One way to identify when the presidential primary season has become fait accompli is when the dominant issues of discussion take on a more ancillary nature. One such topic is the so-called "Dream-ticket" comprising of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
At first glance, the arguments for this alliance make sense. The closeness of the popular vote, the pledged delegates, and the superdelegates separating the two Democratic rivals, along with the excitement garnered by these historic campaigns make it a natural.
I suspect the acrimony resulting from a tough primary battle will soon subside. Once Obama has officially secured the nomination, we will at some point be treated to a photo-op of Clinton and Obama, raising their hands together with smiling onlookers singing several choruses of Kum Ba Yah.
An Obama/Clinton ticket would undoubtedly create a sense of euphoria within Democratic Party. The aesthetic appearance would represent something never before seen in American politics, many supporters in both camps would be overcome by esprit de corps. It would work for practically everyone involved with the possible exception of the presumptive party nominee.
How is it in Obama's political interest to have Clinton on the ticket?
Supporters of the dream ticket theory choose to ignore Clinton's high unfavorable rating--the latest USA Today/Gallup poll has it at 45 percent. Has there ever been a vice presidential nominee with a negative rating that high?
Just as the Democratic primary is a race for delegates, the general election is a race for electoral votes. What state does Clinton deliver being on the ticket? New York? California? Massachusetts? If Obama can't win these states he no chance anyway.
The argument that the Clinton campaign has made that she wins the states that Democrats must win in November is an erroneous one. If that were the case, Obama would be well advised to choose Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland or Pennsylvania Governor, Ed Rendell.
But it has been 48 years since a cogent argument could be made that a vice presidential nominee delivered a state in the general election. The late Lloyd Bentsen will long be remembered for his vice presidential debate with Dan Quayle, but Bentsen was unable to deliver his native Texas for Michael Dukakis in 1988.
Moreover, there is no way to ignore that Bill and Hillary Clinton are a package deal; and Bill is the 800-pound narcissistic gorilla that takes up all the oxygen in the room.
As for putting a woman on the ticket, Missouri Senator, Claire McCaskill or Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius, both endorsed Obama and would not bring the negatives that come with Clinton.
There is also a certain naiveté associated with wanting Clinton on the ticket. In contemporary American politics finishing second does not automatically warrant a vice presidential nomination. If it did, Gary Hart would have been the vice presidential nominee in 1984, Jesse Jackson in 1988, Paul Tsongas in 1992, and Bill Bradley in 2000.
It's not that Clinton isn't qualified; she is. But qualifications alone do not comprise the criterion for vice president. Having served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Clinton would add to the ticket's foreign policy acumen, but so would Sens. Webb and Bayh.
Perhaps more than winning a particular state, Obama's biggest challenge may be to demonstrate to those on the fence that he is ready to lead on day one, especially on foreign policy matters. It may be here that he uses his vice presidential nomination to shore up those doubts.
Whoever he chooses, Obama's vice presidential nominee will have to be someone who compliments Obama's overarching message of change. That doesn't rule Clinton out, but her performance during the primary season does appear counterintuitive to the Obama campaign's raison d'etre.
The strengths (and there are many) that Clinton brings to the table can be found elsewhere. As for the negatives she brings, the so-called dream ticket after a campaign season of unrelenting Republican 527 ads could end up being Obama's nightmare.
Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. He is the author of "Strip Mall Patriotism: Moral Reflections of the Iraq War". E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or go to his website, byronspeaks.com