Barack Obama has had a Gettysburg moment. The Virginia primary was a strategic victory and although the campaign hurtles forward the outcome is not in doubt. You can hear it in Obama's victory speech in Wisconsin on Tuesday night in which he referred to John McCain but not Hillary Clinton. It is precisely because she so desperately needs a win in Texas that Senator Clinton will lose. The Giuliani camp used the same spurious logic in Florida. The race is not static and each success for Obama and defeat for Clinton becomes amplified. If the Obama onslaught was going to be abated it had to happen in the land of Jefferson.
The next important step is the choice of a running mate. The person can't be a milquetoast copy of Hubert Humphrey. Nor can it be a potentially distractive overwhelming figure like Dick Cheney. The Vice President should know where the bodies are buried and be able to provide reasonable cover. I recommend Chuck Hagel.
The Republican senator from Nebraska is a moderate not known for vitriol. He is a Vietnam War veteran who adamantly opposed the war. This would be a superb maneuver to outflank McCain and secure a firm grasp on independents and dissatisfied Republicans. I hope Obama and company will thoroughly consider him. This would be a bold and provocative selection commensurate with the theme of Change We Can Believe In.
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