Clinton as VP - Obama's Best Choice

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but looking at the political landscape, Hillary Clinton is the most practical choice for Vice President.

Adding her name to the ticket would unite and energize the remaining Democrats who are slow to warm up to Senator Barack Obama. A recent poll of convention delegates showed that nearly 30% would like to see Mrs. Clinton as VP, by far the largest bloc. With the former First Lady on the ticket, all evidence points to united party and a Democratic victory in November.

In months preceding the 1860 Republican National Convention most thought that New York Governor William H. Seward was a shoo-in for the Presidential Nomination. He was a major national figure with powerful political connections and the Republican Party was expected to unite behind him.

The convention itself was similar to a caucus, but only Superdelegates had a vote. Voters wouldn't truly have a vote on their party's nominee until over a hundred years later. Seward won the first two ballots, but failed to capture the majority needed to win. On the third ballot he was soundly defeated by a little-known Illinois lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, who won by being everyone's second choice. Lincoln, who had only served one term in Congress and briefly in the Illinois Legislature, shocked the entire country by capturing the nomination.

Lincoln had no say in who his Vice Presidential pick was, that was decided at the convention, but he did get to pick his cabinet. He appointed Seward, his biggest rival the Secretary of State, the most powerful position available. This story is chronicled in Doris Kearns Goodwin's amazing book Team Of Rivals, one of Senator Obama's favorite books."He talks about it all the time," a top aide told Time Magazine.

In May when Obama was asked if he would pick Clinton as VP, he spoke of the book as precedent for that decision.

"I will tell you, though, that my goal is to have the best possible government, and that means me winning," Obama said, per ABC News' Sunlen Miller. "And so, I am very practical minded. I'm a practical-minded guy. And, you know, one of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln."

Obama then referred to "a wonderful book written by Doris Kearns Goodwin called Team of Rivals, in which [she] talked about [how] Lincoln basically pulled in all the people who had been running against him into his Cabinet because whatever, you know, personal feelings there were, the issue was, 'How can we get this country through this time of crisis?'"

As someone who was an Obama supporter from early on, I was obviously dissatisfied (and angry) with the negative and unfair attacks Clinton used during the primary. But that primary seems like ancient history when faced with the levels of attack that Senator McCain has stooped to in recent weeks. It's time to do what Lincoln would do, unite the party and head towards the White House.

Originally posted on Queerty.Com as "Obama Backer Seeks Clinton Veep Pick: Homo-Journo Ryan J. Davis Sounds Off."

Follow Ryan J. Davis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ryannewyork

Comments

[keepacoolhead]

Democrats need to win the White House or we're going down the drain completely. At this point I am for Obama/Clinton to accomplish the deed although it would probably be strange bedfellows, but America simply can't afford another Republican Presidency.

[happypup]

The Vice President is supposed to be able to run the country in the event something happens to the President. Fiscal responsibility is an extremely important part of that role. Hillary was unable to run a fiscally responsible campaign so it would be fool hardy indeed to assume she would do any better running our nation.

Her latest FEC report for the month of July, 2008 has just been posted and it looks like that debt still hasn't been paid off. Whatever happened to the 18 million loyal followers who would follow her to the ends of the earth? Guess that didn't include writing a check, huh?

After a brief review, it appears that during the period from 7/1/2008 through 7/31/2008 she raised a total of $2,479,958.23 ($1,930,823.83 from individual contributions, $89,800.00 from political committees, $404,589.10 from offsets to operating expenditures, and $54,745.30 listed as other/dividends, interest.). This hardly appears to be the flood of cash her PUMAs were bragging about.

Unlike Hillary, I readily admit that finances are not my forte', so please review the FEC report yourself. I'd be interested in hearing comments from an accounting expert. The link to this report is:

http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2008/M8/C00431569.html

[elo]

Back in May, Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor'), who has a blog on branding ( http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv ) did a post arguing against the idea of an Obama-Clinton ticket--positing that from a branding perspective, it makes no sense, and actually wouldn't be a good move for Clinton's brand, either.

"Because of the length of this primary fight, brand identity and loyalty to brand have become central. What this means is that a kind of brand mutual exclusivity has set in."

Not sure if I agree or if this idea still holds at this point, but it is a compelling argument - (and one that I at least think goes a long way toward explaining Obama's hesitation to choose Clinton as his running mate--even if it would go a long way toward building party unity and seemingly clench the general election for Obama.)

