Obama Hires Solis Doyle: A Bad Omen For VP Hillary

The Obama campaign announced today what had long been suspected: Hillary Clinton's former campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle was going to work for the Illinois Democrat. What came as a surprise was Solis Doyle's title, "chief of staff to the vice presidential candidate."

The move was seen as shrewd but potentially controversial. Solis Doyle was let go by Clinton because of what was widely regarded as poor campaign and financial management. But she still is a prominent Hispanic figure with ties to the former first lady -- attributes that could endear Obama to a sought-after political constituency.

One thing the move does suggest, insiders believe, is that Hillary Clinton's chances of being tapped for the vice presidency are now slim to nil.

"This alone means that Hillary won't be the V.P. choice," wrote one.

According to two close Clinton confidantes, the Senator and Solis Doyle have not spoken since her firing months ago. And there is a sense that bad blood lingers between the two. Some officials in Clinton's orbit were disappointed, if not angered, by the fact that Solis Doyle had been in touch with the Obama campaign about possibly coming on board. Solis Doyle, meanwhile, is rumored to have felt particularly scapegoated by her firing.

Said one individual with knowledge of the Clinton campaign's political leanings: "It would be pretty awkward if Hillary Clinton were picked as vice president and Patti was there to be her chief of staff."

Indeed, while on the surface it may seem that hiring Solis Doyle would provide a soft landing for Clinton to be brought in as V.P., others see her hiring as simply a logical political move.

"Patti knows that world certainly and knows the kinds of things the vice president would do because she saw it so much in the White House," said a source. "She is from Chicago and she knows all those folks. I knew she had visited with them and she wants to get on with her life too."

But time does heal wounds and in politics a shared objective like, say, the White House, could compel Obama to reunite Clinton and her former campaign manager.

Update: Jason Horowitz over at the New York Observer reports the following: "A former bundler to Hillary Clinton just called in to tell me that Barack Obama's selection of Patti Solis Doyle as chief of staff to the campaign's eventual vice presidential nominee is the "biggest fuck you I have ever seen in politics."

[snip]

"Either one of two things happen," said the bundler. "Hillary is selected as vice president and they fire Patti, or Hillary is not going to be the vice president."

Later Update: A source with knowledge (though not direct) of Sollis Doyle and Clinton's relationship writes in to dispute the idea that they haven't spoken since her firing. Though, he adds, the move by Obama seems likely to shut the door on the idea of Clinton as VP.

Comments

[cadbury]

10:17 AM on 06/20/2008

Here's a thought...Why is the Obama campaign naming a Chief of Staff for a VP who won't even be picked for weeks yet? Isn't the VP nominee gonna get to pick his/her own staff? This all seems totally idiotic to me.

I'm really starting to worry about Obama's chances for Nov. The repubs have had a field day today with his decision to forgo public financing -- and rightly so!

[Kreskytim]

09:29 AM on 06/20/2008

I think if I was VP I'd want to pick my own chief of staff. Seems weird to me, a little control freakish on the campaigns part. If they are just trying to plan for the fall campaign then why not call Solis by a different tittle.
It was pretty clear when they put a Kennedy on the VP search team that they didn't want Clinton. After all the Kennedy's came out against Clinton in a big way. HINT HINT

[sangsue]

03:46 PM on 06/19/2008

From MSNBC:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/17/1150596.aspx

"Patti Solis Doyle I think is a terrific experienced campaign hand. She's from Chicago. Her brother and I organized on the southeast side of Chicago when I first moved to Chicago as a community organizer, so I've known the family for a very long time. I think that she will bring not only a set of skills that we're gonna need as we put our ticket together but shes going to be a terrific adviser and offer insight and judgment that will help us."

That's what Obama said. It's less about giving the finger to HRC and more about Obama already knowing her and her family from the community organizing he and her brother did (he's an Alderman). They already have a connection. She has Chicago roots. It makes more sense to me that he'd add someone to his staff he already knows.

Besides, I'm beginning to get the feeling that the people who feel this is some type of slight against Hillary Clinton and her supporters feel that HRC did Obama a favor by conceding and that unless the man is on his knees he isn't reaching out to them all.

Katie, I know that to you, unless he concedes his great error in running and brings the country together by stepping aside for Hillary Clinton, he could stand on his head and you'd still hate him and his family.

[profromdover]

12:10 PM on 06/19/2008

I am dumbfounded at this hamfisted hiring from the deservedly savvy Obama campaign. There are tons of more talented political operatives out there. Why her, and why this particular job? How do you preside over blowing a 30 point lead into Iowa, misspend a $75 million advantage to a unknown Senator with 2 years on the job and lead one of the most monumental presidential campaign collapses in history, and merit a big job with your candidates archrival? I'm not taking away anything from Obama's herculean effort, but this makes no political sense on so many levels. Obama's most immediate task after becoming the presumptive nominee is to put together a winning coalition of Democrats, and that depends on him successfully courting every single one of Hillary's 18 million supporters. And, this is not a good first step toward achieving that goal. This is more akin to putting "Brownie" in charge of the rebuilding of New Orleans, and repairing all of the Mississippi's bursting levees !

