The Perfect Date
He should ask her and she should say yes.
Hillary Clinton should be Barack Obama's running mate. She would serve the ticket well, and she deserves the chance to be the first woman vice president, serving alongside the nation's first black president. Imagine. These are momentous times.
I understand the disappointment so many women feel over her inability to garner the Democratic Party's nomination. But look what she has done. She's won almost half the popular primary and caucus votes of a nation that until recently few believed would consider electing a woman president. Though there were mistakes, she managed a hard-fought campaign and survived.
I met Hillary Clinton in 1992, when Bill was campaigning for his first term as president. She came to Santa Barbara to raise money. I was the editorial page editor of the city's daily newspaper, and so was invited to a small gathering to hear her. She spoke extemporaneously for 45 minutes, and when she was done I was sold on her. She talked about the need to provide affordable health care, improved education and services for the poor -- all issues that are with us still. She was passionate, informed and articulate, and afterward she was warm and engaging as she personally greeted me and others in the room.
And yet, and yet... when she announced her candidacy for president last fall, it was difficult for me to get enthusiastic about her run. Yes, she's smart. Yes, she's experienced. But she also was damaged by missteps during her husband's presidency, missteps that were amplified on the campaign trail.
I wanted to support her, but here was this other senator, Barack Obama, who was electrifying crowds, getting young people excited about politics like we haven't seen since the '60s and '70s. When one compared their leadership styles, it became clear hers was one of competency, but not vision. She would be a good president, but she wouldn't be a great one. Obama has the potential to be a great president.
I am a woman who came of age in the early '70s, and there is nothing I'd like better than to see a woman in the White House. But the presidency is too important to fill with a woman because, well, she's a woman. If she can bring herself to do it, Hillary could be an excellent vice president. I have no idea if Obama intends to ask her, but he should. There are many good reasons she would be his ideal running mate.
She has the Washington savvy that some say he lacks. She would be hard-working and dedicated to the democratic ideals they both share. She brings constituencies to the ticket he needs to ensure his election in November.
When she conceded to him Saturday night, there was a spark of the Hillary Clinton I met. She said:
"I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter's future and a mother who wants to lead all children to brighter tomorrows. To build that future I see, we must make sure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their grandmothers and mothers, and that women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal respect. Let us resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: There are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the twenty-first century.
"You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the president of the United States. And that is truly remarkable."Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next president and I hope and pray that all of you will join me in that effort."
She was gracious in her defeat, and encouraging in her endorsement. I hope all the women who have so passionately fought for her will come to embrace Obama. And I hope Obama takes her with him on the ride to the White House.
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As formidable as an opponent and woman that she is, I absolutely do not think she should be vice president. For unity's sake, I am going to put aside the legitimate
1) After all this time, and all that HRC has been through, do you really think she wants to play second fiddle? I mean, lets be real.
2) How would they govern? This primary season has revealed the sorts of problems that can come up when there is a spouse in office and an ex-President on the loose. I know that this only got 6 seconds of coverage, but one of the most blaring problems that I had was that WJC was in Columbia as an ambassador for the CAFTA deal, while HRC was on the stump opposing it. Does anyone else not see that this is a conflict of interest?
3) Speaking of conflict of interest, does anyone seriously think that she will be the VP candidate without releasing the names of the donors to the Clinton Foundation? Nope. Not going to happen.
A Obama/Hillary Ticket would not be a Dream but a nightmare!!! It would be a denial of everything Obama has ran on. Also, how could he ever trust her in the VP role knowing that she would grasp every mistake as a future campaign position to be used against him? One has to be able to trust one's VP. Besides, personally I want the role of the VP to be diminished to pre-Chaney status. Her preference for secrecy would make Chaney's positions look tame. Lastly, would you really want Bill Clinton wandering around your White House? Do you really think he could keep his mouth shut? Talk about a loose cannon,,,
Great idea. Hillary Clinton as veep brings everyone together and shows Obama is able to unite the party. Obama and Clinton both appeal to different sets of Democratic and independent voters, that ticket will win in a landslide. The alternative is Obama-Webb (or something similar) and McCain choosing a talented, moderate woman as veep. That will make it a very competitive race.
