The Backlash to Bayh

Every four years, it seems, Evan Bayh's name is floated as a possible vice presidential prospect. We're reminded of his good looks, adorable twins, resume as Governor and Senator from Indiana (where his chief accomplishment was getting re-elected), centrist record and overall "seriousness."

But a backlash is brewing against Bayh among grassroots Obama supporters, who want their candidate to pick a running mate who didn't enthusiastically support the war in Iraq, hasn't positioned himself as a leading hawk on Iran and wasn't chairman of the pro-corporate Democratic Leadership Council.

Reports my colleague Ari Melber over at the Washington Independent:

Popular candidates like Gen. Wes Clark and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) were famously recruited into politics by volunteer-driven "drafts." Now something close to the opposite of a draft is rumbling among concerned Democrats, as insiders and bloggers respond to apparently credible rumors that Sen. Evan Bayh retains a high position on the short list for Obama's running mate.

It is somewhat staggering that Bayh holds any great mentioner status at all. Unlike Obama, he is a centrist Washington fixture who strongly backed the Iraq war. His red state victories are based more on family dynasty than personal dynamism. His total lack of national name identification, along with other hurdles in the current political environment, led him to shutter his own presidential exploratory committee in December 2006 -- less than two weeks after it opened. This morning, a new Facebook group, "100,000 Strong Against Evan Bayh for VP," was launched to push back against Bayh.

Blogger Booman has a more detailed case against Bayh. Even Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic Monthly, whose neoliberal politics seem to match Bayh's, is skeptical. Goldberg digs out this Bayh quote about Iran from his vaults:

"You just hope that we haven't soured an entire generation on the necessity, from time to time, of using force because Iraq has been such a debacle. That would be tragic, because Iran is a grave threat. They're everything we thought Iraq was but wasn't. They are seeking nuclear weapons, they do support terrorists, they have threatened to destroy Israel, and they've threatened us, too."

Like much of Bayh's rhetoric on foreign policy, that quote sounds eerily similar to what John McCain might say, which is perhaps not surprising, given that Bayh co-chaired the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq in 2003 with McCain and Joe Lieberman.

If Obama wanted a seasoned Washington insider and foreign policy hand, he'd be much better off picking Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden. Yes, Biden supported the war but he also introduced a compromise that might've stopped it. As EJ Dionne argued, he knows more about foreign policy that anyone in the Senate and would be a terrific attack dog against McCain. He knows how to pass legislation and get things done in Washington. He's often a loose cannon, but the Obama campaign could keep him on message for two or three months. His background is Catholic and blue-collar and he was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Think of him as a more benevolent Dick Cheney.

Bayh adds virtually nothing to Obama and would present a number of significant drawbacks. Biden is just the opposite.

Comments (12)

1. >>>If Obama wanted a seasoned Washington insider and foreign policy hand, he'd be much better off picking Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden. <<<

   I think Kathleen has got it, but if an experienced insider in foreign affairs would be selected, it would be Dodd, not Biden.

   Biden is a walking time bomb with his continuous public gaffes, and a presidential candidate needs that like he needs the plague.

   Posted by Metteyya at 08/13/2008 @ 1:07pm

2. Posted by Darin_the_Troll at 08/13/2008 @ 1:17pm

   Robert is actually not far from the mark, especially concerning the timing of the attack by the Georgian forces on South Osettia.

   I think this McCain lobbyist should be THOROUGHLY investigated and we need to know where he was getting "all" of his money from whn he was lobbying for Georgia NATO membership.

   This highlights the McCain-lobbyist problem, and why electing is more of the same Washington politics as usual rather than Change We Can Believe In!

   The only weakness in Sheer's story is not looking at the energy angle and the players involved with that.

   Google: "BTC pipeline", and look at the transit fees Georgia is getting from this oil and which oil companies own the pipeline, what countries they come from, and whether they would have a "financial" interest in protecting this investment with NATO forces.

   Then Google: "Nord Stream pipeline" and "South Stream pipeline" and use your best guess whether this had any effect on Georgia's NATO application being turned down by Germany, Denmark, Greece, and Italy.

   This is not wild-eyed conspiracy theory, just politics as usual.

   Connect the dots...

   Posted by Metteyya at 08/13/2008 @ 2:03pm

3. Bayh?

   My eye.

   Nor Biden.

   What do they bring that Obama can't get on his own?

   Too little.

   Richardson.

   Who can also help put the sabotaging Clintons back in the box.

   Posted by sloper at 08/13/2008 @ 2:46pm

4. "to go with a Chicagoed Magic Negro?

   Well, at least Biden is white & male!"----Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/13/2008 @ 1:02pm

   Wow, HAPP got to use the "Negro" refrence AND a "white" reference in the same post....

   and will now tell us (a la Limburger) that "race has nothing to do with this campaign! It's about his character and the issues!"

   Posted by Maskdelta at 08/13/2008 @ 3:26pm

5. "But a backlash is brewing against Bayh among grassroots Obama supporters..."

   BTW, isn't this a little LATE?

   Mr Nichols floated Bayh....then just a few days ago, said it ISN'T going to be Bayh it's just "Washington media hype" (carefully forgetting himself in that, of course).

   Hasn't Obama moved on from Bayh anyway, Mr Berman?

   Posted by Maskdelta at 08/13/2008 @ 3:59pm

6. "Well, at least Biden is white & male!"----Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/13/2008 @ 1:02pm

   Well, at least you're straightforward and honest. No subtlety or subtext there whatsoever, you just came right out and said it. I hope having an African American President doesn't damage your self-esteem too much.

   Posted by Be Good at 08/13/2008 @ 4:34pm

7. Somehow, I doubt those people who think there's a correlation between skin pigmentation and leadership ability will be voting for Obama, regardless of the ticket's "balance".

   Posted by Be Good at 08/13/2008 @ 6:11pm

8. Posted by Darin_the_Troll at 08/13/2008 @ 4:32pm

   You obviously didn't read the rest o my post concerning the energy link and British and American oil company influence in Georgia deciding to attack South Ossetia.

   Google the references I provided in my earlier post and educate yourself on the energy chess game being played out behind the scenes in this Georgia thing.

   Posted by Metteyya at 08/13/2008 @ 7:02pm

9. Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/13/2008 @ 4:30pm

   HAPP, another way to look at it is...

   you were just 1/3 honest. About average for ol' Rush too!

   heheh

   Posted by Maskdelta at 08/13/2008 @ 8:32pm

10. I hope having an African American President doesn't damage your self-esteem too much.

    Posted by Be Good at 08/13/2008 @ 4:34pm

    's gonna need to buy a BIGGER pickup!

    Posted by frosty zoom at 08/13/2008 @ 9:36pm

11. pipeline.

    politics.

    hmmmmmmm?

    Posted by frosty zoom at 08/13/2008 @ 9:51pm

12. Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/14/2008 @ 12:45am

    The prices on them will get lower. No one wants to drive them now because they don't want to pay to fuel them up.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/14/2008 @ 6:46pm