United States, including the U.S. Capitol building and the Pentagon.
Think people, we didnt know the 911 attackers were in the U.S. did we??????? And for how many years????????
Edwards lost his chance on August 8, when that other Edwards
screwed up the family name. An Obama-Edwards ticket would
never fly now
I would suggest this has a lot more to do with Bush's meeting with Hakim, and his (our?)reported tilt towards SCRI. We are, as incredoulous as this sounds, lining up AGAINEST the interests of the Saudis. And Sunnis. So, therefore against the interests of Egypt, and Jordan, among other states. And as well, against the interests of Israel. To help Iran's man!!!!!! Bush has turned the world upside down. And shook it. No wonder, Baker, Scrowcroft, et al are upset. A lot of decades of American policy, perhaps, down the drain. All to cover dim son's ass.
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