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A late-breaking rally for Sam Nunn as Obama's veep pick?
August 15, 2008 — As the Russian conflict puts a new edge on the "experience" issue, there is increasing talk in high places that former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn is coming under renewed scrutiny as a possible running mate for presumed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Sources tell Insider that Nunn is being viewed by some as the only strong foreign policy expert available from outside of the perceived liberal wing of the party, as well as the only one of those under consideration who could deliver an electoral bounce.
Others mentioned, such as Sens. Joe Biden and Jack Reed, both hail from the Northeast.
“They already have the Northeast and the liberal wing of the party,” a source told IA Thursday evening. “What they want is someone who can help them break through the ice of the South and get to more moderate states that could be up for grabs.”
The search team, we are told, has access to a survey indicating that Nunn’s fuzzy and less than fully supportive position on gays in the military does not take a measurable amount of committed support away from Obama.
In addition, our sources say there is another survey which shows an additional 6 percent bump for Obama in Nunn’s home state of Georgia, when a prospective Obama-Nunn ticket is paired against a hypothetical McCain-(Mitt) Romney ticket.
One source said that the selection committee, which has apparently been leaning either toward Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh or Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, has considered Biden, Reed and retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel, but polling shows none of the three has the potential of delivering a shift in a major electoral contest.
Another source said, “If Nunn is not the dark horse pick, he will likely be vying with Hagel to be Obama’s choice as Secretary of State, given that the other top choices are already holding elected office. “
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