With Sen. Barack Obama clinching the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, both Democrats and Republicans have begun to speculate about who he will choose as a running mate and which issues will be most important in the general election.
Tim Cunha, democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 6th District, said because Obama got the nomination, there is a good chance that Sen. Hillary Clinton will end up as the vice�"presidential nominee for the party.
"In an ordinary year, you wouldn't have two Northeasterners, two people who have Illinois roots, on the same ticket, but this isn't a conventional year," Cunha said.
Bryan Griffin, chairman of UF's College Republicans, disagreed with Cunha's prediction and said Clinton would be more likely to accept a court nomination than a vice�"presidential one because she would not have to answer to anyone else.
"She has the type of personality that she would want to be on top or not at all," Griffin said.
Stafford Jones, chairman of the Alachua County Republican Executive Committee, said the key issue Democrats will face in the near future is how to unify their party, not who will be nominated vice president.
Jones said infighting might cost the Democrats some votes.
Cunha said the divisions in the party are minor, especially in the context of the general election.
"The differences between Obama and Clinton are next to nothing compared to the differences between Obama and McCain," he said. "There's no way in the world that any Democrat truly wants John McCain to be president."
Mark McShera, editorial chairman of the UF College Democrats, said the U.S. economy will be the number one issue for voters.
"I think that the voters are ready for a total 180 in the economic sphere," McShera said.
Griffin disagreed, adding that the most important issue will be experience.
"It is years versus days in McCain versus Obama," Griffin said.
