Well, no not really, but I bet I got your attention and you started reading this diary planning to argue emphatically against me. However, I'm going to argue that a Democrat like Bob Casey is the proper choice as running mate for Barack Obama (who, I am assuming, will be our nominee).
Bob Casey shares a lot with other prominent Democrats who have had success in recent years, Senators like Jon Tester and Jim Webb, governors like Brian Schweitzer and Kathleen Sebelius. One thing that these politicians share is the label of "populist." In the past, I've postulated a coalitional theory of the Democratic Party, and one way to view the party is as a progressive-populist coalition. Paul Rosenberg has written some on the differences between progressivism and populism. They are distinct, but they are tied together by a congruence on economic issues and the Iraq war.
So, while I am not arguing for Bob Casey specifically to be vice-president, what I am arguing for is that someone like him should be on the ticket. We should consider Barack Obama as a representative of the progressive wing of the party and possibly put him with a representative of the populist wing of the party, preferably one who reinforces an anti-Iraq war message. I'm not really sure who that should be, although many of the names I listed have been floated as possibilities. Any thoughts on other possible populist vice-presidents?
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