The Powell Puzzle

With all the noise from the UK article posted earlier on this blog on the Obama VP nod, it made me realize and start thinking about a possible McCain VP nod considering he's been the defacto winner for a while now.

All this analysis is assuming Obama gets the Dem nod:

The perceived nominee may in fact be McCain's friend and fellow war veteran Hagel as noted in the other post. But, I don't think McCain goes that route. Even if Obama selected whitey to be his VP nominee, the image of two old whitey's ticket in an election where there's a dynamic Presidential nominee of color, and one where "change" is THEE word...would probably be non-inspiring and lead to a smashing defeat for the McCain ticket barring some major terrorist event.

So, McCain would be smart to find some minority to add to the ticket, as he can bring his friend Hagel along as a cabinet member.

A woman? Frankly, this an incredibly unfair judgment to make upon a man such as McCain, but I think he has that old (some may argue, including me because of the beating Hill has taken) world view that says women are there to be seen not heard. We've only heard one peep out of Cindy McCain, just like we rarely heard from Laura Bush, and I think this view of "a woman's place" would prevent McCain from selecting a woman to be on the ticket. I suppose he could nominate some token women who is told to shut it, but she'd still have to say something during the VP debate(s). So, I think a woman is out.

A man of color would be the next only logical possibility. There is no current sitting African American Republican that I know of in the whole US Congress according to Wikipedia, Moreover, the only current prominent member of color who is a Republican and currently serving would be Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Florida). Since he's from Florida and happens to be Hispanic, that could be an option. Also, there are only two current sitting Republican Governors of color (Jindal of Louisiana) and one of them (The Terminator/Arnold-if you consider him a man of color, or just a well-tanned Austrian) is ineligible for Presidential election. Because of that, I think that takes out the Governator, plus he might end up being a larger than life candidate who would do the nearly impossible, overshadow McCain. Perhaps former Lt. Governor of Maryland, Michael Steele, who recently lost his bid to be the next Governor of that state back in 2006 would be an option as well, but these are people I admittedly know little about and how they'd fit in with McCain and his message/campaign.

So, what about a man of color who could bring both sides of the aisle together, who is respected by many mainstream people, and holds the same type of credentials McCain does? A guy like Colin Powell?

Powell, who was virtually begged to run in 2000, eventually decided against is because he says his wife was afraid he's be assassinated. As a VP candidate, that's much less likely to be the case, and even much less so this time around since all the wackos of that ilk will be focusing on the charismatic Obama. He helped sell the war of ill-repute that we are now mired in, but he can sneak out that in several easy ways. Not to mention the reports that he himself was dubious on the "evidence" he presented before the world...one of the reasons I have little to no respect for the man left.

I think McCain could make a very compelling case to Powell, and his wife. Hell, Powell could even pull a Cheney, saying he'll never run for the Presidency to assuage his wife's concerns. Powell would bring even more credibility not only to McCain, but to the Republican party (the party who Powell said he wouldn't leave to be a VP nominee for Gore).

Finally, in a race between Obama-McCain, the I believe the moderate center will be the key battleground. McCain cannot afford to go after his base, he is just going to have to hope they are scared shit less enough by the mere prospect of Obama that they come out a vote for him. The recent NY Times pseudo-flop has certainly helped get the right-wing whack-job-radiophiles on board.

Powell adds honor, and prestige while furthering the focus on McCain's service without him having to shove in our face like Kerry desperately tried to do. I'd argue that campaign (McCain-Powell, versus Obama-Gov. Jim Webb?) would be an epic campaign that I'd be more than willing to lose...because I think it would be largely an upstanding campaign/a civil discourse on what ails society as a whole.