This will alienate millions of Obama voters who thought he represents a new kind of politics. It will drive millions of independents and moderates over to McCain. And it is the one thing that will energize Republicans and get them to rally around McCain with their full support.
This is an incredibly BAD idea.
Clinton doesn't appeal to women. She appeals to CERTAIN women (mostly older but almost universally democratic loyalists who will most likely vote for Obama). Republican women hate Hillary and she has very high negatives among independents as well.
The general election and the primary are two completely different animals. It's amazing how few people grasp this reality
What are you "statsguy", a paid Clinton revisionist & propagandist? By the number and delusional, false propositions of the comments you have posted I don't think any other answer is possible. Hillary has been a nightmare as candidate and would be a disaster as VP. Her personal attacks and Repub talking points used to destroy Obama, not run against him have made her inclusion in an Obama cabinet, out of the question. As others have noted, a prez must be able to trust their VP.....tha
Ms. Clinton showed all who were present that she lacks sufficient character to be trusted with any high office in our government. I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm saying it because it's important. In my opinion, we want change for the better and she just is not qualified.
Its over for them. Finally
she has proved that she cannot be trusted or believed.
join the --
"Keep the Clintons Out of the White House" campaign
If you supported Hillary because of her positions on the issues, you will vote for Barack Obama in any event. They are not really that far apart.
If you supported Hillary because she's a woman, you might consider throwing your support behind Sebelius, McCaskill, Murray or Napolitano.
If you supported Hillary because you admire her character.
Obama is closer to Clinton on most issues, but McCain and Clinton also agree on some issues (e.g., the gas tax). Some people will vote for McCain over Obama but would have supported Clinton over McCain. Obama is far left and McCain is far right on most issues. Clinton was center-left. Depends on where you lie on the political spectrum.
With the crisis facing our nation, if people are making up their minds in this election based on the gas tax, then we might as well kiss the country good-bye.
and the only real difference on issues between Clinton and Obama is Iraq. And how many Americans support that...?
Hillary Clinton was far from the "perfect date." She was the spoiled rich girl who thought she'd be the inevitable "belle of the ball." That there was no competition save for her. That her entitlement entitled her to win. When there was competition, she fought dirty, talked about her rivals in the most scurrilous of terms, tried to change the rules when the rules no longer worked in her favor, and threw a temper tantrum when she lost.
Is it the "perfect date" who fails to concede when someone else wins? Threatens to go to the ball and demand attention if not a recount of the recounted? Who waits five days before making a concession speech she could have made 5 days earlier?
Her speech was gracious, but late. Like the child who thanks grandma on Valentine's Day for presents received at Christmas. And what to make of all the nasty, mean-spirited, personal comments she (and her ladies and gents-in-waiting) made that have found their way into Republican talking points?
No date for Hillary. Even former prom queens get their comeuppance one day.
Her speech was gracious and early. While I respect your right to offer your opinion, I don't agree with you jade. Clinton conceded the race earlier than any other 2nd place finisher who was still around at the end of the last primary. The last three elections in which a candidate remained after all the primary voting was done and has a large % of supporters were 1980, 1984, and 1988. In 1980, Ted Kennedy didn't concede until the convention and wasn't gracious, refusing to shake Jimmy Carter's hand. In 1984, Gary Hart didn't concede after all the voting was done (and when he won South Dakota on the last day of voting), only conceding to Mondale weeks later. Jesse Jackson, in 1988, didn't concede to Dukakis because he tried negotiating with Dukakis, holding up his supporters from getting behind Dukakis quickly.
Hillary Clinton conceded too quickly in my view, but it was quite gracious. She is clearly a team player, falling on her sword quicker than Kennedy, Hart, of Jackson ever did. She's the VP.
Her speech was 4 days late, and she only gave it after heavy pressure from Charles Rangel.
She is anything but a team player. The perfect example of this is her health care task force in the early 90s. She held closed meetings and refused to accept any compromise. It was her way or the highway.
"The last three elections in which a candidate remained after all the primary voting was done and has a large % of supporters were 1980, 1984, and 1988."
Interesting that the Democrats lost all of those elections. If they want to lose this year, too, a great way to do that would be to put Hillary on the ticket.
Sorry, hate to rain on your parade, but Hillary did not say anything on Saturday that could not have been said with the same graciousness on Tuesday evening.
