VeepBeat: Bayh to Campaign with Obama on Wednesday
EmailABC News’ Matthew Jaffe Reports: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will campaign on Wednesday in Indiana with that state’s Senator, Evan Bayh, who is rumored to be a strong contendor to become Obama’s vice-presidential running mate. "Senator Bayh can help reiterate the kind of experience that Senator Obama brings to the presidency and also the leadership that he takes on issues," said Jonathan Swain, spokesman for Obama’s Indiana campaign. The event, to be held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, will mark the first Obama campaign appearance for Bayh, who was a vocal supporter and national campaign co-chairman for Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama’s rival in the Democratic primary. Now Bayh will try to help bring Clinton supporters, as well as his own, over to Obama’s side. "Obama is putting a real serious, sustained focus on Indiana," said Bayh press secretary Eric Kleiman. Were Obama to emerge victorious in Indiana come November, it would be the first time a Democrat had won the Hoosier state since 1964. "This is a state that Barack Obama feels is going to be very competitive," said Swain. "He feels like he can win here." Selecting Bayh as his running mate could be one way for Obama to secure the Hoosier state’s 11 electoral votes. Bayh has won five state-wide elections in Indiana, having also served two terms as governor before heading to Capitol Hill in 1998. "I love my day job. I’m not looking to change," Bayh has said about a possible vice-presidential slot. "But if someone who may very well be the leader of the country comes to you and says, ‘Look, I’ve thought about it, and I think you’re the right person to help me meet the challenges that face this country,’ most people devoted to public service would say ‘yes’ to that." The Obama campaign is planning to open about 25 to 30 offices around the state. Just this weekend, 120 new volunteers came on board, swelling the growing numbers of Obama supporters already working in the state. Despite concerns that the intense primary battle with Clinton would harm Obama in the general election, Swain suggests that the opposite will hold true in Indiana. "We were one of those states where people never would’ve thought that the primary would become as important as it was," Swain said. "But after the primary was over, we’ve found that a lot of these people kept working on their own, even after campaign staff left after the primary. It’s a testament to the critics who say that the primary wasn’t good for the process – it was." Wednesday’s event, which will also feature another rumored vice-presidential possibility for Obama, former Sen. Sam Nunn, will focus on national security. Bayh sits on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees. In January of 2006, Bayh accompanied Obama on a trip to Iraq.
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Great move by the Obama camp! I’d like to see Obama take on Washington, DC from the people’s side. He could start by letting the fed reserve pay attention to the bank’s “tightening” of their money to prevent new comers from buying the foreclosed homes that the “investors” need a bail out for.
Basically, the dropped interest rates isn’t “trickling” down to the consumers. Consumers rule, so until that part gets addressed, the U.S. will remain in financial crisis.
Obama 08!
Posted by: Common Sense | July 14, 2008, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
WITHOUT HILLARY AS A VICE PRESIDENT OBAMA CAN KISS THE ELECTION GOODBY, BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY HE WILL GET THE HILLARY SUPPORT IS WITH HER ON THE TICKET SORRY I AM 66 AND BEEN A DEMOCRAT SINCE I WAS TO YOUNG TO VOTE FOR KENNEDY BUT I AM TYPING HILLARY IN THIS TIME WON’T VOTE FOR MCBUSH OR OBAMA WITHOUT HILLARY.
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | July 14, 2008, 8:01 pm 8:01 pm
He can’t choose Hillary as VP running mate. Her video speeches about Obama’s lack of experience, constant bad judgment (Rezko, Wright, Ayers), and lies will totally destroy what creditability he might have left.
Posted by: nathan | July 14, 2008, 8:23 pm 8:23 pm
Rose, I do not think typing in Hillary’s name will give her a vote. I believe that votes for each candidate are actually pledged to their delegates to the Electoral College. If a candidate does not have electoral delegates on the state ballots, how does that candidate then get those certified votes? It would be nice if one person one vote could count, but, it doesn’t.
McCain will get my vote because he has the experience, the wisdom, a moderation of political views, and a record of talking straight and working across the aisle to get things done. We have worldwide and domestic crises that will need someone with a great deal of experience and caution.
McCain ’08
Posted by: georgia | July 14, 2008, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm
How about McCain picking Jeb Bush or Mitt instead of Carly Fiorina.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | July 14, 2008, 8:56 pm 8:56 pm
Obama will not win without Hillary.
