Cokie Roberts: 'Liberal' Obama Needs 'Bible-Thumping, Gun-Owning, White Guy' VP

During the roundtable discussion on Sunday's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Cokie Roberts not only made a relatively rare identification of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as "liberal," but she also argued that Obama needs to choose a running mate who is a "Bible-thumping, gun-owning, white guy from a swing state. I mean, maybe that's who the party should have nominated." (Transcript follows)

As the group discussed the running mate possibilities, Roberts contended that it would be a bad idea for Obama to choose Clinton: "I don't think that it's good for the Democratic Party to have two liberal Senators from states that are going to go Democratic anyway. I mean, he needs a Bible-thumping, gun-owning, white guy from a swing state. I mean, maybe that's who the party should have nominated."

Sam Donaldson jumped in: "You mean, in other words, somebody who disagrees with him on all the issues."

Below is a transcript of the relevant exchange from the Sunday May 11 This Week with George Stephanopoulos:

COKIE ROBERTS: I don't think that it's good for the Democratic Party to have two liberal Senators from states that are going to go Democratic anyway. I mean, he needs a Bible-thumping, gun-owning, white guy from a swing state. I mean, maybe that's who the party should have nominated.

SAM DONALDSON: You mean, in other words, somebody who disagrees with him on all the issues.

ROBERTS: Doesn't have to disagree with him on the issues. He doesn't... [AUDIO BECOMES DIFFICULT TO HEAR]

DONALDSON: Or, like Joe Lieberman, he'd have to be quiet, or she.

ROBERTS: Just somebody who represents the people in the party that she's been carrying in the primaries.