After all, it was not a big surprise to anyone with half a brain and an ounce of sanity that she had lost the nomination way back in .... Wisconsin. That was when it became numerically impossible for her to win under the real Democratic Party rules. She knew after the Rules and Bylaws committee meeting that she had lost (especially when 5 of her supporters moved to the Obama side on the Michigan vote.) Super delegates had not been flocking her way since Super Tuesday, Feb. 5th. Her campaign was a dead parrot, and she knew it.
It may make you feel better, but to paraphrase Ole Blue Eyes: "That's Why the Lady is All Damp."
Hillary should be the VP without a doubt.
Will those of us who disagree with you find a spot on the Clintons' enemies list?
I hope not.
I hope so. Hillary Clinton would be the best VP.
I think the vast majority of American would support any qualified women for Democrat VP, as long as she is not Hillary Clinton. HRC is going to distract Obama administration from advancing the necessary changes. She and the people surround her are only care about themselves.
If the Democrats are really serious about taking the white house, the focus now ought to be on the necessary strategies in dealing with all kind of Republican's dirty tricks, smear campaign, because that is the only think for them to do to win the White House.
I think Americans would support the most qualified person as VP. Hillary Clinton is one of 3 or 4 people total in the Democratic party who is the most qualified PERSON to be vice president. It's not about women. It's about the country.
Can we please stop talking about the Clintons? They're so last century.
How is Hillary Clinton, inaugurated as New York's first female senator in 2001, last century? These are talking points leftover from Obama's primary campaign. Please come together and get over your Clinton Derangement Syndrome. Clinton is a pathbreaking 21st century senator and American leader.
Wow statsguy. You're my hero!
After all of the extremely negative things Clinton said about Obama, which are now being used in GOP commercials, it would weaken both of them for her to be his VP. I used to think that she would be a great VP, because she is hard working, but I don't think she has the attributes of someone who could serve in the number #2 position. According to her own rhetoric, she is overqualified. Beyond that, I think Obama needs a VP with experience in defense. (Other than dodging sniper fire, sorry! that one set itself up).
Not true. All these so-called negative things (which really weren't that bad in historical retrospect) will be used no matter who is on the ticket. In 1988, Al Gore brought up Willie Horton against Dukakis in the primary. Gore wasn't on the ticket with Dukakis, but the GOP in the general couldn't stop talking about Horton. It would be better to have Hillary Clinton on the ticket so she can immediately bat down any of these attacks. Who better to say "Don't take my words out of context" other than the person uttering those words. You don't think the McCain campaign will show Obama criticizing Hillary Clinton over and over and saying she is more like John McCain than a Democrat?
How sweet. Another gushy plea from a Clinton ditto head.
I hope Clinton is picked. It's not sweet. It's called politics. Half the party is on one side, half on the other. It is such a Democratic year, let's not waste it by giving 1/2 the party a reason to stay home or vote for McCain. Obama-Clinton '08 will easily win just from Democrats alone.
How can anyone who genuinely admires Senator Clinton for her talent, skill, and commitment wish to see her become vice-president? How can anyone who cares about the issues that matter to Senator Clinton want to see her relegated to that toothless post, when she could have a far greater effect as Secretary of State, Attorney General, Supreme Court Justice, or Senate Majority Leader?
It is clear that some of her supporters are simply seeking validation for Senator Clinton, her unsuccessful campaign, and their intense and fractious support of it. All thought of advancing the issues that they profess to care about and making a good, strong, progressive, effective government is secondary to salving the wounds (theirs and hers) of Clinton's primary loss with a spot on the ticket.
I can't say I'm certain, but I suspect that her addition to the ticket would not provide a net gain of votes. Her hardcore supporters who otherwise won't vote for Obama would, I believe, be outnumbered by the loss of independent and wavering Republican voters who harbor, for whatever reasons, an insurmountable antipathy toward her. And from a practical governing and management standpoint, Obama would be inviting disaster to invite the Clintons to occupy the Naval Observatory (home of the VP).
As a self-described "doer" and "fighter," Senator Clinton is vastly more suited to a post like Attorney General, and I relish the thought of what she would what she could accomplish in that role.
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