This is the second of a weekly series of public forums on TMB. Watch for a new round every Monday (used to be every Wednesday). The schedule and important comment rules regarding these forums are available here.

The big question right now regarding the presidential election concerns the vice-presidency. Obviously, the dominant issue is the Obama-Clinton situation. For Latter-day Saints, there is also the issue of a possible McCain-Romney (or McCain-Huckabee) ticket. In our previous forum, some had expressed that a certain VP choice from their preferred candidate would cause them to withdraw their support. Clearly, there is a lot to talk about.

There’s a nice interactive summary on CNN that highlights the pros and cons for each candidate’s prominent VP choices.

Here are some of the names that stand out to me:

McCain

• Mitt Romney (helpful economically, and for votes in Nevada and Michigan — but the Bible Belt?)
• Charlie Crist (he’s just a friendly looking guy isn’t he? it doesn’t hurt that he’s the Florida guv either)
• Bobby Jindal (Anderson Cooper: he embodies the 3 things McCain needs: conservative, youthful, diverse)
• Mike Huckabee (the darling of the evangelicals–not to mention Chuck Norris — I love that guy!)
• Condoleeza Rice (oh yeah, well we have an African American and a woman! never mind what she has actually done…)
• Joe Lieberman (excellent icon for post-partisanship — but what happens to the social conservatives?)
• Mark Sanford (a “rock solid conservative,” according to CNN)

Obama

• Hillary Clinton (dream or disaster?)
• Bill Richardson (helpful for Hispanic and New Mexico vote)
• Jim Webb (Huffington Post’s frontrunner — a clear match for Obama’s message)
• Joe Biden (a credible voice for foreign policy — perhaps too tough a talker, though)
• Chuck Hagel (an anti-Iraq Kansas senator — oh, by the way, he’s a Republican)
• Kathleen Sebelius (female replacement for Clinton? would this be a boon or backfire?)
• Mike Bloomberg (pro: he’s a billionaire; con: he’s a billionaire)
• Ed Rendell (Obama needs all the help he can get in PA)

What are your thoughts on the VP hunts? What should the candidates consider? Who would be a great choice? A huge mistake? Who would you like to see, and why? Your predictions? (I predict Bill Richardson and Bobby Jindal, but I’m not all that confident in my choices.)

Also, by way of keeping this somewhat LDS focused: Do we really want Romney back in the spotlight? Would this be good or bad for the Church? Does it matter?

Just a reminder: Stay on topic and be respectful (comment policy). Also, it’s fine to continue to comment on previous forums. They are meant to be ongoing.

Please don’t be afraid to chime in with your thoughts!

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