Posted by: Alex | July 14, 2008, 9:00 pm 9:00 pm
And Robert, you get the govt. you deserve. You don’t deserve Obama. You deserve to have McCain run this country into the ground.
If there is one thing Bush proved, it’s that you don’t have to be qualified to be Commander in Chief. ANYBODY would’ve done a better job these last 8 years than him. It’s just a question of who can clean up the mess now.
Posted by: Justin | July 14, 2008, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
Obama will lose the election regardless of who his VP is.
Posted by: brigitte | July 14, 2008, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm
I was just about to say that this abc discussion board was much more civil than the cnn board, but I see we are starting to get people who choose to degrade each other for having different view points. I am a Hillary girl all the way been trying to get the nerve to support Obama but haven’t quite made it there and McKinney’s green nomination just made it harder for me, but I don’t think people should trash people for having different opinons, sure say why you dont think obama or McCain should win but no need to call posters names.
Posted by: rachel | July 14, 2008, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm
Rachel-
I’ve been a Barack Obama grass-roots supporter from the start; As frustrating as the primary campaign was at times for passionate supporters of both Barack and Hillary, I believe Barack is a better candidate for having competed against Hillary. She has impressed me with her willingness to continue to work to defeat McCain and to get Barack elected. As I make my donation to Barack’s campaign, I’ll also make a donation to help retire Hillary’s debt.
Posted by: AnotherLaura | July 14, 2008, 10:32 pm 10:32 pm
Is Carly Fiorina the same one who resigned/terminated from HP because of misdeeds?
Posted by: Boondock | July 14, 2008, 10:33 pm 10:33 pm
Another Laura, You are a woman with a heart like mine. God Bless You.
Posted by: Boondock | July 14, 2008, 10:35 pm 10:35 pm
Obama up 10% in latest Iowa polls!! Up 17% in Minnesota!, 8% in Michigan!!!. 4% in Colorado!!! 5% in Missouri!!! 8% in Washington state! 10% in Wisconsin!! 11% in Maine!!! 5% in Montana!! All swing states! This is looking good folks! Keep pushing forward! Never give up!!! Keep pushing and don’t give up! We still have a long way to go and we all need to go to the polls come November!!! Montana?? Missouri? Republican strongholds for decades….my friends!
Posted by: Joe Reed | July 14, 2008, 10:48 pm 10:48 pm
Hillary cannot be VP. She made her bed with all of those overthetop hateful remarks. If she were picked the GOP would have a field day. Imagine the ads like these:
Announcer: “Is Barack Obama up to the job? Don’t ask us, ask his own running mate…”
Hillary: “John McCain and I are qualified to be Commander in Chief. Obama is not. McCain and I have ‘decades of experience’ (sic). Barack has a speech he gave back in 2002.”
Announcer: Paid for by McCain for president, with our thanks to Sen. Clinton.
She made her bed, and now we should leave her to lay in it.
Posted by: Karma happens | July 14, 2008, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
To Rose Szymanski and others like her that will spoil their ballots because Hillary failed.
I think you will get over it and I urge you to vote. I think you will remember in the end that you should not throw away your vote even if you feel your candidate has somehow been slighted. I personally feel that the outcome is not surprising. This happens to many candidates, and they can’t all be winners no matter how good they are or why some people favor them. There is only one Presidency and many good people. Hillary, for reasons I still don’t understand completely, didn’t get this right.
I think you will realize that it is your right, and also your responsibility to your country’s success to vote in this election as you pretty much always have. You will have a choice between what is offered by Obama or McCain. To me the choice between them is clear.
It really is time to move on to America’s issues now and making the right choice.
Posted by: Paul Stewart | July 14, 2008, 11:02 pm 11:02 pm
Another Laura, you are one of the few Barack Obama supportes who doesnt seem to place all the blame on Hillary. I agree the primary season was tough hey they both wanted to win, and truth be told it galled me to no end that even some of my family accused Hillary of talking bad about Obama’s wife and calling Obama Osama, which she never did I partly blame the media for because whenever the republicans reported on something negative about obama they added Hillary right after that. Hillary go the blame for much of the republicans smears because she was fighting like a repbulican yes I admit it, but she never called obama out his name or disrespected his wife. It maybe be hard for people to see know but I agree some of things that Hillary brought up that has been no addressed are seen as a nonissue that could have been a threat come sept, oct, and nov. its good to have them out of the way.. I will probablay make a donation to both Hillary and Barack at the end of the month, but when I see the anti Hillary stuff it gets me fired up I guess I will just have to keep repeating after myeself that its not barack saying it its not barack saying it. If I knew for a fact Obama would put her in his cabinet I would be able to support him easier. In the end I will probably vote for him because I just can’t do McCain right now, althougth I do think Obama should go ahead and debate the man.
