Clinton Endgame Still a Mystery
Sen. Hillary Clinton lost last night, but did not concede.
She has been defeated by the slimmest of margins by Sen. Barack Obama, but has not formally acknowledged this or endorsed her rival, despite having a terrific opportunity to do so last night as the primary season concluded.
What was the point of not doing so? And what will she do next?
Obama clinched the Democratic nomination Tuesday and will be looking to unite Democrats divided by this long and contentious primary season.
How does one accomplish that? If you ask many Democrats - primarily HRC supporters - naming Hillary Clinton his vice president would be a start.
FADE TO BLACK: Hillary Clinton’s campaign is over, and yet it isn’t. Will the former First Lady drift into the sunset, or try to leverage whatever she can?
Some say an Obama-Clinton ticket might fit the bill for uniting Democrats, while others feel it would go against Obama’s theme of change.
Obama’s list of vice president options is far from short, and while Clinton will surely be considered, there are certainly no guarantees.
In fact, we would bet heavily against an Obama-Clinton ticket.
The bad blood between the two candidates, the differences in ideology, and the potential baggage that is Bill Clinton all pose problems.
Regardless, with the Democratic National Convention and Obama’s coronation more than two months away, no one knows Hillary’s plan of attack.
Perhaps not even Hillary Clinton herself.
Last night, after congratulating Obama, she once again invoked the popular vote argument she has futilely made for weeks now, claiming that she has earned “more votes than any primary candidate in history.”
It’s a moot point anyway - primaries come down to delegates, and Barack Obama defeated her, 2,156 to 1,923 with 2,118 needed to win - but even that argument hinges on the flimsiest of calculations.
Even counting Michigan and Florida results that were barred by the DNC, Obama holds on, albeit barely, when estimating caucuses as well. So no matter how you look at it, this race is historically close - and over.
Nevertheless, masses of Hillary Clinton supporters were undeterred Tuesday evening, cheering their candidate after she won the South Dakota primary.
They chanted: “Yes, she will! Yes, she will!”
The only question how is what she will do next. What do you think she’s angling for, when and if she drops out? Would you vote for an Obama-Clinton ticket?
NATIONAL
June 4th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Hillary is being very supportive of Obama and how good he will be for Iraq, Israel, and middle east peace but that will end if it becomes obvious she does not stand a chance of VP if that is the case! We cannot afford a President McCain to happen if we can keep this election too from being stolen. McCain’s change is the same lies with a different disguise! We must come together! Like it or not I see an Obama Hillary ticket guaranteeing party unity albeit with many caveats.
Personally I see many potential nightmares for Obama and us with “Billary” as Veep but I don’t realistically see a way around it! Short of being offered the VP I see Hillary taking this to the DNC and Ickes, Bill, and other “ilk” will happily make Limbaugh’s dream and my worst nightmare come true! Like it or not this is not over until it is over! Stupid me I thought it was “over” once the required amount of Delegates was gained. However consider the source and those pompous, fickle, egotistical, uncommitted Super Delegates are P’ing me off!
What do you think of Robert Rouse’s idea? Robert Rouse said…
This may piss a few people off, but I think Obama needs to use Hillary. Have her run as VP and then marginalize her job - state funerals, health care push, etc. - and the first time an opening on the Supreme Court pops up nominate her and then get a VP he can work with.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I just heard former US Deputy AG Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy or 2 of the 3 picked so far to search for a Veep for Obama!
June 4th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
What arrogance HRC shows. She refuses to acknowledge what everyone else gets. She’s DONE! She is surely selfish & self centered, still convinced it’s about her. Even her staunchest of supporters should be embarrassed to be associated with her @ this point. Oh well, the whole charade gave the thinking among us a good laugh.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
It’s remarkable that such a smart candidate is making such egregious strategic mistakes! There was a time when the Dream Ticket was possible - and as a woman, I was thrilled with that possibility. But that chance is long gone, and now seeing her attempt to rob Obama of his victory on Tuesday is offensive. The notion that Obama needs her to secure older and less educated voters is ridiculous, as if she were the only U.S. politician who could appeal to those voter demographics. If the Democratic Party rallies around their nominee, and works for Obama’s election state-by-state, he, and the Dem Party, will certainly succeed.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Don’t forget, just because Hillary might get the VP slot doesn’t mean that she and Bill will be controlling the White House completely. If Hillary and Bill had any ideas that seem old-fashioned [which is typical of them], it’s most likely that Obama will be the only one that can either approve or disapprove since he is the head of the ticket at this point.
So what’s the harm of having the Clinton’s involved?