Only a Dream Ticket Prevents Democratic Nightmare
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama might be stuck with each other -- not just for the long haul to the Democratic nominating convention, but well beyond. They might have to run together, whatever the order and whether they like it or not.
The most likely scenario going forward is that unelected delegates, the so-called super delegates, will decide this thing -- and they might not make a choice in sufficient numbers to give either hopeful the nomination before the convention.
If Clinton or Obama cannot find some miraculous way to lock down a nominating majority in the remaining primaries and caucuses, look for undecided super delegates to opt for the easiest way out and urge them to run together for the November election. More on Craig Crawford's Trail Mix
Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
100% true. A running mate with anyone else would doom the Democrats in the general election.
Dear Mr. Crawford,
I'm not so sure. Some statistics I'd like to see are the polls in states that Hillary wins through negative ads a few weeks after the election took place. Negative campaigning like she does...to groups who aren't predisposed to dislike someone like Obama...mu
these states that she wins will have no trouble going for Obama after he wins the nomination. Just as they'd have had no problem going for Hillary -- IF she hadn't gone so negative to win. She is hurting herself with those who can't stomach how she's winning. I can't believe it but I started thinking myself...h
You make some good points, LFER. Going negative in a primary is going to come back to haunt a party in the General. Not only doe sthat do the GOP's work for them, it risks alienating a LOT of people who supported the other candidate.
I'll confess, I feel ill some days: An election that SHOULD, by all accounts, sweep the GOP bums out of office in a veritable and possibly historic tsunami of rejection might get blunted due to infighting on "the Good Guy's" side.
I pray people will regain perspective and remember that the real enemy is not Hillary or Barak ... it is the Radical Right. Support candidates you believe in, by all means, but DON'T GO NEGATIVE! That plea goes to candidates AND supporters. Despite what you may have allowed yourself to believe, either Clinton or Obama *would* make a fine president -- ESPECIALLY when contrasted with the GOP alternatives.
Don't do Karl Rove's work for him!
This is a ridiculous idea. What in God's name does Hillary add to the Dem ticket as VP? All she'll do is detract from Obama and cost him votes. The only way the Dems can win is to slough off these Clintons. And if by some miracle Hillary were nominated, Obama would be nuts to get his fingerprints on the electoral trainwreck she engineers.
Craig, let's not get too hasty here. As our nominee, Senator Clinton will need the strongest running mate possible, and it is not yet clear that Senator Obama is it.
Hillary will not be the nominee of this party, or haven't you been reading about the delegate count. All she is doing is dividing the party and helping the Repug attack Sen Obama. And even if she's successful in stealing the nomination with fewer pledged delegates and a lower popular vote, she'll never with the election in Nov.
I can tell you for a fact, that NO Democrat can win the presidency without a high percentage of black votes and African Americans will be staying home if Hillary is the nominee. White men will be voting for McCain. That will put places like PA, NJ, MI, FL, MO and others in play bigtime for the GOP. I'm a lifelong Democrat, but I'll never vote for that shrew; same with all of my family members. THe behavior of the Clinton campaign is beneath contempt.
Agreed. I am sick of being called a "traitor" to the Democratic Party if I won't vote for Clinton.
Is that like being a tratior to America if I don't vote Bush?
The politics of fear, spin and shame. If you don't vote for me, you're a bad American/D
Disgusting and more of the same from the Triagnulation Tribe
There is simply no upside to Obama having the Clintons on the ticket. At this point, the scenario would appear to be as his VP. But, since Obama is readily seen as the future of the Democrat Party, it would be suicidal for him to embrace the Clintons and their style of politics, or risk the republicans tying him into the scandal prone Clintons and their divisiveness. The one thing that Obama brings to the table that Al Gore could not is that he can proudly claim no connection to the Clintons.
