Hillary should put Obama on ticket

[jefferson_dem]

Hillary should put Obama on ticket
July 25, 2007
BY ANNA QUINDLEN

FOR HILLARY: A PROPOSAL
TO: HRC
RE: VP

Well, senator, with the "Sopranos"-influenced video gone viral, you managed to convince millions of Americans that you do have a sense of humor. With the continuing massaging of your position on Iraq, you've managed to convince a significant number of liberals that you have a sense of urgency about the war. And with the most recent poll results, you must have a sense of yourself as the front-runner.

Now it's time to show that you have a sense of history, a sense that this election is bigger than just one woman's ambitions. Make it your business to persuade Barack Obama to be your running mate.

Conventional thinkers like to make this sound risky, pairing a woman and a black man on the ticket. But it's not as wild as it sounds. The calculus of choosing someone for the second spot is always, first and foremost, whether the choice hurts your chances. The answer here is no. Anyone who would be put off by Obama isn't going to vote for you in the first place.

<SNIP>

You and Barack Obama are a good match as well -- intelligent, eloquent, with similar positions but from different generations, which means he could afford to be patient in his ultimate ambitions. The elder Bush had to eat some crow when he joined the Reagan campaign. There were differences on policy issues and harsh words, most notably when Bush referred -- correctly -- to Reagan's "voodoo economics." Both you and Obama have taken care not to bicker. No apologies necessary.

He would have to decide he would be willing to coexist with a strong woman. But it seems as though he already does that at home. You would have to be willing to let a charismatic man steal some of your thunder, but you do that at home, too. This would be a political marriage of convenience, sure, but one that could excite the country.

Everyone is poised for big change, big ideas. Do the big thing that also happens to be the right thing. Your Web site says: Help make history. Go ahead. I dare you.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/482244,CST-EDT-anna25.article

[SaveElmer]

1. I was bashed around pretty well here for suggesting this a couple weeks ago...

I know you weren't one of them...

Will be interesting to see what reaction this gets!

[obnoxiousdrunk]

2. I think that

will happen.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. When did Hillary get the nomination?

Aren't there these "primary" things that have to happen first? Or did I oversleep and miss them?

I have an idea: Let's just wait until some candidate -- maybe Hillary; maybe somebody else -- ACTUALLY GETS NOMINATED before choosing their running mate.

[Virginia Dare]

4. It's a strong possibility IMO...n/t

[Pirate Smile]

5. If she wins the nomination, I hope she does.

[jmp]

6. I suspect that things ...

Will get pretty pointed if not downright nasty between them during the campaign, so I doubt that will happen.

I also can't recall ever seeing the two of them conversing while Senators are milling around on the floor of the Senate, so I suspect that they just don't like each other at all.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too early for this type of fun and games

Experience tells us the world will look a little different when the dust settles in this campaign. Hillary may well not win. Obama's assets/liabilities ledger might not look the same. And someone we're not even talking about right now could surprise us.

Seems unlikely, but that's the fun of it. Anna Quindlen should stick to lifestyle novels and let the process play out.

[Solo_in_MD]

8. Actually she should accept if Obama offers the VP position

[Tellurian]

13. That would be another faux pas on Obama's part..

The nominee chooses their running mate. I suppose he could make it known by an envoy, he would accept the position if asked, but it would be inappropriate for Obama to call and say, "hey, you guys need a VP? I'm available." type thing.. Whats more it would be considered a flip flop by the GOP...After all, BO closed 'that' door on the Letterman Show, remember?

[Solo_in_MD]

16. Let me be clearer...She should accept the VP slot when Obama wins

[Tellurian]

23. Hillary may be in her retirement by then...

[jmp]

15. That I can guarantee will never happen.

Hillary hasn't been paying her dues and getting her butt kicked all these years just to play second fiddle to a neophyte like Obama. Actually VP is worse than second fiddle since the job of the VP is pretty much whatever the President says it is. She could find herself completely irrelevant. She'd get all the abuse to go along with none of the power.

[Totally Committed]

9. Repeat after me: She's not the f*cking nominee yet!

Maybe by the time people actually CAST a vote, it'll be Obama that will be asked to include HER on the ticket.

One more time, with feeling: She's not the f*cking nominee yet!

TC

[SaveElmer]

10. So we should ban all political speculation on a chat board dedicated to politics?

Wouldn't that just make us a low-rent news service...

[venable]

14. the point is that this inevitability thing is not good for the party

or the process.


And the OP sounds like her nom is inevitable, just the way the title is phrased.

[SaveElmer]

22. Sure...and you are welcome to it...

Not criticizing you for making such speculation because the nominee hasn't been chosen...

Doesn't stop me from ridiculing your speculation, but I won't criticize you for making it

[Totally Committed]

17. You don't see how this arrogant disregard and disrespect of other candidates, and their supporters

Is divisive, and promotes a combative atmosphere here on this board? I don't believe that, because I know how intelligent you are. So, I have to believe that you and the other Hillary supporters are saying anything you damned well please, no matter what it does to the atmosphere of the board.

