Coop Floats Nunn For Veep

By Kleinheider Posted on May 20, 2008 at 6:54 am

Not surprisingly considering the history, Rep. Jim Cooper is no fan of the idea of a “dream ticket” between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton:

 “I think you’d have to go for a fresh face,” said Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), an Obama supporter, adding that it would make sense for Obama to choose from among the party’s “wide range of experienced foreign policy and national security experts. Sam Nunn, he’d be my first choice.”

permalink | 3 Comments

Tags: Barack Obama, dream ticket, Hillary Clinton, Jim Cooper, Jim Webb, Sam Nunn  

What Will She Do?

By Kleinheider Posted on May 18, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Brendan Loy points to a column by Bob Beckel that argues very persuasively that if Hillary Clinton wants the Vice Presidential nomination for President that she can have it by forcing a floor vote at the convention. While recent tradition has usually allowed the man at the top of the ticket to pick his runningmate, it is the delegates who ultimately vote to affirm — or not to affirm — that choice.

The question is: Will Hillary force the issue? It all comes down to whether, deep in her gut, she believes Obama can beat McCain.

If Obama wins without Hillary on the ticket, not only does it mean waiting eight years to run again, it means that the Clintons lose the machinery of the party. The Clintons would be on the outside. However, if Obama loses without her then she retains her political power and the gains the “I told you so card” with which to make her case against a very old John McCain in 2012.

If she takes the Veep nod and they lose, then Clinton risks becoming the scapegoat, especially if it is revealed that she forced herself in. If Obama had been allowed to pick a white male, the talk will go, he would have been President.

It will be interesting to see how the Clinton’s political calculus comes out on this. The Presidential nomination may be Obama’s to lose but the Veep spot is Hillary to take or leave. What will she do?

permalink | Comment on this post

Tags: 2012, Barack Obama, Democratic National Convention, dream ticket, Hillary Clinton  

Nipping The Dream Ticket In The Bud

By Kleinheider Posted on May 8, 2008 at 2:30 pm

Brendan Loy suggests that Barack Obama announce his runningmate sooner rather than later to cut down on all the “dream ticket” talk:

I actually think Obama would be well served to announce his running mate earlier than usual, just to prevent the inevitable Clinton-for-veep speculation from consuming the entire summer, and from further dividing the party when he finally gets around to rejecting what many pundits (and Hillary supporters) will myopically see as the “obvious” choice.

Before the “healing” can truly begin, the last shot must be fired, and that shot will be Obama’s choice of a vice presidential running mate who isn’t named Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Problem with this, of course, is that while it is virtually mathematically impossible for Hillary to win the nomination, it is still possible. Until Obama has mathematically clinched the nomination or Clinton concedes the race, he cannot pick a runningmate. Neither of these things are likely to happen.

Unless the superdelegates come out en mass forcing Clinton’s hand she has no incentive to drop out and until they do Obama cannot be so bold as to announce a runningmate (or likely runningmate) without risking the alienation of some of those superdelegates.

To cut off the speculation, Obama should announce a runningmate the minute after closure is achieved in the primary. Problem is, it is becoming more and more likely that that closure will not happen.

Furthermore, if Clinton actually wants the Vice-Presidency, it is in her interest not to concede until the convention where dealmaking atmosphere and the pressure on Obama to pick her will be at its height.

RELATED:
Lean Left
Guerilla Women
John Brown

permalink | Comment on this post

Tags: Clinton, convention, dream ticket, Obama