NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

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NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/22/08 at 10:31pm

QUESTION: I want to know if you'd consider everybody who is a possible help to you as a running mate. Even if his or her spouse is an occasional pain in the butt.

BARACK OBAMA: I can tell you this. My goal is to have the best possible government. And that means me winning. So, I'm very practical in my thinking. I'm a practical guy. One of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln.

Awhile back, there was a wonderful book written by Doris Kearns Goodwin called 'Team of Rivals,' in which she talked about how Lincoln basically pulled all the people he'd been running against into his Cabinet. Because whatever personal feelings there were, the issue was, 'How can we get the country through this time of crisis?'

I think that has to be the approach one takes to the vice president and the Cabinet.
Obama Hints at Naming Clinton to His 'Team of Rivals'

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/22/08 at 10:39pm

Will she actually go for it? That would be incredible if she did...

"If it walks like a Parks, if it wobbles like a Parks, then it's definitely fat and nobody loves it." --MA

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/22/08 at 10:45pm

If he does, he should make Bill our UN Ambassador, or something to get him out of Washington. Hillary probably wouldn't mind getting him out of town, either.

I watched parts of that campaign stop where Obama was responding to questions from a Jewish audience. For this question, he went on to say he would consider McCain for a job like Homeland Security.

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

Updated On: 5/22/08 at 10:45 PM

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/22/08 at 10:50pm

If he offers it to her, she'll take it.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/22/08 at 10:53pm

And then he put on a yarmulke and sang "My Yiddishe Momma."

Nevertheless, Zelda Weinschenker left shaking her head, saying, "Sure he was cute, but I STILL prefer Sammy Davis Junior. He was a convert and he could dance with a glass eye--just like Sandy Duncan."

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/22/08 at 11:00pm

Could explain why he has publicly started his secret VP search? So if he does offer it to her, it can seem like a thoroughly researched choice from an array of candidates, rather than a deal?

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/22/08 at 11:56pm

JFK much?

I don't think he has much of a choice in the matter. He is also a gentleman and a scholar of course he will.

Updated On: 5/23/08 at 11:56 PM

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 12:10am

If you combine their respective strengths, they could put A LOT of traditionally Republican states in play. Add that to the weaknesses that exist right now in the Republican party, plus Obama's ability to raise funds, and they could stretch the Republican infrastructure and funds really thin.

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 12:13am

"I can tell you this. My goal is to have the best possible government. And that means me winning."

Just that statement alone makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>> “I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>> -whatever2

#10

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 12:33am

Cocky and a little self-absorbed, maybe, Diva, but could you honestly expect anyone to vote for you if you said you didn't think choosing you would be the best idea?

"Why, I make more money than... than... than Calvin Coolidge! PUT TOGETHER!"
~Lina Lamont

My name wasn't, isn't, and will never be Scott.

#11

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 12:42am

this has bad idea written all over it, perhaps not for the general election, but for senate and house elections it would be a disaster... many democratic candidates running for these elections (including two who i know personally) are convinced that Hillary Clinton's name on any ballot will create a 5-10 percentage deficit in returns which the individual candidate would then have to make up alongside regular campaigning... this is not an easy margin to overcome and i don't believe with her name on any ballot it can be overcome...

#12

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 12:52am

No, no one believes that.

#13

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 12:55am

well i can tell you from personal political experience that this is what the congressional candidates i know are gearing up for... if you choose not to believe it thats fine

#14

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 1:11am

you're making that up

#15

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 1:18am

Chris Bowers did a projected Electoral College map for an Obama/Clinton ticket vs. a McCain/generic VP ticket. It combines the Clinton and Obama maps from Pollster.com against McCain, taking the best Democratic performance for each state. The result is a blowout, where Democrats hold a statistically significant lead in states with 300 electoral votes, and McCain's "solid" states drop to under 100 electoral votes

Obama/Clinton vs. McCain/generic VP:

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

#16

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 2:34pm

As the Times today suggets, the total lack of rancor between the two camps of late speaks volumes, and not just about unifying the party. They are clearly gearing up for the possibility. All this talk of picking a Hillary surrogate instead misses the entire point of putting her on the ticket. Clinton brings her own impassioned base; Strickland or Rendell do not suddenly pick up Clinton's supporters, and it's bizarre the way some pundits are positing that alternative. Personally, I wish it would just happen, because so much would be resolved in one fell swoop. The two camps would have to go on a honeymoon together, forced and complicated, but suddenly a whole lotta folks would be lined up against McCain.

