What Hillary Can Ask For -- and It's Not VP

With close to 2,000 delegates, 18 million popular votes, and a majority of primary wins since March—along with victories in the most important electoral states—Hillary Clinton has a right to ask the victorious Barack Obama for some things. After all, nations that have been defeated in war have a right to try and negotiate the terms of their surrender. Sometimes they'll get a Versailles, and sometimes it will be something more generous.

Clinton's lost, but she can negotiate the terms of her surrender in a way that will help her and Obama. But what would be appropriate, and what would allow her to end her campaign on a graceful note? A few thoughts:

She shouldn't ask for the veep slot directly. It's probably too big a bridge for Obama to cross to ask her to be his running mate. It's not that the level of personal animus between the two is insurmountable—these are pols, for gosh sakes, they suck it up all the time with people they don't like—but if you're running a campaign about the future, it's hard to affix your fate to one of the biggest family names from the past.

Then there are the logistical issues of Bill Clinton. Leave aside his gaffes on the campaign trail. On balance, you're still much better off with him than not. But if she's veep, he'd have to stop soliciting money from abroad for his foundation and library. He'd have to disclose all the donors and more about his business dealings. Can he do that? I don't know. And Obama would have to be convinced that he could still be the alpha male in that three-way.

Anyway, it's slightly tacky to ask to be chosen as veep. And it makes it look like your whole campaign was about you. So don't ask and maybe you'll get asked. I doubt it. But if you ask to be asked, you won't get asked. Life really is like high school.

(As an aside, I have been saying to keep your eye on Obama picking a former senator as his running mate. Tom Daschle gets a lot of attention because he's a leader in the campaign. But he was an ineffective majority leader and as Clinton's win in South Dakota shows, he couldn't even get his home state behind Obama.

Sam Nunn would be a tempting choice. He has foreign policy and national security credentials but opposed both Bush wars in the Middle East. He's a bland, bespectacled presence, a listless campaigner. But that may be a perfect foil to a charismatic African-American at the head of the ticket. For those who think Obama might be too much change, Nunn is a lot of reassurance.

I still like the idea of Bill Bradley, whom I mentioned as early as February. Bradley's got foreign policy points. He's experienced, but not part of the problem, having been out of the Senate for 12 years. He's devoted his career to racial reconciliation. The shot of them playing hoops alone is a good contrast with John McCain. The downsides: no military service, not a stellar campaigner, liberal, aloof and pious, which may be what Obama needs. That said, I still think Bradley's the most Obama-like of candidates. Both were famous young men plucked from obscurity. (It'll certainly be the tallest ticket in memory.)

But back to Hillary. She should ask for large numbers of women to be considered and appointed. Clinton should get Obama's word that he'll consider putting women in top positions. This should be easy for any Democratic nominee, and it reinforces the historic nature of her campaign.

What else should Clinton ask for?

Health-Care Mandate: She should get Obama's commitment that if his health-care plan fails to achieve universal health-care coverage, he'll back her idea for a mandate that people buy health insurance. This was one of the only noticeable policy differences between the two. If she's serious about it, this is the way to ask for it. On most other policy issues, there's either no difference or the two have converged. Their Iraq positions were the same by campaign's end as she scurried to the right. His position on negotiating with Iran and other anti-American regimes has moved much closer to hers.

Poverty Czar: Not only should Clinton ask for Obama to create the position, she should ask that the job go to John Edwards. It would look selfless and smart to call for a poverty czar, especially if a campaign rival (Edwards) adds it to his resume. Something like it will happen anyway, I bet, so why not ask for it now and get some credit for it?

Meet and Greet: Clinton should request that Obama meet with her delegates. That's something Obama should do anyway. Obama should hold meetings with Clinton delegates in the run up to Denver. It'll help mend fences. Everyone will look bigger.

For more see this.

Related:
Read more from Huffington Post bloggers on Barack Obama clinching the Democratic nomination for president

Comments

[SamEllison]

Earlier Max was talking about SecDef and I'm thinking mutiny but now I'm thinking DNI.
Hillary as Director of National Intelligence would know what color our GOPers farts are.
Yeah, that's the ticket.....

[drumrguy75]

I like the idea of Ed Rendell of PA as VP. He chaired the DNC in 2000 which means he gets along with most Democrats (party unity) and could give Obama much needed help with Pennsylvania and the Midwest blue-collar states. He supported Hillary during the PA primary so he might make Clinton supporters feel more comfortable with Obama.

[JimR]

Rendell pretty much shot down the idea on the Today show this morning.

