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Hillary For Veep? Really?

Posted by SOPHIE GILBERT in At TMV.
Jun 4th, 2008 | Comments

You can say what you like about Barack Obama, but you cannot discount his graciousness. Keeping his temper when all about him were losing theirs, Obama has unfailingly declined to stoop to the kind of lows one would expect from a presidential primary. When Fox News pundit Liz Trotta affirmed what nobody really thought Clinton meant when she alluded to Robert Kennedy; when Bill Clinton called Obama’s initial opposition to the war a “fairytale;” even when Sen. Robert Ford said he couldn’t win the race because of his race, Obama has personified the moral high ground. His speech last night paid deference to Senator Clinton’s “strength, courage and commitment” in an profound gesture of magnanimity.

But enough is enough. Last night, Hillary Clinton not only failed to acknowledge her opponent’s victory, she even tried to bargain from her position of defeat. “Put me on your ticket,” she seems to be implying, “and I’ll step down.”

“Mrs Clinton talked of party unity, but – make no mistake – Mr Obama was being put on notice: this was victory for him on her terms,” says the Times of London. “She wants to be vice-president.”

Is Hillary really in a position to bargain? She’s obviously been mulling it over for a while. In this interview with BET founder Robert Johnson, Johnson recalls talking to HRC about the possibility as early as last month. And while for some, an Obama/Clinton ticket seems to be a dream one, for others, including former President Jimmy Carter, it’s a bad, bad idea.

What on earth has Hillary Clinton done to justify Obama making her his VP? The smear campaigns? Her terrifying invincibility (Jon Stewart once compared her to the ruthless T-1000 in Terminator 2)? Her extraordinary sense of being owed the opportunity?

If Obama puts Hillary Clinton on his ticket, not only will he be indulging her endless narcissistic quest for self-gratification, but some think he’ll be undermining his own authority. Does the Obama campaign not believe that he can win without her? As Andrew Sullivan argues, Hillary is still grappling with Obama, effectively holding him to ransom. If he offers her the VP spot, she’ll take it, and bring all her voters with her. If he doesn’t, she’ll focus on his defeat, and her next campaign for 2012. And the Clintons will continue.

Any other Democrat would be excoriated by their party for such self-serving tactics. “We’re Americans first,” Senator Obama said last night. “We’re politicians first,” Senator Clinton seems to be responding.

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JSpencer

Obama is too savvy to make a blunder like choosing Sen. Clinton for his VP. And as has been noted, she's engaged in far too many Rovian tactics over the course of her campaign to deserve it. Accountability does matter right?

PeterV

I think accountability matters. But Clinton *is* holding those voters ransom. When 50% of Democrats prefer Clinton, that's a powerful bargaining chip, no matter how ugly. Obama can't afford to shrug that off. He can choose the higher ground, or he can compromise. I think he's quite capable of making either decision, since both choices would have significant pros and cons.

saintixe56

Says Clyburn “We got more vitriolic, nasty phone calls, really racially tinged phone calls in my congressional office, so much so, until one of the interns, a young lady who is not a stranger to politics … and she is not a black person, she left the office, had to be consoled because of the kinds of phone calls from people who identified themselves as Hillary Clinton supporters,” he said.

yet I stll accept HRC as Veep choice because we need to stand united.
and I still hope that when she is veep and when the GE is over and O hopefully in the WH
real politics can start
otherwise
any failure at succeeding the gambit will- well say good bye to BO though at least he gave the dream
as for HRC no decent democrat will vote for her; the backlash will be unprecented.

DLS

Before the Clinton-haters on the Left (who have been worse, for months, than those on the Right were toward her in earlier years) become outraged, calm down and think about it. (Yes, it's hard. But you have to try. Really. Try to think.) While she would probably be a resentful VP and probably be worse than a mere meddler (the fear everyone has is that she'd try to take over things again for another four to eight years as unofficial President), you have to look through the pink clouds that she threatens to soil and realize that the Obama administration you dream of will be influenced and often controlled by the party establishment, not limited only to the Clintons.

Nothing's conclusive, but the Clintons tried running Washington like Arkansas and encountered problems, and Bush tried running Washington like Texas and encountered problems, and so don't expect Obama to get all he wants. And just what will he want? He's never told us. Is he going to be like Blagojevich in Illinois, who has often been weak and, along with his state's political reputation, laughable. In fact, if Obama does try to be like that, he deserves to lose the general election. "Free" (vote-buying at the basest level) transit rides to senior citizens? (Children next, the expected kind of incrementalism?) Will Obama be like that offering government goodies to as many interest groups and try to buy as many votes in that same manner among those Dem-preferring voters who are the most willing to offer their votes (themselves) for sale?

When McCain starts asking those questions, he as well as the general election will begin to become interesting. The same will be true once Obama starts answering those questions and providing us more information we want and have yet to learn.

Tully

But Clinton *is* holding those voters ransom. When 50% of Democrats prefer Clinton, that's a powerful bargaining chip, no matter how ugly. Obama can't afford to shrug that off.

VP was just her counter-offer. We may not know what the final real price was until well after the election. Count on her campaign debt being only part of it. But you're right--Obama and the DNC have to cut a deal with her to have any hope of the WHite House. She can help 'em or sink 'em, so they'll buy her off.

casualobserver

I don't see it either as I don't see either one wanting to endure the upstaging from the other.

The real trick for Obama is to keep the hardcore Hillaryites from leaving the ranch, however that is best done.

For the last four months there has been Iraq, the economy, McCain is Bush, oil prices, house prices, bomb Iran, etc,. and let's not forget the voices of TMV. Despite all of it, Obama can't sneak more than a point or two ahead of McCain. (If he was that good, why isn't he 25 points ahead with every landscape issue tilted in his favor?)

Needless to say, Obama can hardly afford the loss of any Hillary votes. You better believe she has plenty of chips left to play.

StockBoySF

"But Clinton *is* holding those voters ransom. When 50% of Democrats prefer Clinton, that's a powerful bargaining chip, no matter how ugly. Obama can't afford to shrug that off."

I don't think Hillary or anyone is holding most of those voters ransom. That suggests that her voters will do as she says. However there are a few hardcore Hillary supporters who will withhold their support from Obama until Hillary gives them the go-ahead.

Hillary has already said she will do whatever it takes to make sure there is a Democrat voted into the WH in Nov. Now she's saying that she'll only do so on her terms, and not the terms that are best for the Dems.

Even though most Hillary supporters will vote for Obama, Hillary's reluctance to endorse Obama only shows that the Dems can't get their own party together.

DLS

"She can help 'em or sink 'em, so they'll buy her off."

This could be literal: She could demand they pay her campaign debt.

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