Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas is an altogether superior choice as Obama's vice presidential running mate. Kathleen Sebelius was elected as a Democrat Governor in strongly Republican Kansas in 2002 with 53 per cent and re-elected in 2006 with 57.8 per cent, proving a dazzling political talent.
She has been a highly effective Governor, turning a large state deficit into a surplus without a real increase in taxes, and improved funding for education. She has a reputation for achieving sustained bipartisan cooperation and is married to a Federal magistrate who is the son of a Kansas Republican congressman.
In 2005, Time magazine judged her one of the five best US governors. She was recently convener of the Democratic Governors' Association, reflecting the respect of her colleagues. Sebelius' father is a former Governor of Ohio, an important federal swing state. She is an articulate speaker with a presentation style that would complement Obama's.
Kathleen Sebelius would enhance Obama's electoral appeal and the political efficacy of his Presidency. She has personally endorsed Obama, and her policy record is very complementary to his, although she is somewhat more centrist. She appeals to a broad spectrum of American voters, including most of those who would have voted for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries. Sebelius is a unifying politician like Obama, and she is a highly successful one, as her election winning margins in Republican Kansas and her successful bipartisan dealings with the Kansas State Congress indicate.
An Obama-Sebelius ticket would combine well with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's advocacy of building the Democratic party with a 50-state presidential campaign, not one simply focused on winning an Electoral College victory. The Republican party would have every reason to be demoralised.
Kathleen Sebelius would be the first woman Vice President. She would also make a substantial contribution to an historic Obama presidency that would change how Americans see themselves and how the US is perceived by others.
