Home
In this issue
May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review Dec. 12, 2007 / 3 Teves, 5768

How about a GOPer for Obama's veep pick?

By Roger Simon


Printer Friendly Version

Email this article

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Sure, the press is making a big fuss over Barack Obama’s rising poll numbers, palpable momentum and huge campaign weekend with Oprah.

But you’ll know the press is really taking Obama seriously when it starts speculating on whom he wants for his vice president.

So let’s start speculating even though it is irresponsibly early to do so. (As always, we ask ourselves the question: If we are not irresponsible, who will be?)

There are some intriguing choices out there. But let’s begin by eliminating anybody now running against him for the nomination: Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd or Dennis Kucinich.

It’s not that none would make a good running mate; it’s that none would signal a real departure from the “old Washington textbook” ways that Obama criticizes.

What would be a departure?

How about a Republican on the ticket?

As near as I can determine, we haven’t had a major ticket made up of two different parties since Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, ran with Andrew Johnson, a War Democrat, under the National Union Party banner in 1864.  

Such a two-party ticket not only would be dramatic but it would be in keeping with Obama’s statement made at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, last month: “I don’t want to pit Red America against Blue America; I want to be the president of the United States of America.”

Which brings us to the possibility of:

Chuck Hagel — Placing Hagel, a Republican senator from Nebraska, on the ticket would be a way for Obama to reach out to anti-war Republicans. Hagel, like Obama, also supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. And there are other things they agree on.

“I have to say this is one of the most arrogant, incompetent administrations I’ve ever seen or ever read about,” Hagel has said. “They have failed the country.”

That sounds pretty much like what we are going to hear about the Bush administration at the Democratic convention.

But there is at least one big problem. Hagel has a strong pro-life voting record, which puts him at odds with Obama and most Democrats.

Hagel could, I am told, pledge to honor Obama’s pro-choice position in Supreme Court appointments should Hagel find himself president. Is such an agreement enforceable? No.

And would the Democratic convention, which would have to ratify Obama’s choice of a running mate, actually nominate a Republican?

Good question. That’s one reason the choice is so intriguing.

But Obama could go outside the Beltway for two less controversial choices:

Phil Bredesen — Not a household name, he is now the Democratic governor of Tennessee and a former mayor of Nashville. Bredesen is known for cutting spending when he has to, which is why some Republicans like him even more than some Democrats do. He also started a successful health care company, which gives him both business credentials and knowledge about an issue that is sure to be important in the general election.

Tim Kaine — The Democratic governor of Virginia, Kaine was a Catholic missionary in Honduras and a mayor of Richmond. He also has one other big qualification and one that gives him an advantage over Virginia Sen. Jim Webb: Kaine endorsed Barack Obama early. When Kaine was asked if he would consider a spot on the ticket, he replied: “I’ve got one term to be governor of Virginia, and that is my plan.” Plans have a way of changing, however.

There are at least three other choices that some people are talking about but we have a tough time seeing:

Michael Bloomberg — There is always a lot of buzz surrounding the mayor of New York. He once was a Democrat and then became a Republican and now is an independent, but he never seems to have the word “opportunist” attached to his name. He and Obama had a highly publicized breakfast recently, and while they ate eggs, toast and bacon, maybe they also talked turkey.

Bloomberg continues to allow his people to fuel speculation that he may run for president. But if Obama gets the Democratic nomination, could Bloomberg really run as an independent? Would he really want to be remembered for trying to prevent America from electing its first black president?

Would Bloomberg really take the running mate spot if it were offered to him, however? Somehow we have a hard time seeing Bloomberg as No. 2 to anybody.

Al Gore — Even though he was a two-term vice president, he is not barred by the Constitution from serving in that position again. But Gore has been there and done that. He has his Nobel Peace Prize, several million dollars and a global audience. So it is unlikely he wants to go back to being a second banana. Besides, he could still run for president again. Maybe.

Oprah — She would have to switch her residence from Illinois, since that is where Obama also resides, but what state would not welcome Oprah? There is one barrier, however: In Des Moines last weekend, somebody in the crowd shouted out that Obama should put Oprah on the ticket.

“You want Oprah as vice president?” Obama replied. “That would be a demotion.”

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


Comment on Roger Simon's column by clicking here.


Roger Simon Archives


© 2007, Creators Syndicate