Sunday, May 31, 2015

A good VP pick, philosophically, or for more of a geographic balance, Wyden or Inslee.

Strib highlights O'Malley, here.

Not a likely one to displace Hillary from the top of the Dem ticket, but given her disturbing status as too near the moderate GOP, he'd add a bit of balance.

He has no major nationwide track record/baggage. He could campaign about Jeb and Common Core; Jeb and Terri Schiavo, Jeb as clone of big brother, Jeb as unspectacular in any real way.

Sen. Wyden of Oregon; Gov. Inslee of Washington are each sufficiently lesser known that they also would not detract publicity from the ticket top, while each might be a philosophical balance. Wyden likely would wish to stay with his Senate seniority, as would Sherrod Brown, so Inslee is a nice choice.

Given Washington state having two senators who have attained seniority, it would be a boost for Microsoft and Boeing were Inslee picked.

Obviously, this is guessing and based on nothing but guessing.

You want better guesses?

Try here. You may have to scout the site to get VP guessing since that link for now is focused on presidential outcome potentials. It is early but you can "go by the book." It is a form of collective consensus testing, consolidating a series of guesses by a segment of the population not necessarily representative of a cross section of registered voters. However, it is data. Like a poll result, but with respondents having cash on the line. And it is before the GOP masses get their show:

Jeb is the pony.

_______________UPDATE_______________
As far as O'Malley's own character and policy for the White House, he has an aura of sincere believability, and you have to like what he is saying:

Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley blasted social injustice and Wall Street excesses as he launched a White House bid on Saturday, casting himself as a younger, more liberal alternative to Democratic Party frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

"Powerful, wealthy special interests here at home have used our government to create, in our own country, an economy that is leaving a majority of our people behind," said O'Malley, opening his 2016 presidential campaign with a rally at a waterfront park in downtown Baltimore.

O'Malley, who has aggressively courted his party's liberal wing, began his political career in Baltimore, first as a member of city council and then as mayor.

Decrying big banks as having been behind the financial crisis of 2008, O'Malley singled out Goldman Sachs for particular criticism. He said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein recently told his employees that "he'd be just fine" with either Republican Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton as president after the November 2016 election.

"Well, I've got news for the bullies of Wall Street," O'Malley said. "The presidency is not a crown to be passed back and forth by you between two royal families."

Running against Wall Street, if sincere, will not fill the campaign coffers and in a Jeb vs. O'Malley hypothetical general election, Jeb money and outside money would really be trying to clobber O'Malley. As a potential Vice Presidential candidate, the "two royal families" statement might be a hindrance. For now it plays well.