Ted Strickland rules himself out as an Obama veep pick

Potential vice presidential nominees routinely stress that they are happy with the jobs they have, scoff at the mention of their names as possible running mates and insist they have no strong interest in the second spot on their party's national ticket.

Almost always, such comments are accepted for what they are: required social niceties from ambitious politicians who are quietly angling for the nod and, understandably, would accept the invite in an instant.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, however, is breaking the rules. Widely considered a prime contender for a running-mate offer from Barack Obama, Strickland issued a blunt, unequivocal rejection of such a prospect.

In an interview airing this evening on NPR's "All Things Considered," journalist Michele Norris asks Strickland -- a staunch Hillary Clinton ally during the Democratic primary -- if the energetic campaigning he has promised on Obama's behalf would serve as a veep audition for him.

"Absolutely not," Strickland replies. "If drafted, I will not run; nominated, I will not accept; and if elected, I will not serve.  So, I don’t know how more crystal clear I can be."

Indeed, to drive his position home, Strickland was "Shermanesque" -- parroting the phrasing coined by Civil War Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman when he was in the mix as a Republican presidential candidate in 1884.

Turns out, it's an old tune for Strickland. A story in the Columbus Dispatch last November on Strickland's official endorsement of Clinton reported that he repeatedly had said he was not interested ...

... in being part of a ticket she headed, "even invoking the famous quote" from Sherman.

He also said at the time: " 'I love being the governor of Ohio ... You just can stop any thought of the vice presidency, that’s not something that I’m interested in.' "

So Strickland is being consistent. But perhaps, in the eyes of Obama aides, he also is being a wee bit hyperbolic in his rhetoric, especially at this point in the campaign.

Obama hopes to improve his standing in a state where Clinton, in the March 4 primary, bested him rather easily. At the least, he wants Sen. John McCain to have to work hard to keep Ohio in the GOP presidential column. But better still, an Obama win in Ohio could well ensure him the presidency.

Strickland's pledge to aggressively hit the trail for Obama no doubt has been warmly welcomed by the candidate. But the language the governor used today -- even if recycled material for him -- could be seen by some Ohioans as indicating an arms-length attitude toward Obama. The ever-vigilant media shop at the Republican National Committee, in fact, wasted little time sending out a mass e-mail consisting of a news story on Strickland's Shermanesque stance.

His statement, to the Obama camp, must have been seen as impolitic. And that, more than anything, may have accomplished his purpose -- removing his name from the veep list.

Another frequently mentioned Democratic veep contender, meanwhile, received a major press shout-out today.

A column by E.J. Dionne Jr. could hardly have been more effusive in making the case for Obama to pick one of his former rivals in the party's presidential race, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

Writes Dionne of his fave: "Few Democrats know more about foreign policy, and few would so relish the fight against McCain on international affairs. Few are better placed to argue that withdrawal from Iraq will strengthen rather than weaken the U.S."

The rest of the column can be read here.

We note that nothing remotely Shermanesque was heard from Biden's office today. Rather, a quote from Dionne's piece, and a link to it, could be found front and center on his website.

-- Don Frederick

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[08vote]

WHAT THE 'TOP OF THE TICKET' ALSO FAILED TO NOTE, WHICH IT USUALLY DOES (AS LONG AS THE SLANT IS AGAINST AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY), IS THAT GOV STRICKLAND ALSO SUPPORTING AND IS WILLING HELP DELIVER OHIO TO OBAMA IN THE FALL, AND STATED IN HIS INTERVIEW WITH NPR'S MICHELE NORRIS THAT IF OBAMA WINS OHIO, OBAMA WILL MOSTLY LIKELY BECOME POTUS.

TRY AS YOU MIGHT, TO DENY OBAMA ANY RESPECT..

[Boston Republican]

This is welcome news. As a Republican, I'm feeling better about the prospects of winning Ohio in November.

[TR Bender]

The idea of Obama being president will become a non issue if he is not a natural born citizen of the United States of America.
This could be good for all now that he has shown he is willing to betray the United States and a willing to be treasonous.

[raushann]

i think the media is making a mountain out of a mole hill !!

[Fausto Castaneda]

I really hope Obama considers Gov. Bill Richardson from New Mexico, and Al Gore as vice presidents nominees. Richardson could extend a helping hand to all of Latin America (he is fluent in Spanish, lived in Mexico as a kid, mom is Mexican) and Al Gore could let his experience (foreign affairs, over all politics, environmental issues, etc).

[Vic Arpeggio]

Hey, TR Bender, come out of your tinfoil-lined cave lately? Ohio, which has been dumped on by the Bush Administation time and again, is finally turning blue this November.

[NJ from LA]

I sincerely hope that Al Gore will not accept if offered VP. I think that his next step to higher office should be the Presidency and nothing less!!!!! Like he should have been in 2000. I would love the chance to vote for Al Gore for President. AGAIN!

[Jimski]

You think he know something about O-Blah blah that makes him nervous?

[ruffstuff]

really................you libs are funny. al gore for veep? again? al gore has started this insane movement for global warming, which is really is a gargantuan farce. no conclusive proof on this manufactured crisis. my only hope is that history remembers a colossal bufoon like gore to remind the future of how the nobel peace prize board gave the award to a "movement" like this and took it away from a woman who (can't remember her name) saved innocent jewish children from the gas chambers by hiding and smuggling them out of germany. way to go big al, a true human would have turned it over to her. GO CONSERVATIVES

[Greg Neubeck]

The Manchurian Candidate Becomes A Reality. God Help Us.