There are roughly 4 female governors who have supported Obama, and if his campaign believe in their internal polling is showing a drive to add a female to the ticket, surely this can be done without the headache of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Yes, there are many Democrats who remember fondly the '90s and the prosperity that many believed were a product of Bill Clinton's policies, but they also remember the sad spectacle of a president, testifying to sexual liasons and his body parts and his personal physical weaknesses. It is certainly time for us as a nation to move ahead, and beyond such re-hashes of these sorid tales, and more importantly it is important to realize that there are others who can serve the nation and who can do it on Day 1 who do not bring a vocal group of enemies and critics still yelling about the past of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Al Gore won by half a million votes and lost mine by making Joe Liebermann his running-ma
Forget Clinton, forget Obama, think democratic or get ready for the real blood bath. Would a 'beaten to death' candidate be able to unit the party to take on insane mccain? There is far more at stake here than the personal aspirations of either candidate. Another 4 or 8 years of the continued bush disaster will bury this country!!! McCain is more worrisome than bush was when he ran in 00. The man knows nothing beyond the military answer to all issues. We have potentially the worst finincial crisis since the great depression and he is on record acknowledging he knows squat about economics. He does not believe in diplomacy, the DOD would replace state dept. The military budget would soar, the tax cuts of bush would be made permanent, he will continue to try to privatize social security, all the social safety nets would be crippled or canceled. etc etc etc. People, either we settle this candidate issue diplomatically with out destroying ourselves or we are toast in Nov.
teaming up with billary would be political suicide for Obama . . . no way . . the clintons fight dirty . . . we have all seen that . . . they are still behind on the popular vote and the delegate count . . . and who is going to decide who is prez and who is vice prez . . . seems as though the clintons have already decided it is the two the them . . .or hillary at least wants mccain . . .
Obama will win . . . hillary is a big liability for the Democratic party in the national election she and bill are just too divisive . . .
A dream ticket won't happen for one reason:
Bill Clinton
Your blog makes sense only if Hillary is the prez candidate. Obama's supporters are so incredibly politically naive and hateful that, instead of supporting her, they would rather give the White House, the JUSTICE DEPT, Homeland Security, FDA, FCC, FEC, the federal judiciary, and etc., etc to McCain.
Amazingly stupid. Not to mention, hysterical reactions.
The obverse is not true. Hillary supporters are not rabid hate-filled zealots
and don't make comments like, "if Obama wins I'll vote for McCain".
Quite an exposition of the so-called "left" at this site.
I won't vote of McCain. I won't vote. I have always voted, but she is poison.
Then you will be responsible for weakening the nation... does that make you proud? Any democratic candidate is better than putting a republican in the White House for four more years.
I'm tired of this politically naive crap. Since when is disliking and distrusting someone who won't take a piss without a poll being taken being "politically naive" .
I am sick of Clinton/Bush and I want to go in another direction - even if it is McCain.
What Obama doesn't poll test his comments? Please, he's a politician, and a good one at that. I seriously doubt the genuiness of all his speeches. The Canadian NAFTA situations is proof enough. Of course there is more, like him taking a position to court a group's vote (say for instance the gay vote) and then turning around and stabbing them in the back (say by inviting someone to speak for him that exposes rhetoric against that group). Let's get real here, Obama is only winning because he has not laid out a definate plan of action and has no history. He is just plain dumb luckly that he gave that speech in 2002. Let him mature as the VP, maybe he would learn more about national and internation politics then.
McCain is not "another direction". You will be voting for four more years of bush with a vote for McCain.
But McCain ISN'T a different direction! He's essentially 4-8 MORE YEARS OF BUSH! He'll continue our downward spiral at the exact same angle, if not steeper.
When will you "if my nominee doesn't win I'll vote for McCain" people get that through your thick heads?
Do you remember how many lives have been lost in Iraq? How much money we spent, or are in debt to China, over a war that we started against a country that had nothing to do with 9-11? McCain will continue the war.
Hillary is not as bad as you think. She is educated and incredibly intelligent.
The Clinton Era ended with out debt with a surplus. How can that be so bad?
You say you are sick of Bush. Well, McCain is a mini Bush.
We don't have to like every President we have. Just the good ones.
you obviously don't read many of the comments around here if you really believe that.
ya damn right I won't vote for her and YES I would rather give the WH to McCain. If we survived 8 yrs of bush, we can survive 4 yrs of mccain.
Amazingly stupid is the racist Ohioans and the racist TX latinos.