I say, let's cross our fingers, pray, and look to June for it to happen.

"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

#17

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 2:36pm

"All this talk of picking a Hillary surrogate instead misses the entire point of putting her on the ticket. Clinton brings her own impassioned base; Strickland or Rendell do not suddenly pick up Clinton's supporters, and it's bizarre the way some pundits are positing that alternative."

I agree. I know plenty of Hilary supporters who would not be jumping on the Obama train if he chose Rendell as his V.P. He won't energize or excite Clinton's vocal base.

#18

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 2:38pm

I think he should offer it to her IF she divorces Bill in October...how bout THAT for a surprise?

#19

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 2:53pm

I used to think he couldn't possibly deal with Bill, but I now believe there's likely baggage with any VP who'd actually help Obama. And to take another candidate without national profile, would hardly help. Most of all, he needs foot traffic to the polls in November. Massive turnout. The Governor of Kansas ain't giving him that, nor would Strickland. And Rendell is ultimately just another white man. And a radical idea like Hagel will leave him with Republican baggage. So, will Barack be willing to have Bill around? The devil you know beats...

"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

Updated On: 5/23/08 at 02:53 PM

#20

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:04pm

Obama begins to accept reality:

QUESTION: At this point in the race, why not seat the entire Florida delegation with a full vote based on the Jan. 29 primary?

SENATOR OBAMA: They're definitely going to be seated. We're not the final decision maker on this. But we've said to the DNC that we want the Florida delegation to be seated, and I'm confident that it's going to be worked out sometime in the next 10 days. I expect that the delegates are going to be participating at the convention.

These weren't rules of my making. We just followed the rules. But Florida is too important to have this linger into the fall. I'm confident in a weeks time this thing will be resolved to the satisfaction of the people of Florida. ...

Keep in mind that the people who put these rules together and people who made these decisions are generally not people of my selection. I'm not yet the nominee or at the point where I'm the person who's helping to shape the DNC.

Right now, my goal is to make sure I'm focusing on letting everybody now that I want to make sure they're seated and our team is working actively with the DNC to make that happen. Obviously, Senator Clinton's people have say-so as well. I'm confident that it will get resolved.

Updated On: 5/23/08 at 04:04 PM

#21

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:08pm

Cool...so that argument can be moot now? Can it?

#22

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:10pm

Not yet--the Florida delegates have to be seated fully.

Next: Michigan. They have to be seated as well, and the Uncommitted delegates should go to the convention uncommitted, free to vote for whomever they choose.

#23

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:17pm

And the Democrats rewards people who don't follow the rules. Excellent move there.

I'm going to ask my local party if we can hold our 2012 primary next month.

#24

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:17pm

So you think they shouldn't be punished AT ALL for breaking the rules?

#25

re: NEWSWEEK: Obama Hints He Will Name Hillary VP

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:41pm

Had the DNC followed its own riles (which I've read--and posted here!), the two states would have had their delegations cut in half, like the RNC did--MONTHS AGO.

But Donna Brazile and Howard Dean FLOUTED those rules and went for the larger "punishment" and put the Party into its current mess.

Now the DNC can't really talk about "rules--because the DNC broke the rules to "punish" the states whose LEGISLATURES broke the rules.

And why were those rules put into place? To make the people of Iowa and New Hampshire feel SPECIAL. Meanwhile, come the general election, we;re going to happen to NEED THE VOTERS of Florida and Michigan. "Punishing" them will drive them to McCain.

So now, here we are at Memorial Day and no candidate. What to do?

Maybe start by counting the votes.

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