[generaldelivery]

12:03 PM on 06/19/2008

This was a tawdry, tasteless and underhanded move, worthy of the republicans on their worst day. If he doesn't want her as his running mate, he should get up on his hind legs and publicly say so, instead of pulling this adolescent stunt of insulting her until she goes away. I thought he had more class than this but I'm starting to get a real education about his "new politics".

[Cherlesq]

11:36 AM on 06/19/2008

I think Senators Obama and Clinton discussed her VP chances at the "secret meeting" with Senator Feinstein. I believe Seantor Clinton understood she would not be asked. and Senator Obama left it to her how she would handle the matter withthe public. However, he does need to move forward with the staffing of this campaign since he is geting such a late start.

I think Senator Clinton has much to offer the Democrats and this country during the election and thereafter. A role as VP is not the best use of her abilities and talent. It's time to move on.

[shades3]

10:49 AM on 06/19/2008

The voter gets to choose who is President in November.
But, the choice of Vice President is the candidate's OWN CHOICE.
The person who is a heartbeat away from the Presidency MUST be someone who the President trusts and is comfortable turning their back on.
Considering that Hillary Clinton went so far as mentioning a possible assassination as one of the reasons she was not dropping out of the race for the nomination, I wouldn't blame Barack Obama if he didn't have absolute faith in her being willing to play a relatively minor supporting role in his Presidency.
The office is Vice President, not Co-President. Whoever is Vice President has NO official role, unless something happens to incapacitate or kill the President.
In light of her attitude during the nominating campaign, Barack Obama may not trust Hillary Clinton quite as much as he would like.
Again, who a Presidential candidate's running mate is is one of the few personal choices they make.
So, let's let Mr. Obama make his choice of who he thinks would be the best fit.
The Vice-Presidency is not the consolation prize awarded to the runner-up in the nominating process.

[Pragmatus]

11:05 AM on 06/19/2008

Your "consolation prize" point is right on the money.

[closetodemfection]

10:36 AM on 06/20/2008

For crying out loud - HC doesn't want the VP spot. Her supporters (myself included) want her to do have it - sadly, however, I have come to believe she is under no uncertain terms, not interested.

That said, it still doesn't excuse a slap in her face by hiring Doyle for such a specific job.

[PhDiva]

07:25 AM on 06/19/2008

One thing we know that Hillary's campaign did well throughout was to cultivate women voters. Perhaps Solis Doyle was hired to reproduce that aspect of the Hillary strategy. I agree that it is outrageous that people who claim to be feminists are angry at Barack for hiring a highly qualified woman to his campaign. Many Hillary supporters only support Hillary and other white women; to them women of color are not considered women.

[darthmaul]

02:09 AM on 06/19/2008

We are either missing some of the facts, or this is a bad decision. Follow me.

Hire an incompetent political adviser because she was a Latino. While at the same time possibly infuriating a recently defeated rival, whose help you probably need?

This makes no sense to me.

[dawlishgal]

07:04 AM on 06/19/2008

The real question is whether or not Solis Doyle was really incompetent or if she was just a convenient scapegoat for the incompetent men. It is interesting to hear the "feminists" complaining about how hiring her is just another strike against Obama because it will be "disrespectful of Hillary." or (worse, as somebody said, "spitting in Hillary's). face

WHY? Because Hillary fired her? Give me a break. Obama is giving an unemployed minority group female A JOB. And people are angry because they "support" the woman who bleeping fired her and kept the male workers.

I wish the Hillary supporters would get some consistency in their "feminist" rhetoric.

[Kim445588]

08:49 PM on 06/19/2008

These are the same folks vowing to vote for the man who calls his wife a trollop and "c" word.

[Egalitare]

08:50 PM on 06/19/2008

Ouch! Still, I get your argument.

Solis Doyle apparently had no real influence on message or strategy, yet she is somehow "incompetent" because of the early primary setbacks: that just doesn't pass the smell test. Scapegoat, sacrificial lamb, burnt offering to the big money muckety-mucks, fall gal -- pick your cliche, use your own, it fits Patty.

So if she is cited as being instrumental in facilitating a successful outreach to and turnout of Hispanics this Fall, does she get her "cred" back?

[Thefamilyvan]

01:47 AM on 06/19/2008

It seems as though you're all missing the boat here. The buzz word to the Solis Doyle hiring is.... Latinos.... LATINOS...... LATINOS!

[tbone99]

11:25 PM on 06/18/2008

strange that one of Axelrod's mentorees would be so prominentin H.C 's campaign.Almost as if Axelrod was running both sides.

[john77]

08:25 PM on 06/18/2008

Patti has that "long, flowing hair" look down pat.

[deltaverde]

07:20 PM on 06/18/2008

I too have been very confused by this move, but I've come up with a theory. The VP slot probably won't be filled until the convention. But between now and then there is a tremendous amount of planning and legwork to do for all the VP's campaign appearances. For the VP to hit the ground running, there needs to be a VP CoS starting right now. Solis-Doyle may have been in over her head or been victim of a Mark Penn knife in the back, either way, Obama thinks she has the skills to get the VP campaign advance work done, so that's enough for me.

[MiraMcB]

06:54 PM on 06/18/2008

Haha! I hope she does as good a job for him as she did for Sen. Clinton.

[runnerin1]

06:15 PM on 06/18/2008

Good to look at!!