http://doxalogos.wordpress.com/ I got a lot of views for Doxas just for writing about Barack Obama's possible vice-presidential picks. So it might do some good for the site and the reader to present some possible choices as to who Obama might select as his Secretary of State.

Before we begin, let me explain a little bit about what the role of the Secretary of State, or SOS, is. The SOS can be summed up as the presidents main foreign policy adviser and our official diplomat for the our government. The former is a result of the past couple of decades after WWII. One of the most influential was Henry Kissinger and our current one is Condolezza Rice. Now anyways, lets get to the picks.

1. Dennis Ross

Pros: Dennis 'The Man" Ross, as I call him, has earned his credentials. He served under both Bush Sr. and Clinton in the State Department for more than a decade. In that time he tried to broker peace with the Palestinians and Israelis which led to the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Oh yeah, lets not forget the impressive Jordan-Israel Treaty.

Cons: What about North Korea, Russia and China? Dennis Ross's career has been primarily one focused on mid-east relations. And regarding mid-east relations, some might say he failed to bring peace in the region despite his record.

1. Sen. Joe Biden

Pros: If John Kerry would of won, he most likely would of called upon this guy right here. One of the strongest reactions from the Democrats regarding Bush's appeasement words in the senate came from Mr. Biden.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/SOtO6DvH1O8]

And coming from Joe, it means a lot. The guy is the head of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and has been for awhile. He also influenced the nation's approach to human rights violations in the Balkans which we later stepped into.

Cons: He supported the War in Iraq and and some see the US intervention in the Balkans as unnecessary.

1. Gov. Bill Richardson

Pros: As I mentioned before in my Obama VP article, Bill Richardson is the man that is qualified to be your grandmother and just about anything else. One of the jobs mentioned in his resume is that of US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Cons: And just like I mentioned in the other article, Bill Richardson being chosen as SoS can be seen as a corrupt bargain since he endorsed Obama a few weeks ago.

1. Sam Nunn

Pros: Nunn has received commendation from both parties. In 1994, Clinton sent him along with Collin Powell and Jimmy Carter to Haiti in order to force the dictator of that country out. Guess what? They succeeded and the US avoided military conflict there. Since then he has worked to keep nukes to a low level.

Cons: You just know the pacifist-allegations will come from the right should be he be mentioned for the job.

1. Chuck Hagel

Pros: Chuck is a Republican who can really bring about the image that Obama is appealing to all people across party lines. It would compliment his slogan of change. He is also against the Iraq War and also is on the Committe of Foreign Relations.

Cons: Some Democrats could be against the move and his past comments regarding Agent Orange are prime for target.

I made posted a list of several choices Obama could of picked. I posted these awhile back and I look back on it and find that I was one of the early to speculate that Ted Strickland was a choice. Although it's an easy choice to assume.

Anyways here it is:

Obama is now being regarded as the person to vouch for the Democratic nomination. Although, the battle will still be contested till the next couple of primaries, one can't help to wonder who Obama will choose as his running mate.

Choosing a running mate is usually seen as a means to balance the ticket. The person most often picked for this reason is a person that lessens the areas of concern for the presidential hopeful. Other times it seen as a person that can attract people from a different area in the US. Kennedy was from the New England area of the United States, he chose Lyndon Johnson to attain the southern state of Texas.

Another determinant in choosing the vice-president is to offer a solid backup just in case of an early-death for the president. Candidates who want to achieve a goal for America want a vice-president who will continue his or her programs in the event of the their death. Abraham Lincoln's plans for reconstruction were not met when his assassination took place. Andrew Johnson failed to continue Lincoln's plans and possibly delayed the civil rights for African-Americans.

So whom should Obama choose? Or who will he choose? Here are a few people that are rumored or would be great fits for the job:

1. Sen.Hillary Clinton

Pros: This has been considered the dream ticket for awhile. The two are seen as the strongest the party has to offer since they are the two candidates that are still vying for their party's nomination. An Obama-Clinton ticket could possibly unify the whole party and easily pave the way for a Democrat in the oval office.

Cons: Of course, Hillary carries a lot of unfair negative opinions about her. Swing voters could be deterred from voting for Clinton. Give thanks to the right-wing propaganda for that one. Also, after a somewhat bitter fight for the nomination will people really believe that these two are on good terms. Only time will see on that. The prospect of this ticket might not seem attractive on the whole with the southern and western states.

1. Gen. Wesley Clark

Pros: A Democrat with high military credentials? This pick has long been rumored to be a presidential candidate. And why wouldn't he be? What better way to go for the strong supporters of the military from the right wing than having a four star general as your running mate? The man also has southern roots and could persuade from that area to vote for Obama.

Cons: It looks like a pandering choice, but Wesley Clark, to me, has little to no cons. He has been accused of being antisemitic with a comment that said New York money people were pushing for a war with Iran. He is likely to be swift-voted, but that seems like a move that would backfire and would recieve criticism from McCain's camp. Of course, McCain unsuccessfully urged Republicans in North Carolina to pull an ad criticizing Obama for his relationship to his pastor.

