My short answer is “No”. And here is why:
There are several reasons for picking a particular running mate. Some of those are:
1. The running mate should share the same ideology.
2.
The running mate should complement the voting numbers by being able to
carry states where the person on the top of the ticket couldn’t or is
weak.
3. The running mate should be someone who the public would
feel comfortable with stepping into the top spot if something happened
to the President.
While on the surface, many would say that an
Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket would fit those criteria
perfectly, there are several reasons why I believe there will not be a
combined ticket.
Discounting a Clinton/Obama ticket:
1.
While Clinton would benefit from having Obama as a powerful vice
president, she owes too many other politicians favors to offer it to
him.
2. Neither Clinton likes being questioned or challenged.
Having a shining star like Obama around for four years would overshadow
her and give him the clout to push his agenda. They would be butting
heads constantly, and she wouldn’t put up with that.
3. Obama has
worked hard to distance himself from politicians that are in the pocket
of lobbyists. If he were to “join” Clinton, he would be seen as a
traitor to his own cause. That would eliminate any future shot at
running for president.
4. Obama has questioned her leadership
capabilities that she has touted in the campaign. He has all but said
that she doesn’t have the experience to hold that spot. It would be
difficult for him to change his tune and support her as leader of the
free world.
Discounting an Obama/Clinton ticket:
1. If
Obama wins the nomination, he will have proved that it is possible to
win without having big money in your pocket. So, he won’t have a need
for Clinton on the ticket.
2. Obama won’t want to be overshadowed
by a Bill/Hillary tag-team for four years. He will have his own agenda
and won’t want the Clinton’s getting in his way.
3. Part of the
reason that people are voting for Obama is because they want change.
They want people in government with fresh ideas about how to govern.
If he picked Clinton as his running mate, he would be going against
what got him the nomination to begin with.
With Clinton’s
campaign in scramble/panic/crisis mode, they have pulled out all of the
stops to try to counter Obama’s momentum. Whereas a few months ago the
suggestion of a Clinton/Obama ticket didn’t garner a response at all,
Clinton managers and advisers are openly suggesting that it is a
possibility. Bill Clinton himself even made the suggestion. Obama’s camp has denied that it is even a possibility.
I
believe that the Clinton camp sees that Obama is on the right track,
but that many people are split between the two. I believe that they
are spreading the hope that there is a chance of a Clinton/Obama ticket
to swing people in her favor. If they think that a win for Hillary is
a push in the direction of a joint ticket, then they are mistakenly
excited enough to vote for Hillary. It’s just another dirty tactic
that the Clinton machine has turned on.
Whoever wins the
nomination, there won’t be an Obama/Clinton or a Clinton/Obama ticket.
It just isn’t going to happen. People need to realize that and vote
for who they think would make the best President. In November we’ll
get to vote for the best ticket.
Mark