Time magazine has this intriguing blurb:
What will Clinton’s terms of surrender turn out to be? Her husband, for one, seems to have a pretty clear idea what he thinks she should get as a consolation prize. In Bill Clinton’s view, she has earned nothing short of an offer to be Obama’s running mate, according to some who are close to the former President. Bill “is pushing real hard for this to happen,” says a friend.
If he’s smart, Obama won’t go for this. I think Clinton is too much of a liability. Big Ego, Big Agenda, Big Mouth, Big Baggage. I think that’s a recipe for disaster if you ask me.
Considering the Clintons death list, does Obama really want his heartbeat to be the only obstacle to Hillary becoming president?!!!
-Vincent
Considering how likely the supporters of each are to repudiate a Dem. party that does not feature their candidate, I think this may be the only way for them to come out in oun piece. Whether the combo is electable or not, the base stays energized, the down-ballot benefits and the Dems make substantial progress in many other areas via the Obama turnout, and, if the big O does not win, it will be because of “a vast right-wing conspirasy.” If he don’t win, it wust at all costs not be the fault of the Dems, but the Rep.
I think the pressure on Ms C will be huge, even if she doesn’t want this. I think the pressure on O will be as huge.
How much did JFK like LBJ?
No. 3: Perhaps, but I really do not see (and I hate the the way this is going to sound) this country electing a Black Man/White Woman ticket as President/Vice President. I mean, we have made progress, and I think alone either Hillary or Obama could get elected, but I think together, this country just is not ready for that yet. Maybe one day it will be, but that’s too much change in one ticket.
4 Archer – IMHO there is no such thing as “being ready” for either a black person or a female person to be President of the U.S. It will just happen. That said, you are probably right in using the term “not ready” for that combination you mention – black president/female vice president. But I can accept that one of the two could be on the top of the ticket and be elected.
As to “the way this is going to sound”, is taken with a clear understanding of your intent. I see nothing wrong with speaking truth as long as it is in good taste and not slander in any sense of the word.
Whether the country is or is not ready for such a thing is an argument for a nominating party, with respect to a nomination, whether such a ticket have a chance. Unless deception is involved (and I have every reason to believe that Sen. O is indeed black, and that Sen C. is in fact female) the country is ready for whomever they elect.
I dislike with some vehamence the politics of both of these candidates. I hope and pray neither gets elected. I think it would be very, very bad for this country. I for one am sick to death of the black/female/male/eastern/southern dimension.
1)What does a candidate want to do?
2)How likely is he or she to be able to pull it off?
3)How much wisdom and character has he or she demonstrated with which to deal with the unexpected events which are sure to come?
I want enough data to make sound assesments of those points, and no other.
It’s hard to imagine anything more destructive to Obama’s chances than to make Clinton his running mate. I don’t see how it can help him, and I can see lots of ways for it to hurt him — especially after the election if he manages to win!
I think the best he could do would be to make her part of his cabinet — after the election. But I think she would be foolish to do that. And so would he.
My argument is based on a potential assesmnt, perhaps unwarrented, that a nomination of either O or C could so disenchant a large group of Dem. voters that they would either vote McCain (!) or sit the election out, so smouldering in resentment at the Nat’l party, that not only could this Pres. election be in jeprody, but the down-ballot elections, and possibly even future loyalty to the party.
The effects of such a split could be catastrophic for the D’s, and in a year that should be a walk in the park. They could loose the traditional working-class blue collar Dem. to the modeerate wing of the Republicans, or they could loose their lock on the black vote; or at least loose the assurance that the black community would turn out at the polls for them.
I expect the super-delegates and the back room dealers would do almost anything to avoid those possiblities
#7
You are absolutely right. Whether one likes her policies or her politics, Senator Clinton has gone a long way to earning some credibility as a Senator during her tenure, according to all accounts. It’s probably a safe seat for as long as she wants to hold it. She might help Senator Obama if she were on the ticket, but he would hate having her as VP, and WJC hanging around in the wings. She would hate the position (remember FDR’s first VP’s assessment of the office).
Being Senator for the State of New York is no small thing. Better than a cabinet position, and probably better than being VP.
Please don’t underestimate the Democrats coming together. We won’t stay home and we won’t vote for McCain…..
I do not think it would help Obama in the slightest degree to have Hillary on the ticket in the general election. Obama is after independent voters (there are a lot of us out there now), and Hillary represents “the old guard.” The Democrats will vote for the Democratic candidate. Mark my words, there will be no dissenting from the party line, as current polls seem to suggest. They’ve done those, “If your candidate doesn’t win the nomination, would you rather vote for the other side?” polls before this early in the election, and they always change their tune by the time November rolls around.
Make no mistake, Barack Obama will be President, because there are enough Democrats and Independents in this country who know that the country and the world cannot withstand another 8 years of failed policy (foreign or domestic) in an increasingly hostile and ever-changing globe.
We certainly cannot withstand more of this:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/16/mccain-stumbles-on-hiv-prevention/
One must hope that Obama will take a common-sense and pragmatic approach to solving our problems, in contrast to the ideologues currently in power, and not break his promise not to fall back on (leftist) politics as per usual.
MarkTXK, you may be right. However, there will be plenty of pols whining, “He’s weak with working class whites! She’s strong with working class whites!” If it comes to be, it will be a shotgun marriage made in Hades.
[size=1][color=red][url=http://resurrectioncommunitypersonal.blogspot.com/]The Rabbit[/url][/color][color=gray].[/color][/size]
Hillary is too smart to settle for v.p. The v.p. is a nobody: to be seen on occasion but hardly ever to be heard publicly. If the country fails under an Obama (or anybody else’s) presidency, the v.p. goes down with him; forget about any future candidacy.
Hillary’s power base is the Senate. That’s her launchpad for the next go-round. And her insulation from any Obama missteps in the meantime.
But as the campaign winds down, you can bet she’s negotiating for some significant favors and leverage in return for her unity pledges and support of Obama.
w.w.
Isn’t eight years of a Clinton administration enough? And the same for GWB? Apart from the P/VP candidates I have always voted a split ticket and I see no reason to stop now!