And yes nunzia, the hillary supporters have said, all over the internet blogs, that they would vote for mccain should obama win. They just found out he's black and are shocked.
It's time to get rid of the clintons, throw them under the bus time.
Obviously, if you are willing to concede the White House to another republican you have not been paying attention to what is going on in our country or around the world... Clinton may not be your personal favorite in the race but any Democrat is hands down better than putting a republican back in the Executive Branch.
Krazime - this confirms the stupidity.
1. It's not JUST THE WH you'll give to the repugs.
2. "we survived..
Clearly you have no idea what state this country is in now
after 8 years of rethugnican thievery, deregulation, criminality, and treason.
It's amazing that Hillary can deride the eloquence of MLK and JFK, lay claim to experience she never had, exalt a non-existent record, mock Obama for daring to appeal to the better side of people's natures...
Sorry Craig, but it'll never happen. Part of Obama's appeal (and he knows this) is that he's not Hillary. The people who support him might be OK with him being the VP to someone like Gore, but definitely not Hillary Clinton. Besides, who in their right mind would want to be Hillary's VP when the real VP will be Bill Clinton? And Obama is leading in pledged delegates, the popular vote, states won, and in the national polls. For him to accept the VP spot would make no sense. If Hillary is the nominee, Obama can sit back, watch as she loses to McCain, and be positioned as the frontrunner for 2012. As for Hillary, no way will she take the VP spot to someone she considers her inferior. Despite winning Texas and Ohio, Hillary can't win the nomination without the help of superdelegates who are slowly going over to Obama's side and will feel pressure to support whoever leads in pledged delegates. Obama still has a better chance of winning this.
It would seem that one of them has to bow out for the good of the party. At this stage, Hillary's momentum and experience suggest that Obama do the right thing and withdraw from the race.
He won 11 states in a row. She won 3 or 4. Her Mo. Why does he have to quit. I say '68 again. Destroy the party.
I absolutely agree with you; screw the party; they're spineless anyway. If Shrillary does steal the nomination, I can't wait to see her crash and burn to John McNuts. That might be the only way to end the Clinton nightmare once and for all. Obama can always run in 2012, even though as a nation, we don't deserve a decent man like him.
Syl and Others,
I'm in your corner 100%. I'd take my "marbles and go home" rather than be a part of such a fiasco. If the SD's choose Hillary over Obama, then, let her run with someone like Edwin Bayh or perhaps Joe Lieberman. Those would be better choices.
You MUST be joking. Why would the delegate leader drop out of the race?
According to the Clinton campaign this isn't about momentum - it's about delagates.
I really can't take another Clinton Administration parsing words and spinning arguments like this. I can't really take another Clinton Administration that's against something before it's for it.
I can't take daily triangulation, enemies lists and all the other crap that the Clintons bring to the table.
Go ahead and vote for Clinton and this is what you get - whatever YOU think is right becuase the Clintons take a poll before they decide to make a bowel movement or not.
Because he is not the delegate leader if Florida and Michigan are brought back into the mix and they will be. This is not a fair race if two entire states are disenfranchised, Plus she has the lead in the superdelegates, as well as the states needed to win the general election. Enough said?
lol yeah, lets tell the black guy, the candidate in the lead, its time for him to step away from the campaign..
Well I've got a news flash for you, after these last two months, the party is already done, totally fractured. Neither Obama nor clinton will win.
Whites have already shown their hand. And the latinos have already shown theirs.
But, hey, ask hillary if 16% of the black vote will put her over the top.
Yes, the front runner should just drop out and let Hillary have her "entitlement"! That's the kind of small-minded, beltway bullshit that Obama is up against, and fighting to change. Wow, the notion of change seems to scare some of you babies as much as the terrorist boogeyman does! You can bet that if Hillary was the front runner, you wouldn't be suggesting that SHE drop out. I've got news for you. Your country fought a war of Independence against the British, so that you didn't have to live under the Monarchy. The Clintons are not the Royal Family, no matter what you sycophants think. Enough with the coronation bullshit already. Let the people speak, and if Hillary can win the nomination, more power to her, but the idea that she's somehow entitled to it is far more naive than Obama's inspirational message of hope.
