So you do not care what qualifications and policies the candidates have, because America will survive either way? Fine, don’t vote if you don’t care.

“Sure that the problem is that Obama supports colonial wars where Americans can be beat.”

Would you mind trying to make that into a sentence?

“Which brings us to the next problem – even assuming that America can make it through two Bush terms, it doesn’t mean it can necessarily withstand a third.”

I agree. Between Amnesty for Illegals, a prescription drug benefit, and No Child Gets Ahead, Bush has done plenty of damage. The problem is, Obama will be even worse than McCain. The reason the Democrats did not like the prescription drug benefit was that the government did not have enough control. The Democrats want even more interference from the federal government in education. The Democrats want even more illegal immigration.

But if America survived Bush it survives anything.

Couple of problems, there. First, I don’t think we can say that America *has* survived Bush. I think that will only really be clear well into the next Administration. Which brings us to the next problem – even assuming that America can make it through two Bush terms, it doesn’t mean it can necessarily withstand a third.

Yes. But if America survived Bush it survives anything. Sure that the problem is that Obama supports colonial wars where Americans can be beat. That´s more problematic than his “appeasement”.

News flash, Andre: Bush isn’t running.

It can´t be worse than Bush. Most people outside the US thinks that the Americans suffered a major defeat in Iraq and everyone jokes with Bush. If the matter is having a strong image then waging colonial wars where bodies of Americans soldiers could be shown all over the world is the last thing to do. Most people outside the US don´t care if the president is a appeaser. But they care and see weakness when they see thousands of Americans Soldiers dying somewhere.

And terrorists aren´t bullies, but coldblooded killers.

At least launch attacks with proper grammar.

“…we can expect assassination attempts on the President and more terrorist attacks, both here and abroad.”

Furthermore, since he prefaces that with “the election of Obama will signal the world that America is weakening” (emphasis mine), he is clearly speaking of acts of others besides American citizens.

Now, David, you ask a legitimate question: “[Since] the Obama election is pointed to, as opposed to the election of someone else, what do you take from this?”

Just what Ballance said, that the election of Obama (an inexperienced appeaser) would be a sign of weakness. Terrorists are bullies, and bullies attack when they see weakness.

OK, since the Obama election is pointed to, as opposed to the election of someone else, what do you take from this?

Please get your facts straight.

Let me say that I am amongst those less likely to vote for Obama if he selects Kaine.

Having said that, I need to identify that I lean McCain thus far. However the selection of VP’s (on both sides) could upset the apple cart and get me to switch. I am not a firm McCain supporter, I only lean in his direction right now.

Consider only quotes from your post:

From JTB: “…the logical response would be for an American citizen to kill him.”

From AEM: “…it is a real stretch to assume that Mr. Ballance was talking about an American citizens as potential assassins.”

Nope, not that much of a stretch. The words are pretty clear.

But that’s not what Mr. Ballance said, was it? In fact, from the context of “more terrorist attacks,” and in light of the foiled plot to assassinate former Pres. George H. W. Bush in Kuwait, it is a real stretch to assume that Mr. Ballance was talking about an American citizens as potential assassins.

Furthermore, Mr. Ballance said nothing about a “logical response,” only and expected response. People do illogical things all the time. If you know of an event that is likely to set off the lunatics (such as winning or losing a basketball championship), then one may logically expect a certain response to that event (such as rioting in Detroit) without saying that the response is logical. When dealing with lunatics (i.e., Islamo-fascists) it can be quite logical to expect an illogical response.

As Bush’s mama would say, it’s worked out very well for them so far. Come November, of course, that will change.

Without daring to touch on the touchy topic discussed so well by silencedogwood, let me just add that Vice President Cheney has proven an effective insurance policy against the current President’s impeachment, at the very least.

…perhaps it’s wrong of me to expect understanding on the matter from someone who thinks half the people here are, themselves, socialists. This has been a shocking and painful reminder that for a tiny but potentially dangerous minority of Americas, the only enemies they see are other Americans.

“Is this the appropriate thread to discuss why the Federal Bureau of Investigations should open a file on J. Tyler Ballance in accordance with the USA PATRIOT act for suggesting that the appropriate and expected response to electing a Democrat as President would be murdering him?” — Silence Dogood

As you see, Mr. Balance did not suggest that assassination attempts would be appropriate if Obama were to be elected, only that they should be more expected.

What’s the problem with that?

