Perhaps he's a
fusion candidate
Among the hits that would resurface in a presidential campaign:
Webb has spoken fondly of his Confederate roots and defended the Southern states' decision to secede, even citing the "Nazification of the Confederacy."
He said in 2004 that John Kerry deserved to be condemned for his actions in opposition to the Vietnam War.
Of all the guys who carry loaded pistols in their briefcase, Webb is probably the most trustworthy American, but is he
running for President or Secretary of Defense / Vice President. The office of the Secretary of the Navy has been a path to the White House, notably for the Roosevelts. Will we ever have that recipe again?
Some felt that Webb's commentary on women serving in the military (e.g., his 1979 article "Women Can't Fight") was a strong consideration as to his possible candidacy. His selection would have closely followed the somewhat divisive Democratic primary battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton, whose candidacy had received strong support from organized feminism, and who would have been the first female major party nominee for the presidency, had she won the nomination. This situation may have made the prospect of Webb as Obama's running mate entirely politically untenable, as it could have caused many Democratic Clinton supporters to balk at switching allegiance to Obama https://en.wikipedia.org/...
There is a place for women in our military, but not in combat. And their presence at institutions dedicated to the preparation of men for combat command is poisoning that preparation. By attempting to sexually sterilize the Naval Academy environment in the name of equality, this country has sterilized the whole process of combat leadership training, and our military forces are doomed to suffer the consequences.