Andrew Sullivan discusses (and endorses) the notion of a Clinton-Obama fusion ticket in yesterday’s Times: Obama-Clinton, a hate-filled dream ticket.
I, however, have an extremely hard time seeing this happen for one simply reason: Bill. For Obama to take on Hillary as the veep would create it own odd synergies, but those can be managed. Plus, there is something humbling about being the veep, and it has cowed great egos before (see, as Sullivan notes, LBJ). However, to take Hillary onto the ticket is to take one not one huge ego, but two. I can’t imagine trying to forge a new administration with Bill looking over your shoulder, which is what one would get if Hillary were on the ticket.
It has been clear that Bill has had a hard time keeping his mouth shut during the campaign for Hillary, and one suspects that that wouldn’t change if he was campaigning for an Obama-Clinton ticket.
There is a lot of downside in trying to absorb the Clinton apparatus into the Obama campaign (let alone into an Obama administration), and as such, I don’t see it happening.
h/t: Michael D. @ Balloon Juice.
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This suggestion is put forward by people who’ve drunk enough Kool Aid to think that Obama and Hillary are actually good candidates. It’s sad to see politics in such a sad state of affairs that large numbers of people believe such a thing.
William Jennings Bryan, for all his dubious beliefs, was still ten-times the politician than either Hillary or Obama (or McCain, for that matter). And he’s not all that great when compared to other historic political heavyweights.
Comment by Max Lybbert — Monday, May 5, 2024 @ 11:13 am
Hi Andrew. As Clinton has won the democratic strongholds and McCain is only one point behind Obama in the polls, but a steady five points behind Clinton, she is the obvious choice for presidential candidate. Obama can be VP.
Hillary has also garnered 12,000 more votes than Barack and she already has almost half of college graduates and a majority of non-graduates. Sophisticated voters can see her value already.
Comment by Emma Hawthorne — Monday, May 5, 2024 @ 5:25 pm
There are polls all over the place. People just pick polls that fit their preferences. The fact is that Obama would have to get less than 20% of the vote in the remaining primaries for Hillary to win the delegate race. The notion that this is not over is pure fiction.
Comment by Jim Gundlach — Monday, May 5, 2024 @ 7:44 pm
Totally agree: Bill. There’s no way anybody could run the Oval Office with that guy around.
Comment by Eric Lindholm — Monday, May 5, 2024 @ 9:04 pm