Sign up for 5280's weekly e-newsletters. Want the latest restaurant scoop? The latest happenings around town? Access to exclusive events and deals just for 5280 readers? Colorado’s freshman Senator, Ken Salazar, is being discussed in some circles as a potential running mate for the next Democratic Presidential nominee, and I think he’d be a great choice for a couple of reasons:
1. Salazar comes from an emerging Democratic state in the Western U.S., which is an important region of the country for the next Democratic Presidential candidate.
2. Salazar has shown to be a moderate Democrat, and if we’ve learned anything from 2006, it’s that moderate candidates appeal to the average voter.
3. Salazar is interesting. A cowboy hat-wearing Hispanic farmer would be an intriguing character on the campaign trail – much more interesting than the John Kerry/ John Edwards ticket for President in 2004.
Of the three of these reasons, I think #3 is actually the most important. Running for President is a lot like running for student council in that it really boils down to a popularity contest among the average voters who don’t know much about any of the candidates. Politics is about perception, and Salazar would allow the Democratic ticket to look a little more interesting – and being interesting is important. For someone who didn’t know all that much about any of the candidates in 2004, what was the difference between Kerry and Edwards? They were rich, white males who were both in the U.S. Senate and both former attorneys. Hell – they even had the same first name. Yes, they had different outlooks and mannerisms, but if you weren’t interested in politics, the Democratic ticket wasn’t all that exciting.
Salazar would be a good VP choice for the same reason that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are getting most of the attention as potential candidates for President: They are different. I don’t mean to oversimplify things, but Obama (as a black man) and Clinton (as a woman) are intriguing in part because they aren’t rich, white males. People like new and different, and a Hispanic, cowboy hat-wearing farmer from Colorado running for Vice President is new and different.
Whether or not Salazar actually ends up on the Democratic ticket in 2008 is another story, however, and there are a few obstacles to overcome. For one thing, Salazar might not be the first choice if the sole criteria were picking an up-and-coming Democrat from the west; for example, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (also a candidate for President, and also Hispanic) might have more appeal because he has a longer resume.
As a potential running mate, Salazar’s fate also probably depends on what happens with Obama. If Obama becomes the Democratic nominee, Salazar probably wouldn’t end up as Vice President because then the ticket would be made up of two freshman Senators and two minorities – and America might not be ready for the latter. On the other hand, if Obama does not end up as the Presidential nominee, he’s probably a more intriguing choice than Salazar for Vice President, provided there are no hard feelings from the primary. If Clinton or another Democrat wins out and Obama stages a bitter fight, the Presidential nominee might be loathe to share the spotlight with Obama and decide to choose someone else; in that scenario, the moderate Salazar could emerge as an ideal choice.
It may be too soon for Salazar to make such a giant political leap, but it’s not out of the question, either. Salazar’s new chief of staff, Jeff Lane, was formerly a top advisor to Edwards, and Salazar’s political future no doubt is a factor in that assignment. Colorado may yet see one of its own reach the biggest national stage of all.
Posted 1/3/2007 at 1:50 pm by Jason Bane
Politics :: Permalink :: Comments (3)
[if we’ve learned anything from 2006] Looks like you didn’t learn anything from ‘06. Moderates *lost* – on both sides of the aisle. Jon Tester – organic farmer who wanted “not to amend the Patriot Act, but to repeal it” – is a progressive. Sherrod Brown, James Webb, and stem-cell Claire McCaskill are similarly progressives.
Harold Ford Jr. was an interesting moderate, and *lost*. Ned Lamont won the Democratic primary as a progressive, then ran in the general as a moderate and *lost*.
Ken Salazar is a fake Republican with a blue hat. His shameless performance as part of the “Gang of 14″ was a sop to President Bush on the approval of a lame judge and bad legislation.
Republicans Lincoln Chaffee and Mike DeWine were defeated, so the moderate Go14 is now down to 12. The country is headed in another direction, and Ken Salazar is not it.
Amen, Blitzen. We saw how successful we were in 2000, too, with a DINO in the VP slot.
Ken Salazar needs to come a little more to the left over the course of the next couple years before I will even consider voting for him in what I hope will be his contested Democratic primary, let alone approve of him for a slot in the White House.
What we need right now is not someone in the middle, or even right-leaning. We need solid progressives that won’t sell us out on issues like Salazar has shown he’s willing to do.
I loved Bill Clinton, and fervently supported Al Gore in 2000, but honestly, the country can’t afford anyone without the right ideas in many more areas than Salazar has shown himself to possess.
Salazar’s hiring super political advisor Jeff Lane shows he is very wise. Lane was Tom Dashle’s and John Edward’s Chief of Staff. He worked for both when they suddenly became very popular and when Lane left – so did their popularity. Maybe they had a wise advisor that kept them in the news and helped provide awesome public relations for their careers. If Lane’s now on board – mark my word, Salazar’s star will soon be very bright.