Veep in the Middle

I think is the other way around, Obama's lack of foreign experience is the reason why his choice should be someone perceived as experienced on foreign policy. Don't try to sell the "would make Obama look insecure" line. He should be insecure or you think a 3-day tour of the middle east & Europe makes replaces his lack of experience. Polls after polls the a majority of americans perceive Obama as not ready to be commander in chief. Polls also reflect that in such a big Democratic year Obama has not close the deal yet. He needs at least 45 % of whites and 12% of independents to be elected. According to the polls it is not happening yet. I guess your article is trying to persuade those who have not been touch with Obama's mania.

Oops! The New Yorker satire not 'the Newseek Satire". Newsweek should do one too though.

Chances are good that his wife will encourage him to pick a black man just to cover his butt. The Newsweek satire was right on the money. That lady is a pushy broad.

Your description of Obama as electrifying confounds those of us who consider his lack of preparedness to serve as our president as simply shocking.

As a gay person, I take strong exception to Alter's statement, " While gays would protest loudly if Nunn is the nominee, his selection would show Obama's independent streak in standing up to a powerful Democratic interest group." Alter criticized Hillary for her supposed racism, but here Alter is making an unconscionable argument saying it is alright to deny a whole class of people their rights. Although I am a Hillary supporter, Obma would not have to pick her as VP for me to vote for him. However, if he picks Nunn, he will not get my vote.

I JUST SAW A POLL OF HILARY SUPPORTERS THAT MOST ARE NOT COMING OVER TO OBAMA.
I AM ONE OF THOSE SUPPORTERS AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IF HILARY IS NOT PICKED AS V.P. I WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR OBAMA. I WILL BE WRITING IN HILARY'S NAME...EVEN IF IT DOES NO GOOD. YES, I KNOW MANY PUNDITS SAY HOW STUPID. WELL IF YOU CALL STUPID STANDING UP FOR A PRINCIPLE AND THE 18 MILLION PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HILARY. SHE HAS EARNED HER PLACE ON THE TICKET. IF THE TRUTH BE KNOWN, SHE WON THE POPULAR VOTE. I WOULD ALMOST PROMISE YOU THAT OBAMA WILL LOSE THIS ELECTION WITH THE HILARY VOTERS AND THE CLOSET WHITE VOTERS WHO ARE PREDJUDICED AS MEAN AS THAT MAY SOUND....

I think Mr. Alter is right on EXCEPT he just needs to change the name --- BOB GRAHAM!
His foreign policy credentials are arguably as impressive as he was the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and like Sam Nunn continues to work in the field - now as Chairman for Congressionally Mandated Committee on Weapons of Mass Destruction and Proliferation. However, he beats Sam Nunn across the board on all of Senator Nunn's strength's. Electorally - with Graham on the ticket you have a REAL chance of winning the VP's home state and Florida over Georgia is a no brainer. He is also arguably better prepared for the job because unlike Nunn - Senator Graham has executive experience as he was and still remains one of the most popular (two term) Governor's in the State's history
In addition - though they both oppossed the war - Graham was STILL a Senator which means that the heat of saying your against the war at a Georgetown cocktail party is considerably less then doing so on the floor of the Senate (which Graham was widely criticized for).
Furthermore, though Graham is definitely a moderate, he is not as conservative as Nunn and though everyone has a questionable vote or two Graham would certainly not run into the same voting record hurdles.
Enviornment, education, etc.... Graham's a better pick across the board.
Finally, though Graham has suffered from some of the same knocks as Nunn (lack of charisma, not exciting enough) I do agree with Mr. Alter that those are so insignificant in this election.
I can't think of a more experienced (30+ years) do no harm, trusted advisor with no personal agenda, advantageous pick. If only Mr. Alter had thought hard enough about the Better pick for his theory.

A better choice is Governor Schweitzer of Montana. He is pro-gun, has successfully run businesses on 5 continents, has done some truly inovative things in Montana with regard to energy, and speaks fluent Arabic.

He is also a democrat in a western state.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580387,00.html

If Nunn is VP One year from now O bama would be a one year old ghost.Military complex man.Keep the war going.Screw him.

Did you know that if McCain is elected you will have to pay income tax on the value of the medical insurance that your employer gives you? Worse still, he is offering a tax break for people who pay their own insurance, BUT only $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families.

Let's say you have a family of four. Your insurance policy costs would be at least $1,500-2,000 per month under a self-pay plan, which cost more than employer group plans. So, you pay $18,000 -$30,000 per year for insurance, and you get to deduct only $5,000 of that. If you paid $25,000 for you insurance, you would be out of pocket $20,000 per year. This is FAR WORSE than the current system, where if you are self employed you can deduct 100% of you medical insurance costs.

So, if you're not self employed, you would stick with your Employer's plan. Employer plans for a family of four have a value of $900-$1,500 per month totaling 10,800-$18,000 per year. Surprise! On April 15th, you owe tax on all of that as INCOME to you. Say your bracket is 25%, and the value of your Employer medical plan is $14,000. You will OWE THE IRS an additional $3,500, and that's ON TOP of whatever monthly premium you already pay to your employer for your insurance.

Many analysts say that McCain's new rules would encourage employers to stop offering health benefits. If that happened, then far fewer Americans would be insured than are insured today, because what family of four can afford $18,000-30,000 out of pocket per year for self-pay health insurance?

Furthermore, McCain's plan does not require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions of people who self-pay their insurance. People under employer group plans have all of their pre-existing conditions covered. This is a hugely unfair aspect of the current system. Insurance companies can afford to cover the pre-existing conditions of the much larger pool of people with group insurance, but they refuse to pay the pre-existing conditions on the smaller pool of self-pay customers. They have been allowed to price gouge the self-pay customers, which is a form of market manipulation that should be illegal.

So let's say one of your kids had diabetes and you have high blood pressure, then your employer stops offering insurance. You now have to buy your own, but you and your child are INELIGIBLE due to pre-existing conditions. Oh, yeah, they will let you buy the insurance, but you can't use it for any pre-existing condition until you have paid on time every month for two years. And you know what happens at one year and 11 months? You get a letter saying your policy has been cancelled. I have many patients this has happened to.

McCain's plan SUCKS.

It does nothing to help middle class working Americans afford or obtain medical insurance. In fact, it makes the current system WORSE.

Centrisim, Triangualation. Anyone who wants to be President has to understand these concepts. We will pull out of Iraq when OBAMA takes the Presidency. However, every President has to listen to those "in charge" of the war before any Military decisions are made. THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE WAR HAve already started to build A HUNDRED YEAR FOUNDATION in IRAQ. McCAIN INTENDS TO FINISH THE JOB.
THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE WAR HAVE ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN IRAQ. THEY WILL MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT TO PULL OUR TROOPS OUT.

OBAMA IS ALREADY ACTING LIKE AN EXPERIENCED PRESIDENT.
People need to understand a UNIVERSAL LAW
NOTHING IS CONSTANT
THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. IT IS PART OF HUMAN EVOLUTION.

I have been praying for twenty years Sen. Sam might run for POTUS someday. When I moved to GA. in '70 he was a looney saber-rattling hawk, now he is the moderate voice of reason, the thing is he has stayed fast while the landscape shifted around him... interesting times indeed.