Link to the full post: http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/2008/05/14/marketing-101joint-ticket-makes-little-branding-sense.aspx

[Ben Dixon]

If Obama picks Hillary as his VP, and he gets elected as President, then the country would be faced with one big question. Who is President? Obama, Hillary, or Bill?

[S1m0n]

30% might like Hillary as veep, but at this point NO ONE is ambivalent, so that means that 70% don't. Just like in the primary, Hillary has a ceiling where all the other candidates have a base.

[happypup]

Boy have you got that one right! There is no more significantly polarizing figure in contemporary politics than HRC!

[BillCarson]

A question not asked is would Hillary turn down the VP job if it was offered to her?

[slg]

She'll have Cheneys' power, Thatcher on steroids with a bone to pick with some very deserving neocons. Would be quite a show.

[grendl]

Hillary's scorched earth campaign is in large part the reason Barack isn't obliterating John McCain.

She laid the groundwork, planting the elitist seed in the minds of the electorate. All McCain has had to do is cultivate those lies and insinuations to re-establish them in the minds of the people.

So people who first thought the elitist bullshit Hillary pulled in Pennsylvania a bit weak hear it a second time, and think hmmmmm perhaps there really was something to those claims.

Hillary shouldn't be given the opportunity to be VP. People need to learn there are repercussions to their actions. Biden's the best choice.

[S1m0n]

Hillary Clinton lacks the character to be anyone's veep. Or anyone's president, in fact.

Senator's looking like a stretch these days, too.

[mrqcguy]

This homo who gave $2300 in the primary wont give another dime if he picks Clinton. They are both to blame for Dont ask Dont tell and the worst offense was the Defense of Marriage Act. There are no words that are printable here that I can speak that will ever get published to reflect how I feel about those two.

[Freesia2]

And this heterosexual woman and her husband will join you in closing their wallets. Fed up to the gills with the Clintons. This campaign ought to be in top gear right now, but it's bogged with Clinton agendas and the mess she left from the primaries. Take a look at Obama's administration if she's on the ticket.

I have donated to Obama. I support Obama. He needs a good vp with foreign policy credentials (and I shudder at the Bosnian sniper fire footage we'd be seeing this fall with her on the ticket. It would be a regular blitz.)

No to Hillary. I'm tired of this being brought up. For every vote you get you'd lose 2. 1 of them would be an Independent like me. Republicans would be delighted.

No.

[happypup]

mrqcguy and Freesia2: Let me join you both in speaking out against a ticket that includes Hillary. Whether is is the utter travesty of 'don't ask, don't tell', the lunacy of her adventures in Bosnia, her attack politics, the botched health care fiasco, or this PUMA crap she has proven herself to be unworthy.

[BADEN]

Oh stop it. Stop it right now.

Goood grief.

Clinton = DLC = DINO

Trying to reclaim the real root Democratic National Party is the goal.
NOT reintroducing it's disasterous DLC legacy of the last 8 years.

Clinton and cigars in tight spaces.
I can just see the ads now.

Geesh.

[frustratedinohio]

Obama won't pick Clinton. He's not wise enough to know he has to in order to win. He wants his cake and he wants to eat it too.

[happypup]

Why should he pick the single most polarizing person in contemporary politics? Now that would be a mistake with tremendous consequences.

[Grissom1001]

I agree though I do not like it any better than you do. Without the support of the angry women in this party? It is doomed. Not sure if they should have to suffer the concequences of their actions by having to live under a McCain Presidency or pick Hillary and then we all have to live with that families drama filled lives.
I knew I was a Republican for a reason but having to vote for Obama this year sure opens my eyes as to why I choose Republicans all those years ago. They are their own worst enemy.

Obama is the only choice this year though it looks like the dems are going to mess that up too LOL If it were not so sad I would laugh.

[seatea1967]

I say bring on the suffering. You want it? You've got it.

[jvarga]

"Adding her name to the ticket would unite and energize the remaining Democrats who are slow to warm up to Senator Barack Obama."

Unite some, alienate others.

[happypup]

You almost got it right - would alienate MANY others!

[Freesia2]

I was reading that she polls at 49% for people who don't want to see her in the White House. 49%. Basically half the country. And in that percentage would be plenty of Democrats.

Her supporters are fond of polls that say he can't do without her. But they tend to not mention polls like that. And so he would be stuck with bearing her negatives. Which is unfair.

[happypup]

Very well said - my hat is off to you!

[jfor]

I can't believe you said it either. Geesh, this is never going to end. Hillary will not be the veep and if she is then everything Obama represents and says he represents is a bunch of bullcrop and I will write in an honest loser.