These "Hillary is inevitable" threads are really troublesome. It wouldn't be so bad if other people were allowed their own opinions, but there is no "conversation" with the lot of you, it's always a debate/flame war.

It's unpleasant, but above all, it's unnecessary. Pushing Hillary down DU's throat is not the way to gain supporters for her in the Primaries, but especially not if you want people to actually vote for her in the GE .... providing she gets the nomination.

TC

[SaveElmer]

24. Well two things...

The OP on this thread is an Obama supporter...

And second, because supporters of other candidates are upset by the news is not good enough reason not to post it...

I have no doubt were the situation reversed there would be no holding back...

This is a discussion board about politics, it seems odd to limit the discussion because some don't like what is being discussed...

I have never claimed Hillary is inevitable, and with a couple exceptions I don't think other Hillary supporters do either...

It may seem that way as right now there is more for us to cheer about than some of the others...

Finally if you look back at most of the threads I post on, I do not attack unless attacked first. I have had plenty of fruitful discussions with supporters of other candidates...you, the OP on occasion, and many others....and if you look back you will see I have defended other candidates on many occasions as well...

But when the same lie is posted in thread after thread after thread about Hillary, I'm gonna push back.

[jefferson_dem]

18. No need to repeat after you.

Everyone already knows that.

Obviously...Hillary is not my preference for the top slot yet i offer this editorial, for speculation purposes. After all, this is the *political* forum.

[venable]

11. And she's not going to be the nominee

at some point the voters will wake up to the fact that she is the Rep party's dream girl.

[LWolf]

12. The best ticket will not have Hillary or Obama in any position, thanks.

The only thing worse than having Hillary or Obama nominated would be to have them both on the same ticket. Two unacceptable choices for one vote.


:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

[Dawgs]

20. Let me guess. You want another white male.

[LWolf]

30. I'd be happy with a black woman, but she's not on the ticket. n/t

[venable]

35. I don't care what color or gender they are, and I don't want anyone to suggest that I do

just because I don't support HRC or BO.

they are not the best candidates.

don't play that lame card, please.

[LibDemAlways]

21. Hillary - Obama is the repuke dream ticket.

They might not even have to worry about stealing the election if the Dems nominate that pair.

[TwilightGardener]

25. Yeah, it would be stupid to pair up two frontrunners who beat the Repubs in many polls

on the same ticket--a sure loser! Idiotic.

[LibDemAlways]

28. The corporate media is doing everything in its power to

get Hillary nominated. Now they're starting to tout Obama as her running mate - before the first primary votes have even been cast.

There is nothing the rightwing slime machine wants more than a Hillary candidacy. The fury and vengeance with which they're planning to attack her - after she gets the nom - will be brutal. I'm not saying she can't or won't withstand it (though I have serious doubts), but thinking she and Obama would have a cakewalk is just not realistic.

[TwilightGardener]

29. Didn't say cakewalk. I'm not overconfident. But I would support that

ticket in a heartbeat, and I think it's a winner.

[LibDemAlways]

32. I'm a Dem. I'd vote for the ticket, too.

Just saying the r's are salivating thinking about it. I fully expect them to take the lowest road possible no matter who the Dems nominate, but they have a special and unique hatred for Hillary and their campaign will reflect it.

[LWolf]

38. That's a good point. n/t

[Old and In the Way]

19. I hope the primary winner picks either Obama, Hillary, Edwards, Richardson or Kucinich

I expect to see our MSM start this line of opinionating soon....

[ShortnFiery]

26. It's not her call. The Primaries have not OCCURRED YET!

Besides there's already been too many bridges burned. HRC wants all the attention - that is her track record - therefore, no way would she wish to share the spotlight with anyone other than her "husband" who will have her install much of his old cabinet and DLC crones will essentially run the entire show with HRC imposing as the constant center of attention. :eyes:

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss ... save for perpetual war.

[Ethelk2044]

27. Hell No,

[silverweb]

31. Sure.

An Obama/Clinton ticket would be fine with me. :rofl:

GObama!

[Like It Is]

33. She will not be the nominee!

You can take that to the bank!

[illinoisprogressive]

34. No no no and no!

[Pirate Smile]

36. IF IF IF she wins the nomination, who would you want her to pick? The point isn't

that she WILL win, it is that IF she wins who should she pick.

We can do the same thing with Obama. Who should he pick if he wins the nomination? Obama/Webb would be an interesting team IMO.

If she does win the nomination, I would be much more exited about it if she put Obama on the ticket with her. A Dem like Vilsack or Bayh would bore me to tears.

[ShortnFiery]

37. If HRC wins the Nomination, her negative coat-tails will ruin several democratic races.

The only bright spot is that the fall-out from HRC's nomination would, most likely, DESTROY the DLC. :shrug: