Bob Woodward Revives Obama-Clinton 2012 Murmurs

UPDATE:

David Axelrod steps in to spoil the rumor.

The Washington Post reports:

"There's absolutely nothing to it," senior adviser David Axelrod said Tuesday night. "The president is blessed to have a spectacular vice president and an outstanding secretary of state. They're both doing great work, and he wants to keep them on the job."

EARLIER:

Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward took it upon himself Tuesday to revive rumors of a potentially astounding White House scenario -- a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton 2012 presidential ticket.

"It's on the table," Woodward told CNN's John King in an interview set to air Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

According to Woodward, there have been political calculations about the seemingly unlikely undertaking, which would allow Clinton to trade jobs with Vice President Joe Biden, making him the Secretary of State.

"President Obama needs some of the women, Latinos, retirees that she did so well with during the [2008] primaries and, so they switch jobs, not out of the question, and the other interesting question is, Hillary Clinton could run in her own right in 2016 and be younger than Ronald Reagan when he was elected president," Woodward explained.

CNN points out that Clinton would be just over 69 years old in January 2017, the time of a possible inauguration. In comparison, President Ronald Reagan was just weeks short of his 70th birthday when he was sworn in on January 20, 1981.

"Now you talk to Hillary Clinton or her advisers and they say 'no, no there's not a political consideration here,'" Woodward continued. "Of course the answer is, you point out to them that her clout around the world when she goes to Europe, Asia, anywhere is in part, not just because she's Secretary of State or because she was married to President Clinton, that people see a potential future president in her."

Despite Woodward's high-profile argument for such an administrative metamorphosis, the Obama-Clinton ticket concept is hardly novel.

Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder pushed the idea in August, using similar reasoning and a rather unkind analysis of the first 18 months of Joe Biden's vice presidency.

And earlier this week, Former Bush White House chief of staff Andy Card pitched the proposal on CNN.

WATCH:

Comments

[future primitive]

09:54 AM on 10/07/2010

This all makes perfect sense to me. It sets her up for 2016. She would still be younger than Raygun when he ran. If Joe Biden is cool with it, I'll sign off on it. The Supreme Court is gonna look awesome by 2020.

Now the rest of you guys get back to work. I'm allowed to daydream, because Steve Cohen is going to crush his opponent in our TN House District 9.

[RosanneofTennessee]

10:33 PM on 10/06/2010

There SHOULD be something to the rumor; that would be a winning ticket for sure. We need a feminist in the VP seat to fight back the GOP wingnuts who want to control women's wombs.

[Senior-Advisor]

06:38 PM on 10/06/2010

Beiden as Secretary of State? Make Clinton President and Obama Secretary of State.

[justplainfedup]

06:20 PM on 10/06/2010

What the hell would Clinton bring to the ticket?

Would she blow the caucuses again?

[treadway123]

01:59 PM on 10/06/2010

Let's just sit this aside for now, an don't let them side the Nov. 2nd election comeing up! It's not time to speculate about 2012 or dream about it! It is the time to stay on track an keep pounding the Tea Party Candidates/Repubicans. Think about winning on Nov 2nd, an giveing the GOP/T.P a surprise of their lifes. It is encourageing that Maddows is out their showing the T.P candidates for what they really are, an they keep tripping over themselfs with witch craft, kicking pregnant teachers out of their jobs, privatizeing SS, changeing the Constitution, lowering the minimum wage down, an on & on. This is what we need to talk about NOW!

[pearlx2]

01:37 PM on 10/06/2010

Progressives: DON'T ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE DISTRACTED FROM NOVEMBER 2, 2010, by the tactics of those in the media. They only want to start in-fighting because they see the polls tightening up, and they see that Liberals REALLY ARE ENTHUSIASTIC about the mid-term elections, despite all the MEDIA TALK of lack of enthusiasm among DEMOCRATS.

Let's STAY FOCUSED and GET TO THE POLLS on 11/2. VOTE OUT ALL REPUBLICANS and help save our country.

[WarriorLemming]

11:10 PM on 10/06/2010

hear, hear! co-signed! f&f :)

[Scentedflower]

01:18 PM on 10/06/2010

Let us take care of the midterm first in 26 days and then, we will talk about 2012.
There are 12- Not So Hopefuls- in GOPTs for Repub. nominations.
All combined not equal to Obama.
President & VP are good men. Hilary is an excellent SS. For the time being, leave it that way.
Concentrate on Nov. and get up & vote for Dems.

[WarriorLemming]

11:12 PM on 10/06/2010

Yes, and encourage your friends to vote--remind everyone often it's so easy to forget when you're trying to survive day to day. :)

[XTABAY]

12:58 PM on 10/06/2010

Bob is just stirring the shitpot for the next book

[CindySanFrancisco]

12:56 PM on 10/06/2010

HRC has alrealdy stated that she will not be SOS for another term, we will see what happens. I can only wish it would be an Obama-Clinton ticket. As far as the GOP having a trunk load of stuff to throw at Clinton. I think not. They have already thrown whatever it is they can at both her and her husband. Clinton is one of the most vetted politicians around and would be great at whatever she chooses to do.

[CheapTrick]

12:55 PM on 10/06/2010

Yes. Please.

[christianmama4change]

12:52 PM on 10/06/2010

I hope the Pres considers it - Hillary has definitely more than earned a short at being a heart's throw at the Presidency. Never mind how much I disliked her during the 2008 primaries. I think the President will be in a Sarah Palin dilemma if he doesn't find a way to go after women who are reportedly shying away from his ticket and being lied to by the extreme tea partiers.

[WarriorLemming]

11:20 PM on 10/06/2010

QUOTE:
"Never mind how much I disliked her during the 2008 primaries"

You still won't like her--take a powder and get some rest you'll feel better in the morning. I don't like AIPAC's best friend any where near President Obama--I'm just hoping she doesn't get us into war with Iran at AIPAC's behest.

[matanp1]

12:44 PM on 10/06/2010

has anyone really followed the garbage that Woodward writes? First, he's a terrible writer, and I've yet to see anything in this "tell-all" books amount to a hill of beans. So the hell what...rumors of Clinton as VP - who would be surprised? Who really would object? What's so important about this? His last several books are huge yawns: why does he still get so much attention?

[sueno]

12:43 PM on 10/06/2010

I don't believe Woodward-

[fedupwithpolitics]

12:39 PM on 10/06/2010

Just keep recycling the warmongers and military hawks--and wonder why the American people think you're clueless.

[Left of Right]

12:35 PM on 10/06/2010

Actually, I think that would be a good ticket--Obama & Clinton!

Only thing is I don't think Biden would do as good a job as Sec of State.