However, I do disagree with his assessment. The terrorists would love for us to have an inexperienced appeaser as POTUS.

I’ve got to agree with those who are criticizing the beginning of your post.

I also think Kaine is the VP choice and Biden is a headfake. Obama may have decided selecting a VP with heavy international experience underscores, rather than solves, a perceived weakness. By selecting a trusted adviser VP (which is what he said he would do) Obama may be signaling he intends to play the lead on inernational affairs rather than outsourcing that role to his VP. What a refreshing change that would be.

JT Ballance. Wow.

And with the budget the way it is now, I can see a strong demand for Kaine to step down as Governor immediately. Our fiscal crisis, which his budget ignored by the way, needs someone running the show full time. An absent governor is not the right thing for Virginia.

I expect Obama’s Virginia visits to come and go with no announcement and Kaine never gets the tap. But who knows.

Governor Kaine is a good and decent man who America could depend upon, in the likely scenario that Obama is killed in office, if he is, in the unlikely event, elected to the Presidency in the first place.

The sad fact is that with Obama, many interests across the globe that have been held in check, will interpret his election as a green light to mobilize against their various rivals. On the other hand, as President, John McCain, will send a piercing beacon of clarity through the fog of international intrigue, that America remains strong and shall continue to lead the nations of the world to a brighter future for all mankind.

On the question of how much Kaine actually would help Obama in Virginia, there’s this tidbit from last week:

[A] Democratic research firm spent part of last week quietly focus grouping the political skills and attributes of Kaine and Gov. Mark Warner last week, two people familiar with the results say.

(…)

They said that the focus group was held in a conference room in Norfolk, a city in Virginia’s eastern Tidewater region, a huge swing area of the state.

Warner came off well; Kaine did not, with respondents saying that he lacks substantive accomplishments and kisses up too much to Obama.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/obama_richmond_va_next_thursda.php

And that’s in Kaine’s home state.

If the test is whether voters would feel comfortable with the idea that Tim Kaine is a heartbeat away from the Presidency, I’m not sure he’d do all that well in his home state or anywhere else.

I actually don’t think it’s going to be the Governor–I’d sooner expect a Jim Webb switcheroo, based on the theme of the convention. But in an election where the economy figures to be the #1 issue, Gov Kaine brings strong executive experience keeping our state’s economy on a relatively even keel in both the best of times and the worst of times.

I have to disagree with you, although I think it’s Biden. The Obama folks like to leak this stuff and play the trial balloon game. If it is Kaine, you could put him in catholic areas like Macomb County Michigan, and the Pittsburgh suburbs, where he’ll talk about his trip to Honduras and his faith. He can also help in the sw with Richardson since he’s fluent in spanish. Many people voted for him based on that first intro ad he ran in 2005 that made him look like the suburban dad next door. You have to have some political talent to be a Democrat and win Henrico convincingly, and only lose Chesterfield 55-45, not to mention winning Chesapeake and Virginia Beach (I know it was a state race). Biden goes to every sunday talk show and looks for a mic. He’s been very quiet the last few weeks.

(PS – I lined out that first sentence of mine. I forgot that Biden is in a state where, presumably, a Democrat would be appointed to replace him.)

Admittedly though, I am rooting for Obama to take Kaine. It would be helpful to Republicans in Virginia, and helpful to Republicans in the rest of the country.

That’s not to say, BTW, that Biden wouldn’t be a good choice, because in many respects, he would be. But I see some serious downsides with picking Biden, and I think they would be a little much to overcome.

Kaine brings nothing to the ticket that Obama needs.

He needs experience, specifically in the foreign policy realm.

And, he needs contacts inside a Democratic Congressional leadership that, if he does win, might not share his agenda.

Kaine might deliver Virginia’s 13 Electoral Votes for him.

But then again they might not.

Kerry picked Edwards four years ago and didn’t win North Carolina. Dukakis picked Bensten and didn’t win Texas. The days of picking VP running mates for Electoral College purposes are, I think, long gone.

That’s why I’m betting on Biden. He’s got experience and a good foreign policy resume. And, unlike Kaine or Bayh, picking him will not result in the seat he holds being handed to a Republican (if Kaine becomes Vice-President, the next Governor of Virginia will be a Republican, if Bayh does his replacement in the Senate would be selected by the Republican Governor of Indiana).

And, in all honesty, I don’t see Tim Kaine playing well anywhere outside of Virginia.