[bubito54]

I have a complex question for HRC's dead-enders, and, if it sounds argumentative or rhetorical I apologize and preemptively sprinkle opposite dust on all that, because I really want to understand.
Our candidates were pretty close on all the issues- in fact, it seems like the only issue they really disagreed on was who would be more likely to beat McBush. I never saw or heard Sen. Obama attack or demean Sen. Clinton - he has been studiously deferential to her even as she made his supposed weaknesses as a candidate the central theme of her campaign. There is no dispute that Sen Clinton only became interested in the FL MI delegations months after she had explicitly negated them herself- plainly she invoked them for political purposes, pure and simple, and she ended up getting a few delegates for it. If she got less than she wished because the Obama people met politics with politics, how does that translate into the ill-will so many Clinton Democrats feel? What did we do to you or her besides win? Is your grievance with (Obama? me? Pelosi?) so monumental that a Blackwater­-sponsored­, Roe v Wade hating Republican administration is better? Why? What did we do?

[grendl]

Abraham Lincoln suggested working side beside with political rivals, but probably wouldn't want John Wilkes Booth as a VP.

Anyone bringing up assassination talk during Barack Obama's candidacy, while not personally taking shots at him has sent out the bat signal to the lunatic fringe. And that's what Hillary did. " He can't win" sounds more and more like a cry from the Joker or Penguin. " Where does he get those marvelous toys?" than a fellow democrat.

Why can't he win? Exactly? Because he's black. It was a political shot, aimed at her opponents head based on the color of his skin.

And who would be the beneficiery if someone actually were to attempts an audacious act against Obama? Why that would be the vice president, a job she's currently lobbying for.

Talk about persistent.

[Mogamboguru]

Agreed!

[KillTheMessenger]

I don't see why she should be asking for any of these things. They are either trivial or Obama will do them anyway because they make sense. None of it fits the overblown image that the Clintons have been cultivating of themselves. None of it will mean anything to the noisiest of Clinton supporters. As of last night the Clintons have locked "self destruct and take as many enemies with us as possible" into their systems. To ask them to back off seems like a fruitless task. Something will have to pop before we can move on. My bet is that "Something is the Clinton legacy.".

[Bluedanube]

Matt, are you concerned that in the not too distant future you will be completely irrelevant and forgotten? Judging by the responses to your posts that future might be today.

[NorVaGal]

YOUR opinion only, bluedanube. Not ours.

[Moose49]

Everything you say she should ask for is eminently reasonable -- and clearly doable from Obama's perspective. All of which makes me skeptical that's what she'll do, but what the hell -- stranger things have happened. Maybe reason and decency will triumph after all.

And I agree -- campaigning for VP is tacky and beneath her. And there is no way it could work. The antics of Bill and the narcissism of both of them would make the pairing a disaster.

As to your other VP suggestions:

Nunn would do for Obama what Bentsen did for Dukakis -- absolutely nothing (short of his destruction of Quayle in their debate). He's too bland, and most importantly, too conservative, especially on economic issues.

Bradley is intriguing and could work. Plus I'd love to see the two of them on a basketball court together.

Still, my favorites are Jim Webb, Kathleen Sebelius and Bill Richardson, with Wesley Clark and Ted Strickland close behind.

[JimR]

Agree on Nunn.

I like Bradley, but I don't think it's a good idea to have 2 liberals on the ticket.

Still like either Jim Webb or Bill Richardson.

[hopeless277]

Why this lust for power? Is it a competition between she and Bill? Does she owe someone a favor that only an unfettered Unitary Executive could provide? I really believe she is insane. Clinically insane. I was right about her quest to delegitimize Obama. I'm right about this too. Frightening.

[liseworks]

I agree. Clinically insane. & that's not calling names, that's telling it like it is.
Her website asks her supporters for comments, but when you try to comment, you have to donate first.
USERY in its most vile, manipulative form.
Hillary people, we do care about you but when will you realize this woman is ONLY self-serving.
It's not about you, it's entirely about & for HER.

[SamThornton]

So, how much is she charging to put your 2-cents in?

[Johnnn]

Hillary should suspend her campaign, congratulate Barack Obama, NOT endorse him, yet, go back to the Senate, and forget about this whole thing. She should ask for nothing from Obama because she cannot, in return, deliver us, her voters, to the young junior Senator from Illinois. Nothing
Hillary can say will convince us to vote for Obama if we don't want to.

[dbartenstein]

Because obivously your spite is more important than preventing a 3rd Bush term......

[NorVaGal]

I agree wholeheartedly, Johnn. That's why it's complete waste of time trying to convince people who will NEVER vote for him, anyway. There are too many other fish in the sea-- those who actually are sane and rational.

[michiganvoter]

Johnnn;

Do you seriously mean to say that you would prefer to vote for John McCain and all he would do to prolong the war which is killing our sons and daughters, as well as opposing everything the Democrats stand for because Hillary Clinton lost the primary election?

I sincerely hope you will think long and hard about the consequences of such a destructive decision, and come around before the November election.