Former President Jimmy Carter and conservative columnist George Will agree on something – that Barack Obama should not pick Hillary Clinton to be his running mate.
Carter told the British newspaper the Guardian “that would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates,” adding: “If you take that 50 percent who just don’t want to vote for Clinton and add it to whatever element there might be who don’t think Obama is white enough or old enough or experienced enough or because he’s got a middle name that sounds Arab, you could have the worst of both worlds.”
On ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” Will termed the so-called dream ticket a “nightmare,” because it would install Clinton in the West Wing “with her grievances and her ambitions” and tether Obama to Bill Clinton’s business associations and “all the rest.”
And “she solves no problem geographically or electorally,” Will said, adding that when it comes to unifying the Democratic Party, “John McCain is going to take care of that in no time.”
16 Comments
Who is saying an Obama/Clinton ticket is a dream ticket? It’s not like they are the 1992 Olympic basketball team (oooh, remember the ol’ AIDS paranoia folks?)
Really, two senators on a ticket isn’t a dream ticket. Clinton would best serve in the Senate where she can work hard to push her health care plan and hopefully take the Senate majority leader position.
I’m looking towards a certain governor to be chosen as VP.
So am I, To send her to political Oblivion.
MP – agreed 100%. As noted in the torture thread we need some serious investigation work to be done; I’m sure Hillary Clinton will be more than happy to assist.
and the rest of you Clinton backturners will lose us Clinton democrats.
Go ahead and risk it. when Obama loses, then Hillary will run again after McSame hurts the nation even worse.
p-mama – don’t count on it. If Obama loses and it is perceived by Democrats that Clinton sabatoged him then her days as an influential member of the Party will be over.
I don’t see people turning their backs on Clinton – what I DO see is the need to keep her power in the Senate where she can be a very important member of the Democratic leadership.
I am curious. As an Obama supporter, it never really entered my mind not to support the Democratic Party should he not win the nomination. And it mystifies me to even consider supporting the opposition should Clinton have won. I would’ve been proud to cast my vote for her just as I proudly cast my vote for her husband… twice.
jabonde – agreed. And the spirit I saw at Caucus was just that – from BOTH Clinton and Obama supporters. The main goal is to prevent a Bush 3rd term with McSame.
“Not dreaming of ‘dream ticket’”
No kidding. It never made any sense. For that reason, I hope they do it . . . but they won’t.
C’mon Hillary, you can still win at the convention! You can “unsuspend” that campaign anytime, ya know. Go for it.
Hey maggot:
Hispanic Governor Bill Richardson will get the VP nod. He’ll help win Colo. Nevada, & Florida. Look for President Obama to follwo GW’s example & surround himself with grumpy old white at Sec. of State (Sen. Biden) and at Defense (former Sen. Nunn). Sebelius would bring way too much corruption baggage as Kansas is the second most corrupt state in the US state after Illinios. Look for Sebelius to bail out to a low level cabinet position and appoint Mark Parkinson as governor just to stymie Dennis McKinney’s chances of running as governor in 2010.
Consider Hillary Clinton as Vice President.
With Dick Cheney as a model!
She could be not just Obama’s right hand but his FREE hand.
The progressives are going to have a majority in the House and Senate. Obama can continue to play nice cop and Hillary can be tough cop.
I would not want to see her wasted on any less in the VP role.
Electorally, Obama DOES have problems IF a significant number of Clinton supporters do not support him.
And I’m starting a new feature for me here.
I’ll call it “How we Hillrazers feel”
Until I come up with something better.
Well, there were three strong supporters of Senator Clinton on this forum. kansasfarmgrrl, political mama, and myself.
My pal farmgrrl found a new candidate. Cynthia McKinney, the candidate of the Green party.
Political mama has weighed in here and speaks for herself.
Call me somewhere in between my two friends.
I will continue to hear what Senator Clinton has to say and observe how she is treated. I am very unhappy with how she was treated up to now.
I do not see myself even THINKING of voting for McCain. Though I do know of people who were not strong for Clinton who are thinking of doing so because of how Hillary was mistreated. My own mother included. I am advising them to wait and see.
I am not unaware that Senators Clinton and Obama are like it or not, tied at the hip to one another as to their political future. Senator Clinton is VERY mindful of this. I am not yet convinced that Senator Obama and his supporters are similarly aware. They need to be.
