Another Big Endorsement for Obama



















A day after John Kerry endorsed Obama Arizona Governor Janet Nap0litano endorsed him. This is important for several reasons.
  • Most obvious -- Governor Napolitano is a woman, and in a race with a leading woman politician, this is huge.
  • Less obvious, but still important -- she's a Western Governor (and I would say a possible VP candidate if Obama get's the nomination).
Here are her comments as reported in USA Today:

"This endorsement is based on my belief in your leadership and vision and the fact that we need a new message of hope and solidarity of coming together in Washington, D.C.," Napolitano told Obama.

After the call ended, Napolitano explained why she made the decision to choose Obama over Clinton.

"I chose Sen. Obama because ... to me, this election is fundamentally about change. It's about a new vision in Washington, D.C. It's about bringing people of different areas of the country together, it's about bringing people of different parties together, people of different ages together. To me, Sen. Obama is evidence of that change that we need."




Comments

She would be a good VP nominee. I have long argued that if Obama won the nomination, he should pick a woman as running mate--one more progressive than Clinton. I had in mind someone like Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) (not her more hawkish compatriot, Diane Feinstein) or Rep. Lynne Woolsey (D-CA). (I would have added Rep. Barbara Harris, but she's African American and two African-Americans on one ticket may be more than the U.S. is ready for. I had suggested her as a major pick for John Edwards if he got the nomination!) But Gov. Napolitano is an excellent choice--I just hate to deprive us of one of our few women governors. Another good choice, I guess, would be Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) unless she is supporting Clinton. Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-MI) is out because she is a naturalized citizen born in Canada--and so could not be sworn in as pres. if Obama were killed or incapacitated. But Gov. Christine Gregoire (D-WA) is also a good choice.

But the lead in that list is obviously Napolitano because of her key and timely endorsement.
Robert Cornwall said…
If you want to win the election Napolitano and Feinstein would be good choices -- though Feinstein is close to 70.

If you want to loose then choose Barbara Boxer. She barely wins in California and like Nancy Pelosi often rubs people the wrong way. I vote for her, obviously, but she's not well liked even in California. Truth be told, if the GOP could find a good moderate candidate they could probably beat her here.

Kathleen Sebelius would be a good choice, but that doesn't give you any regional balance.

As for Napolitano -- she's in her second term, so 2008 might be good timing for her.
I think regional balance is a thing of the past. Look at Clinton/Gore in '92. Maybe Boxer would not be a good choice, but I can't stand Feinstein. She's everything I hate about corporate DLC-type Democrats. (In that regard, I think of her as being very LIKE Pelosi!) If Obama picked her, I'd be tempted to stay home.
See also
http://kyfriedpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/01/frances-kissling-on-why-shes-still-not.html

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