The Veep Calculus (Obama would be crazy to be Hillary’s VP — but he might have no choice)

WSJ ^ | March 14, 2008 | by KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

[jdm]

** EXCERPT **

Barack Obama is indignant at Hillary Clinton's suggestion he serve as her vice president. Fair enough. He's still better positioned to win this thing. He'd better hope that remains true, though, since about the only thing worse than losing the nomination to Mrs. Clinton would be having to decide whether to take up her offer.

There's good reason the Hillary and Bill vice-presidential talk is coming at this particular moment. With her Texas and Ohio victories, she's still in the game. But she's behind in the delegate count and, barring some extraordinary event, will remain so. Her path to the nomination instead rests in convincing some 800 unaccountable Democratic superdelegates to deny the nomination to the man who currently has won more states, the majority of the popular vote, and the greater number of pledged delegates.

Success would inevitably lead to screams of a "stolen" primary, and the risk that key Obama voting groups -- blacks, the young, wealthier Democrats -- would stay home. The obvious way to avoid this fallout is to keep Mr. Obama by her side. This is political necessity, not virtue.

The Clinton camp is so consumed with the idea of Veep Obama it's undermined one of its own messages. Mrs. Clinton has had to spend the past week explaining why the man she's been criticizing as unfit to be president is now in fact fit to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Mrs. Clinton also sees some immediate political value in floating Mr. Obama as her second. She's targeting voters who feel drawn to her inspirational opponent, but retain doubts about his experience. This way they can vote for her, and maybe still get him, too.

[JustDoItAlways]

Why would anyone put themselves through 8 years of torture and the threat of an accidental death at any time?

[Flintlock]

Either way, Hill/O or O/Hill-—Whomsoever is ON TOP had best have a VERY GOOD (and courageous) FOOD TASTER!

[Eurale]

Please warn us if you’re going to post the image of Hitlery so I can put on my garlic necklace. No way Nobama will take the VP position. He’d only become the bent one’s hand maiden.

[ari-freedom]

she may be forced to at the convention but it was pretty stupid for her to say it now.

[Red Badger]

Very presumptuous of her to “offer” the VP slot to him, when HE’s the one in the cat bird seat! It’s like Hitler sending out his generals from the bunker telling Stalin’s troops that they should surrender now and they will be treated very kindly......

[Mr. Brightside]

I wonder if Vice President Obama would be forced to look away from her as she passed in the hallways.

[Jim Noble]

I wonder if Vice President Obama would be forced to look away from her as she passed in the hallways.

Oh, no - he'll be right out front.

[Mr. Brightside]

lol

That’s funny.

[Nervous Tick]

I enjoyed this one, from today's Toons thread:

[Wil H]

If Obama takes the VP spot on the basis that it’s the only way to beat McCain he is just delaying his chance of running again by an additional 4 years.

Wouldn’t make sense.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Once the majority of the American public hear the sickening, hate-mongering words of Wright, whom Barak Obama has weekly (and weakly) chosen for 20 years as his spiritual leader and the man to whom Obama and his wife take their kids on a weekly basis and who is an integral part of their lives, they will understand that Obama is a dabgerous facade candidate put in place by enemies of the U.S. It’s now clear that orator Obama is not qualified to sweep the streets, let alone be considered for any further public office or public job.

[bilhosty]

I would worry more about Strickland as VP nominee.

[domeika]