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10 Reasons for Barack Obama not to pick Hillary Clinton as his Vice President
1. It's wrong to say that Hillary has survived the worst the Republicans have thrown against her. In a national election, the sort of attacks which had little traction in New York senate races and the Ohio or Pennsylvania primaries could well drag her--and Obama--down. Should Obama have to spend part of his presidential campaign defending the Clintons, of all people, when Travelgate, Whitewater, Vince Foster, the Lincoln Bedroom, Marc Rich, Norman Hsu, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Monica, and Bosnia all come oozing back up into our political life?
2. How can Obama possibly campaign as the incarnation of the future, and the repudiation of the Bad Old Politics of the Past, when he has Hillary standing next to him?
3. Dynasticism in a minor, vice-presidential key is still dynasticism, and the country is sick of it. Is John McCain going to pick Jeb Bush as his running mate? (and if it wasn't for the last name, he well might).
4. Bill. If Hillary, of all people, couldn't stop him from harming the campaign he was supposed to be helping, can Barack?
5. Hillary has simply gone too far claiming that Obama is unready to be president. Her lines will be flung back in her face--and his--endlessly by the Republicans, and in debates.
6. This seems to be one case that disproves the adage about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. In 2016, after a second Obama term, Hillary will be nearly 70. Does anyone think she is going to be content to put her own ambitions aside until then, and be nothing but a good team player?
7. Why should Obama give up a chance to put someone with real executive experience on the ticket? This is a weakness of his, and Hillary will not help to address it seriously, despite her vaunted "35 years."
8. A great deal of the political fence-mending that he would accomplish by choosing Hilary could be done just as well by choosing her strong supporter Evan Bayh.
9. Hillary is not Lyndon Johnson. She probably can't bring him anywhere near the number of electoral votes that Johnson brought to the Democratic ticket in 1960 (she certainly can't steal Texas for him!).
10. The obvious, unfortunate, Unevolved Nation reason, namely that some voters will be comforted by a white male on the ticket. Should Obama pay attention to this factor? No. Will he? Good question.
Reasons 2, 4, and 5 stand out for me as the strongest reasons to not name Clinton as VP.
5 comments:
I don't even understand why any Clinton supporter would want her on the ticket. She has a Senate seat for life and could be a powerhouse in that body for many years.
Why give that up to go cut ribbons for Obama? He obviously isn't going to give her any real power.
They are not a good match. If she had won the nomination I wouldn't have advocated picking Obama for VP either.
I posted the following "ideal tickets" on my poorly maintained and rarely viewed blog:
http://funkyiowan.blogspot.com
Obama/Richardson
Clinton/Ford
McCain/Lieberman
I don't think Obama and Clinton are a good match at all. It will be a tragic mistake of they try to team up for a ticket.
If Clinton can go against her worst instincts, which too often seem to dominate, and run a positive campaign through the rest of the primaries she will be doing herself and the Democratic Party a huge favor. This will greatly reduce the temptation of Obama supporters and Clinton supporters to go after each other instead of focusing on the fall campaign. Clinton's divide and conquer strategy only divides Democrats and improves McCain's chances of conquering the polls in November.
I agree with pfunkster -- Obama/Richardson would be pretty peachy.
No, Richardson was on Gore's short list, then on Kerry's short list, and both gave him a pass despite his impressive resume. Kerry famously didn't like Edwards, but still picked him over Richardson.
I think there is some baggage that will prevent Obama from picking him.
I would love to see Richardson in the cabinet, though.
Two new blogs to stir up conversation.
Pick Obama's VP
Who should be Barack Obama's Vice President Running Mate?
Pick McCain's VP
Who should be John McCain's Vice President Running Mate?
Plus the often updated and objective Media Analysis of the Hillary campaign.
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