I think a combined ticket would, paradoxically, be weaker but more likely to win.
Weaker because it would magnify the candidates’ weaknesses, which are substantial.
But more likely to win because each candidate can produce a turnout in their respective demographics-—especially Obama-—that would be hard for any Republican candidate to overcome.
But what about the high negatives BOTH have? The stats I’ve seen (and I do realize stats are notoriously unreliable)give HRC negatives of 47% nationwide-that’s people who say they WILL NOT vote for he, no matter what. BHO’s negs are 38%. Won’t combining both into one package (whether HRC + BHO, or BHO+ HRC) just exacerbate this? Wouldn’t either one have a better shot of taking the presidency if either candidate chooses an uncontroversial, barely known nationally white male governor, or somesuch? As for the feelings of “betrayal” the followers of whoever is passed over, the DNC counts on those people to ‘rally’ behind whoever’s on the ballot come November-I think the chances of that happening is at LEAST as likely as angry conservatives voting for John McCain, especially if either BHO or HRC is the nominee.