Last-minute guess: Obama will pick Hillary
August 21st, 2008 at 09:26am Pat Cunningham
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After long periods of serious concentration over the past few days, I’ve come to the conclusion that Barack Obama will choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate.
The announcement might come as soon as today.
Yeah, I know this flies in the face of my frequent condemnations of Clinton over the past six months, and I recognize that Obama and Hillary aren’t exactly the best of chums. But in the final analysis, the pairing of the two on the Democratic ticket would make eminent political sense.
The principal rationale is that the choice of Clinton as a running mate would unite and energize the party as no other choice could.
Besides, there’s plenty of precedent for this sort of thing in both parties.
 John Kennedy went with Lyndon Johnson, though the two had contentiously vied for the nomination — and despite the fact that the Kennedy family didn’t much like LBJ. (Bobby hated him, and vice versa.)
Ronald Reagan chose George H.W. Bush, no matter the negative stuff Pappy said about Ronnie when they competed for the GOP nomination. (Remember when Bush scoffed at Reagan’s “voodoo economics”?)
Another reason why I think Obama will go with Clinton is that he has to do something bold after this long and dramatic lead-up to the announcement. Any other choice would seem dull.
So, that’s my guess. I might well be wrong, but it wouldn’t be the first time. Hey, I initially thought Obama had no chance to win the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat from Illinois in 2004. An unknown black guy from Chicago with a name like that? Not gonna happen, I said.
UPDATE: Obama said something this afternoon that makes even more inclined to suspect that Hillary will get the nod.
USA Today reports:
“In an interview in Chester, Va., the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said he’s made up his mind, but he would not say whether he’s informed that person yet. ‘I won’t comment on anything else until I introduce our running mate to the world,’ he said. ‘That’s all you’re going to get out of me.’
“Obama said it was a difficult decision. ‘We had some great choices.’
“Obama said he wanted somebody who is ‘prepared to be president’ and who will be ‘a partner with me in strengthening this economy for the middle class and working families.’
“He said he was looking for not just a partner but a sparring partner. ‘I want somebody who’s independent, somebody who can push against my preconceived notions and challenge me so we have got a robust debate in the White House.’”
Hmmm. Robust debate in the White House? Economy for the middle class and working families? Sparring partner?
Sounds like Hillary.
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6 Comments Add your own
1. Milton Waddams | August 21st, 2008 at 9:37 am
I certainly hope he doesn’t pick Hillary. It goes completely against what he has stood for and called for throughout this campaign and in his writings. He has railed against the divisive partisan politics that are poluting Washington. Hillary is divisive partisan politics incarnate, it is the Clinton/Bush/Rove hallmark. I would much rather see an Evan Bayh or someone like that. I’d love to see someone like Colin Powell (unlikely to happen) or Chuck Hagel (not gonna happen). I will still vote for Obama if he picks Hillary, but it won’t be a vote for him anymore, rather a vote against McCain.
2. LD | August 21st, 2008 at 10:40 am
I agree with Milton, but honestly I’d rather see Hillary than Biden, who seems to be the medias pick of the week.
3. Jason C | August 21st, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Personally, I’d prefer Biden over Clinton, but I’d vote for them either way. If she gets into the VP slot, I hope she doesn’t pull a Vince Foster on him (yes, I know, it was ruled a suicide, but the consppiracy theory lives on).
4. Ross Calloway | August 21st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Picking Hillary would be Obama admitting that he can not win without her. Imagine that?
Some say it was a hoax, but CNN supposedly had announced that Evan Bayh (D-IN) is his pick. There was a screen capture of the web page which, as the story goes, CNN immediately took down.
5. Fred Flintstone | August 21st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Personally I don’t care who Obama picks as a Veep.
Unlike the present imposter he will be the leader and all decisions
will be made by him and he will take responsibility for those decisions.
His Veep will take the traditional role rather than the Cheney Co-Presidency
since he picked himself as l’il Georges
overseer.
If I were a Republican (God Forbid), I’d be more concerned with who’s
on McCain’s short list for Veep
In the unlikely scenario where he actually wins It’s 8-5 that this 72 year old man will last out his first term
He’s already shown considerable signs of senility forgetfulness and downright brain farts on subjects he should know well.
“How many houses do you own”
Heck, He still swears that he voted FOR the new G.I Bill when in fact
voted against it, So that either makes him an unapologetic liar or a senile old goat unfit for the Presidency.
6. Al T | August 21st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Though the thought is farfetched I would love for it to be Al Gore.
I have always wondered what our environment would be like now if he had made it into office. If anyone could help to turn that around I think it would be Al Gore.
That being said I do think your guess could well be correct Pat.
Maybe he will make Bill Clinton Secretary of State.
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