LOL. What experience? She's only held elected office for 7 years, passed no major legislation, and cast some really bad votes (and I don't just mean for Iraq). Being First Lady doesn't count as experience. Would you want the wife of a CEO running your company? Would you want the pilot's wife flying your plane? Would you want your surgeon's spouse to operate on you? Being married to someone doesn't make you good at their job. And until she releases the Presidential papers detailing what she did during her time at The White House, we have no idea what her real experience there was. Her health care task force showed that she's secretive and combative even with her fellow Democrats. As being ready to lead, this woman can't even lead a presidential campaign. How can she lead a country?
I say, get them both in a smoke-filled room, flip a coin, and the loser has to run for president.
LOL. What a wonderful idea!
I could survive eight years of Bush, and I can survive 4 years of McCain. I will never ever ever vote for Hillary Clinton. I think the call for Republicans to vote for her and to keep her in the race helped. Limbaugh, and all those right wing Blonde Bimbos are happy to keep Hillary. Thats their bread and butter. No one knew who the heck these people were until Bill Clinton became President. When will the Democrats start writing Ohio off their books, and start going for states that can actually win. Ohio is increasingly red, and getting redder. I keep hearing how Hillary is tough, but how is she tough by whining constantly about being picked on. They keep picking on me. I think i will cry ( forced tears) and these people buy it. Its amazing. How about Obama start whining about how he is being mistreated because he is Black, and every media expert will then shout from the mountain that he is playing the race card. Give me a freaking break. This is the biggest fairy tale I have ever seen.
syl -
these commentators who say they "survived" and "can survive" rethugnican rule are no doubt CHILDREN whose parents pay taxes, worry about health coverage, jobs and the economy.
No adult could make such a statement.
I know there are stupid adults in this country,
but these "I-survived-Bushco" statements are so incredibly irresponsible
they smack of the casual innocence of someone who has never borne
those burdens.
Crawford is 100% right on this. I have worked hard for months in my voting district to encourage the typically apathetic young voters to become involved. I have published op-ed pieces, created fliers, given speeches in bars between musical sets all in an effort to say VOTE DEMOCRAT no matter who the candidate is. Last night, though, while I watched dirty politics, deceipt and fear mongering take over this election, I wondered if I'd be able to keep doing this work. I told my wife I would vote Hillary if she took the nomination, but I didn't think I could go out and work for her--not after this past week.
However, if the two candidates were on the same ticket, even if it meant Clinton/Obama, I could. I don't hate Hillary and I am sure she would make a competent president. I just thought we were ready for something more, ready for something like redemption after the past eight years of the same type of politics Hillary represents.
Oh, on top of all of that, there was yesterday's capitulation by Congress for Bush's demand that the telecoms not be held responsibile for their part in stripping us of our constitutional rights. All of this together makes Democrats my least favorite people right now. You can bet that after this election, I'm turning my attention to the mid-terms in which I will be doing the same work I'm doing now only it will be to encourage everyone to vote against any incumbent no matter which party. You have yourselves to blame, Dems.
Until recently, I loved Hillary, but these last few months have turned me into a rabid Hillary-hater. I will vote for McCain over her, just to see her loose.
The nation has done nothing to deserve a citizen such as you.
You cannot seriously believe that someone with dignity would team up with Hillary Clinton after having witnessed her conduct during this campaign. It is too late to put the genie back in the bottle. Once you have deliberately opened up racial and religious bigotry in order to win the nomination you cannot expect decent people to just accept this. Clinton has so poisoned the debate the damage is beyond repair.
Why would Obama want a Obama + Clinton/Clinton ticket? Or Clinton / Clinton + Obama?
Whoever pairs with Hillary, either at the top or bottom of the ticket, clearly will be getting Bill, too.
After his questionable conduct--in the past, as President (not to mention the years of lobbying for big donors since), and the present (helping to run a dirty campaign full of lies and even race-baiting)--who would want to play second fiddle to the Bill / Hillary team?
Seriously, it's clear he's going to be there every step of the way. She may think that's a good thing ("3 a..m" and "35 years of experience!"), but many of us have already had enough.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
