The Other White Meat

We’ve lived our entire life within an hour of the Pacific Ocean, so generally we’re clueless about anything happening east of the Cascades Sierra Nevadas Washington Street. (We’ve moved a few times.) Which means when potential veepist Jim Webb shows up on the Daily Show, he’s new to our sheltered awareness. Dude seems to have the necessary qualifications — not black, not Hillary — and aside from the orange hair, we don’t see a problem. But just to make sure, we did some googling extensive research into The Man Who Would Be The Man Behind The Man:

• Vietnam vet: Fine, but we’re getting tired of making up for a criminal war by nominating its survivors to national office.
• Double agent: Not just a former Republican — a former Reagan Republican. Knows how to whistle the Blue Dogs.
• Honestly enjoys country music — no pandering required!
• Gun nut.
• An asshole you can love: when the new senator met President Bush, he reportedly refused to shake his hand. Bush asked Webb how his son was doing in Iraq, and Webb replied, “I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President.” “That’s not what I asked. How’s your boy?” Bush replied. The senator said, “That’s between me and my son, Mr. President.”
• Butch. Butch, butch, butch. No pansy big-city elitism in this Appalachian son.

Sure, there are few cranky things in his past that will displease the faithful (anti-Vietnam Memorial, pro-Tailhook), but if we’re looking for an LBJ to Unicorn’s JFK, this may be as good as it gets.

Jim Webb – a possible Obama veep? [Baltimore Sun]

Anyone but Webb [Slate]

The Jim Webb Story [NY Review]

Simple comment on Jim Webb as veep [The Atlantic]