Cause and Effect World

Jim Webb - A man’s man

Jim Webb was on the cover of Parade Magazine on May 18, 2008. That morning I said to my husband, “Webb is going to be Obama’s veep.” Why? Because he’s a man’s man. I mean, just look at this picture:

What Hillary lovin’, McCain supportin’ voter can turn away from that?

Then, on June 1, he makes the New York Times Magazine Questions column by Deborah Solomon on June 1.

Do you see yourself as an alpha male? I don’t sit around and talk about alpha males and bravo males.

Of course not. (note, he did not say ‘beta’ male).

So, today Dan Payne weighs in, and I’m thinkin’ “dang I wish I’d written this up back in May…”

The Soldiers’ Candidate. Obama can’t compete with McCain on military experience. But he can do the next best thing: pick US Senator James Webb of Virginia as his running mate. Webb was secretary of the Navy under President Reagan. He’s a proud Scots-Irish son of the South with roots in Appalachia. He’s written several best-selling novels and won an Emmy for his coverage of the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut for PBS. He has a son in Iraq in the Marine infantry and wore a pair of his son’s combat boots while campaigning for the Senate.

He could become what Democrats have long needed: the soldiers’ candidate.

The Audacity of Webb. Meeting Bush in a receiving line for new senators, Webb was asked by Bush, “How’s your boy?” Webb shot back: “I’d like to get him out of Iraq.”

He delivered a forceful, polished, and much-applauded response to Bush’s state of the union speech in 2007. “The president took us into this war recklessly,” he declared. He condemned the Republicans for the huge gap in pay between CEOs and average workers.

Webb on Webb: “It’s pretty safe to say that I am the only person in the history of Virginia to be elected to statewide office with a union card, two Purple Hearts, and three tattoos.” White guys like talk like that.