I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Hillary as a very active veep. She could get a lot of necessary things done. But whoever Obama chooses will be fine with me. I’m certainly not interested in having McCane elected (some maverick he turned out to be) to a Bushllit puppet third term.
Senator Clinton was mistreated? By whom? The GOP? Should that surprise you? By the media? Should that surprise you? By Senator Obama and his campaign? Um, they were running against each other… again, no surprise. By bloggers? Typically lots of name calling with little substance. Again, not a stunner.
I guess I really don’t see anything out of the ordinary here for a national campaign in our country. It would seem the “anger” is manufactured at best, silly and unproductive at worst.
“Hispanic Governor Bill Richardson will get the VP nod.”
Wouldn’t that make the heads of the racist commentators at Faux News explode?
Sure Kansas is corrupt but Sebelius is a Democrat so all the Republicans corruption can’t be blamed on her. I figure she’d be a great pick given her past experience as Insurance Commissioner.
Another pick may be Montana’s governor if Obama is looking for another conservative governor like Sebelius.
A wild card pick would be Don Siegelman, the man originally elected to be the governor of Alabama until Rove and his cronies stole it from him and threw him in jail. Any Democrat since the 60s to make it as far as he did in Alabama deserves mad props.
As for McCain, his best pick is the Governor Crist of Florida. Crist gains respect from Democrats for his work for fair elections and environmental credentials.
What with Ted Kennedy suffering the brain tumor; and the other Senator from the Dakota’s not in the greatest of health, Obama should possibly avoid looking at Senators as running mates.
He haas a fairly wide choice among some Governors – perhaps members of the House – Maybe somebody from business, industry, or even higher education. How about the woman from Missouri who went to bat for stem cell research? What about Wesley Clark? So many think Obama is a light-weight on military — Clark would possibly give some balance.
What about the Governor of Arizona?? Might put some heat on McCain’s home state!
However, Bill Richarson would be a very broad-based choice — International diplomacy; Border state expertise; hispanic vote magnet —
Many choices — but also still time for some very careful considerations.
I over-heard the other day a couple of lawyerly types discussing this; and one said perhaps Obama should consider Caroline Kennedy; while the other suggested the son of former President, Jimmy Carter —
My lady friend asked about the possibility of somebody like Robert Redford — who is an active Democrat activist, and according to some early reports, had considered a run for the Presidency in 2007.
Many choices — Any of them could be a significant presence on this year’s political stage.
As for McCain, he should perhaps consider highly some folks who have good stage presence; not highly controversial; perhaps female; such as Kay Bailey Hutchison, or Christie Todd Whitman; or even Sandra Day O’Connor(hey, I didnt come up with that — a friend of mine did!)
McCain might also think about somebody like Chuck Grassley, or Chuck Hagel(Nebraska) — Or perhaps somebody the caliber of Norman Schwarzkopf — I heard a radio talk show caller suggest even David Petreus — One sports show caller the other day mentioned Curt Shilling, Boston Red Sox pitcher, and Republican Party activist. Another possibility mentioned recently was the current Sec’y. of Defense, Gates(ties to Kansas, but more favorable than Brownback)
I would not envy anybody the position of advising either candidate on a VP choice, as topsy turvy as this race will be — I just hope that whoever the choices are, they would be capable of stepping into the Big Chair at any time, should the tragedy happen, and the Top Man could not continue!
Uh yeah “jabonde”?
If it were the other way I can ASSURE you the Obamaniacs would be squealing like a stuck pig. I’ve seen it.
Richardson? He’s Republican lite. Obama has already pandered to the cons and the squishy middle.
If Senator Clinton does not want the VP, it should be offered to a good, hard core progressive.
BlueJay posted June 10, 2008 at 4:37 pm
“If it were the other way I can ASSURE you the Obamaniacs would be squealing like a stuck pig. I’ve seen it.”
You haven’t “seen it” because it didn’t happen the “other way”.
Senator Clinton did not get the # of delegates needed to secure the nomination.
Obama didn’t have to make the lame, irrelevant claim that he won a tiny % more of the popular vote.
Obama didn’t have to loan his campaign over $10 Million.