Posted by: rachel | July 14, 2008, 11:04 pm 11:04 pm
Hey Justin a man with an iq of 93 can be president and Mc bush is a poor example of a commander in chief he can’t even take a few hours to go and vote in the venatee hasn’t voted since april. Came back from Viet nam and instead of being a husband was the biggest playboy god ever made ditch his wife for a rich one.
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | July 15, 2008, 12:51 am 12:51 am
I’m from Indiana and Bayh won’t help Obama. Tons of Republicans voted in the Democratic primary and will go toward McCain in the fall. I’m not old, but I am not ready to vote for Obama yet. It depends on his running mate, # of gaffes, treatment of Hillary, and some debates with McCain before I can decide on my vote. I do admire McCain for having more women in higher positions in his campaign and for answering more public questions during campaign. Obama & surrogates have done some pretty sleazy things during his campaign: accusing Clinton of Butto’s assasination, race-card, hiring Solis-Doyle, flip-flops everywhere …. He has still not proven to me that he has the experience necessary to get our country out of the mess it is in. I believe Hillary can. There is no other Dem VP choice that has the money machine, the voter information, the experience, and speech-making ability that Hillary does. It would be stupid not to put her on the ticket. Justin and his bitter (old) ladies remark sounds like Obama and his bitter clinging to guns and religion remark and those kind of insinuations are ruining Obama’s chances. Grow up Justin and keep your age-ism out of this election. Just because a female likes Hillary doesn’t mean she’s old or uneducated. I am neither. Just like your support of Obama should not make us assume your are black.
Hillary Independent voting for ????
Posted by: Young Gal from Indiana | July 15, 2008, 1:30 am 1:30 am
Dream ticket for me is McCain/Hillary. Why can’t our country be represented by one from each party. I am not a party loyalist and put my country first and vote who I always “feel” will be the best, most educated, and yes, worthy, of this highest office. Never could I cast a vote for Obama. The world is not the same as it was when Kennedy ran in the 60′s and we need WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE. I still have my doubts about his love for THIS country…not Kenya or Indonesia where he has strong ties/history with.
AVOID THE PAIN AND VOTE McCAIN….HILLARY 2012.
Posted by: Deb | July 15, 2008, 2:48 am 2:48 am
Hillary: “John McCain and I are qualified to be Commander in Chief. Obama is not. McCain and I have ‘decades of experience’. Barack has a speech he gave back in 2002.”
This sums it up.
I wonder why Obama is hiding from debates with McCain.
Posted by: thomas | July 15, 2008, 3:11 am 3:11 am
Obama is in for trouble….even the ABC cover story in this “politics” section says 72% of Americans say McCain would be the better choice for Com. in Chief. I think the vast majority of Americans know this, but lets all play nicey nice for the first viable black candidate (who was hand chosen by the PC Dem Party without vetting him first). I am all for a black Pres., but not the second candidate that comes along (Jesse wasn’t as viable, let’s hope the one after Obama is). I would have voted Powell if he had ever ran.
It really doesn’t matter who BO picks as VP,….he’s not going to win in these tough global times. I love Hillary and would never want her on the ticket…she’d be blamed for his loss.
Posted by: Deb | July 15, 2008, 3:44 am 3:44 am
I think Evan Bayh would be a decent pick for Obama. He is a safe pick who doesn’t make mistakes. With all of the negative lies out there about Obama, he needs someone who can’t hurt the ticket and is a strong leader. This whole without Hillary or bust is just sad. I supported Hillary with everything I have, but this isn’t time to play games and act like a child. With a possible 3 supreme court justices on the line I want to make sure a woman’s right to choose is kept safe as well as keeping the presidential powers from getting stronger. Ask John McCain of 00′ if McCain of 08′ is someone he would vote for, I doubt it.
Posted by: HoosKev | July 15, 2008, 8:00 am 8:00 am
I’m a rock solid Hillary supporter. When she said vote for Obama, I jumped for the opportunity to work just as hard for him. I don’t care if she is on the ticket or not, she will always be a great leader, and so will Obama.
Posted by: hillary&obama | July 15, 2008, 8:17 am 8:17 am
*looks* (not *lots*… sorry)
Posted by: Champ | July 15, 2008, 10:34 am 10:34 am