By NADIA PFLAUM
Obama and Sebelius in Kansas City earlier this year.
Looks like the blog Jezebel.com is the latest in a long line of news sources taking interest in Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, as a potential VP for Sen. Barack Obama. In this post, accompanied by the great Vogue portrait of Kansas’ First Lady, the Jezzies are pointing out ways in which Sebelius’ womanhood might get in the way of a possible VP nomination.
The Wall Street Journal filed this report on the subject.
Meanwhile, Newsweek’s blog gave this rundown on the Kansas governor and deemed it necessary to include this stomach-wrenching quote from New York Magazine, whose source, a “Democratic operative,” wisely decided to go unnamed:
"They'd look too much like a couple together. [Putting her on the ticket] would risk evoking on a subconscious level every American trope about miscegenation — a recurrent, threatening theme throughout our cultural and political history... And that's exactly the kind of anxiety you do not want to raise in white working-class men — the fear that this handsome, charismatic black guy is after their women.”
But whew! The Los Angeles Times , in this story, says that vice presidents don’t matter anyway (then goes on to recommend Sebelius for Obama).
Back in June, Slate.com was also hemming and hawing in this piece about whether a Sebelius VP nomination would soothe or rankle Hillary supporters.
Walter Shapiro at Salon.com calls Sebelius “the other woman.”
Whenever I think about Obama’s choices for VP, I get excited by names like New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and our own Sebelius. Then I end up canning those ideas, figuring that Obama has to water down his historic candidacy by choosing a white, preferably Southern man.
And then I feel sad.
Check back here for more Sebelius links as we see ’em.
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i know, right? and she's so talented. this thing about miscegenation, i think, might be a point, given bill clinton's legacy to democrats (still like him though). But she's plenty professional. And so is barack, so i'm sure they'd manage to project a positive professional chemistry and personal chemistry that exudes competence rather than anything sexual. And the fact that Obama's got more chemistry with michelle than anyone else and the fact that michelle would definitely have a girlfriend relationship with kathleen would definitely quell that. but yeah, that's a boobietrap they have to be aware of. three other things though: 1. abortion would be front and center and they'd have to run on the platform of abortion reduction. 2. they're both unknowns. my sense is someone who's struggling with mortgages and all the financial hunch plus the security questions and doesn't follow politics often would hear one of those repubs talking points about experience and they might be turned off. unless you've got the ground game to educate the nation and not rely on the traditional media and cable news, you've got yourself an uphill climb. 3. foreign policy experience. although obama's trip next week abroad, if flawless could definitely give him the edge on foreign policy. He could cement it with a responsible plan for withdrawal that the military could gush about, and that would make people feel that's under control and no genocide is gonna take place. kerry didn't sell that. so, he lost because people didn't wanna take chances. but i think so much of that depends on whether or not he makes any missteps on his trip abroad to pass the commander in chief question. i mean, this is gonna be,possibly, as big as the convention if done right. but if he makes any kinda missteps like mccain did on his trip to iraq, then he might lose unless he chooses joe biden. what do you think? no one's having thoughtful discussions, so i'll be back prolly tom and see if you respond. would love to know what you think
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