Virginia Senator Jim Webb is often mentioned as a running mate for Senator Barack Obama. Webb, 62, is a former Marine, won the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts for actions as a platoon commander during the Vietnam War. Under President Regan, Webb served as Assistant Secretary of Defense and later as Secretary of the Navy.
Webb, who was a Republican until recently, was a strong critic of the Iraq War from the beginning and publicly voiced his opinion in numerous op-eds. In 2006, Webb was recruited to run against incumbent Virginia Senator Georgle Allen (R), who was viewed as a shoe-in for reelection. Allen’s lock on reelection ended when he called a Webb volunteer of Indian descent who was tasked with recording Allen’s public appearances, “macaca” at a campaign rally. The incident opened up numerous stories about Allen’s racist tendencies and in November of 2006, Webb narrowly defeated Allen.
During his campaign, Webb wore his son Jimmy’s old combat boots out of tribute to him (Jimmy Webb, a US Marine, is an Iraq War veteran). While the move was viewed by some as a publicity stunt, it served as a reminder to voters that Webb had family in harm’s way.
A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Joint Economic Committee, Webb has an enormous amount of foreign policy and national security experience, which is something that Senator Obama lacks.
While on paper, Webb looks to be the ideal VP candidate, especially for Barack Obama, there are some concerns. Senator Webb has been a member of the Senate for almost eighteen months and could be painted as inexperienced on domestic issues. Additionally, he is not afraid to speak his mind on the campaign trail and can come across as angry when answering a question. Webb’s campaigning ability would be best described as less than ideal. Additionally, Webb is in his third marriage, which might not sit well with socially conservative swing voters.
Despite his drawbacks, the idea of Senator Webb being the running mate for the Democratic nominee, is one that is being given serious consideration. His national security experience alone would be able to help counter that of presumptive GOP Presidential nominee John McCain.