1. Sen. Jim Webb

Pros: Jim Webb has two things going for him, having experience and being a moderate. He opposes gun control and has served as Secretary of the Navy. Oh yeah, during his senate run in 2006, he was called George Allen's worst nightmare by Larry Sabato. Indeed, he was a nightmare for Allen, whom he defeated. Catherin Dodge of Bloomberg.com is quoted as saying "He's pro-gun ownership, and he takes a harder line on illegal immigration than many Senate Republicans." Obama isn't considered a moderate. Many right-wing critics, including douchebag Glen Beck, say he has a 'Marxist agenda.' Jim Webb might be able to pull in some of those people with the decision. Having Webb as his vice-president would be a draw to those who are moderates.

Cons: Jim Webb would be a vice-president. He really isn't gonna do much other than advise the president and that is not going to change unless he follows Cheney's lead and wields the same amount power as he did. So people who want a nation with Webb's moderate ideas are may not get much because of this. Also, Webb and Obama are on different sides of the gun control debate and if Obama somehow ends up out of office and Webb takes it, Webb might not follow through on any support for gun control. But aside from that, Webb is a solid candidate for the vice-presidency.

1. Gov. Bill Richardson

Pros: Bill Richardson is really popular in his home state. He could possibly help take the swing state New Mexico like Johnson helped Kennedy with Texas. He certainly would help with the Hispanic vote and he has plenty of experience and an impressive resume as governor of New Mexico, congressman for New Mexico, Secretary of Energy and Ambassador in the UN (It is amazing that this man isn't the nominee!) He could help attract pro-gun advocates.

Cons: Him and Obama would face a shit storm with their support for drivers licenses for illegal immigrants. Some see his endorsement of Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton, despite serving in Clinton's cabinet as a sort of corrupt bargain for the office of vice-president.

1. Bill Bradley

Pros: Bradley is a basketball legend and a former senator. It is safe to say that he has good name recognition and experience with politics.

Cons: Might draw some attention from the right because of his stances of gun control. His stance on the separation of church and state do not help out Obama.

1. Gov. Ted Strickland

Pros: Strickland might help bring the swing state of Ohio to the Democrats since he is the current governor of the state. Strickland has support from Republicans. Strickland might help Obama in the experience department too. He has a pro-life record and voted for prayer in school during the war on terror which appeals to the right.

Cons: Strickland's support for latter two things in the pros section is a problem for many people that are pro-choice and are believe in the separation of church and state. He and Obama do not see eye on those issues and certainly if the worst came for Obama and Strickland took the office of the president, he would probably not continue Obama policies on those matters. Also, under the same premise of Obama's death, Strickland is fairly old. To some he does not continue Obama's message of change that appeals to the youth.

1. Mayor Mike Bloomberg

Pros: Bloomberg could give Obama some points in the area of economics.

Cons: Bloombergs doesn't help with any swing states or geographic area. He hails from New York which is sure to go Democrat in November. The name doesn't seem to help out with conservatives since he is social liberal. Bloomberg also has a businessman connotation attached to him.

1. Gov. Bill Ritter

Pros: Ritter is governor of the swing state Colorado. He also is wide popular with rural citizens in his state due to him being raised on a farm. That could translate very well with rural America and rural democrats who have been for Clinton.

Cons: His pro-life stance might hurt Obama with the pro-choice crowd. A possible scandal might arise with his use of plea bargains.

Who should I vote for for president in 2008?

You match up well with...

	Barack Obama - 77 match You must be ambitious and idealistic, like Barack Obama. Obama is a liberal democrat who, unlike his rivals, opposed the Iraq war from the start. With only 3 years in the Senate, his inexperience worries some and sometimes reveals itself in the debates, but he also has the charisma and popular support that the others lack.
	Hillary Clinton - 75 match Hillary Clinton is a liberal democrat who is unpopular among conservatives for advocating universal health care, abortion rights, and civil unions. She is resented in the anti-war crowd for having authorized a military strike in Iraq and not apologizing since. People see her as power-hungry and willing to do anything to get to the top, even stay with her unfaithful husband. However, Clinton has 8 years of experience in the White House, 25 years in national politics and is currently serving her second term as a popular New York senator. She knows how to make and deliver policy which puts her ahead of the inexperienced presidential hopefuls.
	Bill Richardson - 73 match You must be looking for a moderate liberal with impressive credentials. If you live in Iowa or New Hampshire, you could have voted for Bill Richardson. Otherwise, you're out of luck. After finishing 4th in both states, Richardson dropped out of the presidential race. Experienced in state, national, and international politics, Richardson has been a Congressman, an ambassador to the United Nations Security Council, and is now the governor of New Mexico. He is pro-choice, strongly favors rights for the LGBT population, advocates for affirmative action in government contracts, and even championed the idea that Congress should revoke the original authority it gave to go to war with Iraq. Richardson also supports the death penalty and gun ownership rights.

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