Does VP matter? To me, absolutely!! It will be the person who would step up to represent us in the case that something should happen to the President.

The fact that the candidates are being the ones to choose their running mate is entirely against the way the process was supposed to work.

The VP was supposed to be the runner up in the electoral college votes, but when the US split into a two party system (which is also not what was intended), the process has been changed for one that takes more of the choice out of our hands and places it into those of the higher ups.

Less choice for us, more control for them. Score one for the big guys

[edit on 24-8-2008 by justamomma]

The choice of the VP is very important, perhaps the most important decision a Candidates has to make.
In order to choose a VP, a Candidate shows just how far he is willing to go, compromising is own political standings, in order to fill a hole, or weakness, in his political appeal to voters. Of course, this is a two way sword, if the candidate goes to far, choosing a VP that is two removed from his own basis, he can loose or deflate his own support. If, on the other hand, he chooses a VP with the same values, and background as his own, he will alienate other currents in his Party, or support basis.

- The Obama error:
a) In choosing a "Washington insider bureaucrat" he shows a willingness to do whatever it takes to win a few votes, risking one of his main appeal stand: The outsider that is going to fix Washington politics.
b) He looses his "movement" appeal. IS choice clearly states, "I'm an ordinary Candidate who just wants to be elected".
c) The choice of a VP who repeatedly stated he did not see Obama as being ready to become the President of the USA.
d) A ticket with a "Chicago Politician", with all that implies, and a seasoned "Washington Bureaucrat".
e) Loss of independence towards the established, mainstream, Democratic Party Bureaucracy, the so-called "Old Gard". He clearly states to voters: "I am not special, I am not "the One", "I'm just another politician, willing to do anything to be elected".

- The McCain Dilemma:
a) The Social Conservative issue (Mitt Romney) - He would loose massive voting potential, from Independents and conservative Democrats (including me), for a few votes from the right-wing religious conservatives. He would also open his campaign to attacks from those who claim his win would be "four more years of Bush".
b) The Age factor - He must, in my opinion, choose a younger, experienced running mate. A VP people can look onto as being "Presidential Material", whatever that means, in case some health issues should arise with him.
c) Economic credentials - McCain is perceived, rightly or wrongly, has not being very good at Economic issues, he may need a VP that can bring a solid economical record to the ticket.
d) The Party issue - In my opinion, McCain must distance himself from a Republican Party, that has been, for so long, in the hands of right-wing social conservatives. In other words, he must make the PArty come to him, not kneeling to the Party's minority evangelical right, that so disgust the majority of Americans, and foreigners. For this reason, and for the new image America needs to show to both friends and foes, the ideal VP Candidate, for John McCain would, in my opinion, have to be an Independent; someone that is perceived as not being to cozy with the Republican Party Right.
This ticket must also be a sort of "Re foundation of the Republican Party", throwing out the ideological extremists, that, since Reagan, have gradually kidnapped the Party from the People. McCain must, not only distance himself from the Bush Administration, he must distance himself from the people that torpedoed the Republican basis and values; people who tarnished America, in the eyes of so many foreigners, including many of America's traditional allies.