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Is A Unity Ticket in the Cards?
I can't say I care much for the idea, but I'm beginning the think that Obama is going to have to offer Hillary the vice presidential slot, whether he wants to or not.
He has a real, unsurmountable lead in pledged delegates. It seems improbably that the superdelegates will overturn that. But he has not racked up the kind of victories that would make everyone acknowledge the he is the clear winner.
Whether you buy them or not, Hillary's arguments about the popular vote and victories in the big states have gained some traction. More importantly, her supporters believe them. A discouraging high percentage of them claim that they will not vote Democratic is Hillary is not the nominee. At this point, can we take the risk that they will not follow through on this threat?
I think Obama may have to publicly offer the slot to make peace in the party. Then it will be up to her whether or to accept it.
I think she would accept it, because she really wants to be president, and history tells us that a lot of vice presidents have become President due to death. Furthermore, if a President Obama serves two full terms, his vice president would have front-runner status in 2016, and that would be hard for a 68 year old Hillary to compete with if the vice president is not her.
Making her the vice presidential nominee would cut the potential rebellion of her supporters off at the knees. Few of them would be willing to vote against electing the first woman vice president.
Her campaign has made me really dislike Hillary. But if it's a question of winning with her on the ticket and losing without her, I'd take her.
Comments (14)
You might be right but can you really see her accepting the position?
April 26, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
UNIFY THIS
If you think we're going to add pants suit to our ticket when Soros already punched that ticket you be trippin. She get's Ambassador to Somalia or golf caddy. No more.
Now watch my man bowl this lane.
M. Obama
Angry for No Particular Reason
VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE
NOT YOUR GUILTY CONSCIENCE
April 26, 2008 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just to repeat a funny comment from one of the talking heads at MSNBC when this was brought up (it might have been Howard Fineman or Chuck Todd, I forget).
"Who you gonna hire to be his food taster?"
April 26, 2008 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I love it.
April 26, 2008 2:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
No
April 26, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Never.
I can see that he might need to make peace with women. They seem, according to some recent commentary, to be backing Clinton for the simple reason that she is a woman, without regard for the truly Republican nature of her approach or the damage it is doing to the Democratic Party.
I would suggest Gov. Sibelius as a possibility. She's been a solid winner in a very red state, is young enough to be a realistic possibility for President in 2016, and carries none of the Clinton baggage.
April 26, 2008 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
No. The suggestion that Obama MUST offer Clinton the VP spot is absolutely ludicrous. He would lose a ton of support he has with his current supporters, for one. But past that, putting Clinton in the VP spot would completely invalidate his campaign message. He's said it's time to start new, start afresh, and get away from the baggage of both Bush AND Clinton. So why put her on the ticket with him? Logically, rationally, and reasonably, it doesn't make sense.
I personally would love to see an Obama/Richardson ticket, but I must agree with The Old Grouch that Gov. Sibelius would be a wonderful addition, and play right into Obama's message of unity over division and bipartisanship (her being able to win in a red state), change, a new generation, etc.
April 26, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sebelius*
My bad, haha.
April 26, 2008 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't see her even standing still to watch him take the oath of office; I have a mental image of her walking up and pushing him out of the way, turning around, WIDE SMILE, POINT POINT CLAP CLAP, and grab the bible from the Chief Justice's hands and running off with it.
Bedsides, even if she hadn't insulted him 6 ways to Sunday, she stands for everything he is campaigning against.
April 26, 2008 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. He can't run on "change" with a Clinton on the ticket.
April 26, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please, no no no no no. That silly idea is long gone. She's ruined everything. Just get her the hell out of the race.
April 26, 2008 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
If there ever was time for a unity ticket, it was several months ago. Now it's too late for that.
April 26, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, no, no, she would try to undermine him every step of the way. Barack should stay far, far away from the Clinton chaos. He will have enough of a mess to clean up, without adding to it.
April 26, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary Clinton as VP to Obama? Who's gonna answer the phone at 3 a.m.? - Hillary - she ran the ad, she was ready from day one, she' been waiting 35 long years to grab that phone. She as VP to him - can you hear her hysterical laugh. She's gonna redecorate the White House - oval office for her, west wing for the "president".
April 26, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
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