Vice President Will Have Real Chance of Becoming President

The role of Vice President has acquired an “almost unprecedented” importance in the U.S. elections, because this time around, whoever is chosen runs a real risk of becoming President.

This information comes from Sérgio Dávila, Folha’s correspondent in Washington, who assures that he is not being alarmist.

According to Dávila, Barack Obama receives daily threats from “crazy people” in the U.S., and has been accompanied by an American Secret Service team since before he stood among the finalists for the Democratic candidacy.

“The facts that he is Black, descended from Muslims, and too progressive for local standards contribute to the paranoia,” comments Dávila.

The journalist says that John McCain, at the age of 72, would be the oldest President to take over the White House, should he be elected.

“His health is not the greatest. He was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five years, and he still feels consequences from that period today. He cannot completely move his two arms, for example. In addition to this, he also suffered from skin cancer, which left a mark on his face,” he explains.

Dávila says that, because of this, whoever votes for Barack or McCain will also be voting for his Vice President, “in case the worst should happen,” which explains why it is taking so long to select the candidate that will complete each party’s ticket.

According to the journalist, the names that stand out for Obama’s Vice President, aside from Senator Hillary Clinton, are Senators John Edwards and Chuck Hagel, as well as Governors Bill Richardson, Ed Rendell, and Kathleen Sebelius.

“On the Republican side, it seems that things will stay between the popular governor of Florida, Charlie Christ – an ex-bachelor who has recently announced he will be getting married – and the ex-candidate for President, Mitt Romney, a money-making machine who would bring economic experience to John McCain’s team,” declares Sérgio Dávila.