Obama, whose father was a practicing Muslim and whose mother was a radical Marxist, has stated that his mother: "Was the dominant figure in my formative years; and, the values she taught me continue to be my touchstone in the world of politics". Common sense deductive reasoning suggests that Obama's rearing as a child, and his extended 20yr relationships, and obvious conformity, with anti-American fanatics such as Rev. Wright ( the Pastor of his church that promoted the doctrine of Louis Farrakhan ) , and Frank Davis and William Ayers, etc., etc., are in fact reflective of Obama's true psychological makeup. A conclusion rigidly re-enforced by Obama's San Francisco commentary denigrating folks from small-town America. Obama's affinity for questionable associates such as Tony Rezco, a convicted felon, raises a myriad of questions. Further, his increasingly frequent petulant responses to legitimate criticism is troubling. This man's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin and to place his hand over his heart on the singing of our National Anthem are conditioned reflexes from his protracted association with disaffected elements in our society; visual images that Obama is certain to attempt to obfuscate in future campaign appearances; even though, he has openly admitted: "I didn't want to offend Muslims and others who don't like America.". Obama is our "home-grown" version of Hugo Chavez. Further, Michelle Obama's angry commentary directed at our country is telling. Fifty-seven (Islamic) State Obama's comments that he would use U.S. Military Forces against Pakistan, a Nation with a sizable nuclear arsenal, and an ally in the war on terror, even without President Musharraf's permission; a Nation that he mistakenly believed to be Arab; his indecision/confusion as to whether Iran poses a serious regional threat; while in other commentary, stating that he would halt the U.S. military's development of advanced weapons systems demonstrates a profound ignorance of the geopolitical threat environment confronting America. His long-term subversive associations, and his immersion in seditious anti-American diatribe have indeed revealed Obama as the real-life Manchurian Candidate. Greg Neubeck

[Les]

1. On the Ohio issue, people in Ohio felt comfortable with Hillary Clinton because Hillary Clinton portrayed herself as one of them. With Obama, it is hard for somebody in Sandusky, Ohio and worked for years and years at a hypothetical auto parts factory to relate to Obama.

For the auto parts employees, Hillary approached them as down-to-earth and made a lot of them feel like "she was one of their own"

That employee might see Obama as being aloof and too suave for their tastes. So naturally, the auto worker would vote for Hillary or McCain over Obama because Obama's style, personality, and perspective differs from theirs as where McCain or Hillary can take their perspectives and value system and mold their campaign around it.

Thus racism is not problem but rather style, personality, and perspective. For Obama to win that group, he should learn the art of perspective-taking and try to reach out of them. But maybe, Obama's natural style and outlook might not be compatable with their value system no matter what he does.

2. To Ruffstuff, you are ranting. No one is take your comment seriously until you write a lucid paragraph or argue your points logically.

3. To NJ from LA, Al Gore is too busy working on Current TV and working on his pet cause: global warming so I do not think Mr. Gore is going to be VP

4. To TR Bender, Obama was born in Hawaii. Before you post any future comments, please research your facts before you make factual errors like you just did. A simple trip to Wikipedia will answer the question

5. Mr. Neubeck, I disagree with your comment but Sean Hannitty made a good point that the media needs to do further investigation on the relationship between Rezco and Obama. Obama markets himself as being a person with strong set of values and ethics but if the Rezco thing is worth checking out to see whether the his claims are true or he if just another politican who is looking for a handout.

On the Manchurian candiate thing, I do not know where you get that arguement from. Last time, I checked an Manchurian Candidate has to do with a conspiracy. That means Obama is a pawn in some much larger conspiracy. I really do not think there is a verifable evidence for that. Please point out sources and articles to prove your point. Until you do, your post sound likes one of the conspiracies conjured in the mind of the taxi driver in Conspiracy Theory.

[NOBAMA]

08vote do you even know how to read and comprehend? It plainly states "Strickland's pledge to aggressively hit the trail for Obama no doubt has been warmly welcomed by the candidate." You libs are so gun-ho about defending this "traitor" that you make up attacks. The guys deserves no respect until he furnishes his birth certificate like Mccain has, on second thought that is still not enough, he does not deserve any respect until he serves this country militarily and politically for 30 years and then maybe he could be respected.

[NOBAMA]

Les you need to reconsider the Hawaii thing, there is a lot of unconstitutional raving about the legality of them even being a state, as well as the law that states his mother would have had to live in the US for 5 years after the age of 16 and she had him when she was 18 so that could not have happened either.

[Mark]

I wonder how much the McCain campaign pays "Greg Neubeck" to post all that discredited nonsense. If he's not a McCain worker, he sounds like he's from the same out-of-the-loop wingnut contingent that still thinks Iraq attacked us on 9/11. It's sad how poor our educational system is these days.

[Stefan]

I find it interesting people are still saying Obama needs to produce his birth certificate. I wonder if the link below will be considered proof of his citizenship.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert

Also please tell me when it became a requirement to serve in the armed services to become president. I guess serving in the reserves counts even if you never experienced combat. Before I'm asked yes I have served and I'm also a combat veteran.