Hillary's no-lose strategy

The National Post ^ | June 1, 2008 | Diane Francis

[2ndDivisionVet]

By Wednesday morning, Hillary and Obama will up neck and neck in popular vote, give or take 100,000 votes between them.

That means the pressure will be on for him to make her his running-mate.

But she may not be interested. In fact, she will likely turn down recruiting efforts.

If you take the Clintons at their word Obama is doomed to failure so why would she want to go down in flames with him this fall against McCain?

It’s not like she hasn’t made this perfectly clear. Her feelings about Obama’s inadequacies have been articulated and broadcasted for months.

She has said he is an untried rookie who shouldn’t get the nod and can’t beat McCain. Her character assassination has been subtle but effective: The reference to Bobby Kennedy. Her doubts about his beliefs, (he’s Christian or so they tell me). Her attacks on his manhood. Her husband’s description of Obama’s entire campaign as a “fairy tale”.

All these statements and others will be generously splashed across Republican ads this fall to the point that some voters, who only wake up to their democracy during elections, may actually think she is McCain’s running-mate.

Joining the Obama teams means she will have shot herself in the foot beforehand.

So what emerges is what I believe is the Clinton no-lose strategy.

They have used Obama’s unelectability as their excuse to continue running against him even though they cannot win because, by saying he’s unelectable, they help in part to bring about his defeat.

His defeat by McCain would make them look really smart and also set them up for the nomination and run in 2012. This is based on their professed logic that only Hillary can win against McCain; McCain will be a one-termer because he will be decrepit in four years and there will be a job vacancy in 2012 for the White House. The tricky part for Hillary will be to appear to be a team player if she declines the VP slot or isn’t even asked. Obama will offer both of them something in return for a few stump speeches made in between long absences from the campaign due to “exhaustion”.

This is the week

That’s why this week will be great fun to watch because the delegate arithmetic simply doesn’t work after Tuesday. And the real Hillary will be revealed in one of two scenarios:

If she becomes Obama’s running mate, which makes party sense now because she has damaged him among some Democrats, it will be because she never believed a word she said about his unelectability in the first place. She and Bill will also make his life, and presidency should he win, miserable, according to former advisors like Dick Morris.

If she rejects offers to become the running-mate or play a major administration role, then she believes Obama has no chance, she is not a team player and is willing to have Americans endure one term of McCain so she can take up White House residency in 2012.

Take your pick.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Jimmy Valentine]

Yes. Someone in one of the many books written about the Arkansas white trash Clintons compared them to a tornado that destroys all it comes in contact with. A fair enough description, I think.

[Jess Kitting]

Hillary will never give up.

Not until she has broken every rule, challenged every outcome, exhausted every trick, confiscated every dollar, and completely destroyed her party, her country and anyone who stood in her way.

[Don Corleone]

All these statements and others will be generously splashed across Republican ads this fall to the point that some voters, who only wake up to their democracy during elections, may actually think she is McCain’s running-mate.

Will she return McCain's cajones from the lock box?

[CharacterCounts]

Why would Hillary accept an Obama offer of the vice-presidency?

She won't!

Any role as V.P. nominee only has negatives attached to it:

If an Obama/Clinton ticket loses the general, Clinton is done for as a politician.

If the same ticket wins, she will be required to spend the next 4 years getting no credit and apologizing for and defending Obama's foreign policy disasters.

In my opinion, what Hillary is really looking for is the job of Senate Majority Leader, which she will extract as payment for party unity. This will keep her face in the news and giver her stature for another run.

[HamiltonJay]

HillBilly will not accept the VP spot.. if Fauxbama is the nominee, she will make sure he does not win (though he has little chance anyway).

She will quietly go back to NY, perhaps just sit in the senat, but isn’t there a Governorship in shambles right now? Return in 12, with the anti-hillary wing, coming back home with their tail between their legs after the absolute spanking McCain will give Fauxbama.. and because of the mess that was this cycles primary the party will make sure the primary is locked up quickly for HillBilly.

Then its HillBilly vs the Republican.

McCain is a one termer most likely, not simply because of his health and age, but because he will do things that are going to tick off the bases of both parties. He knows going in I feel he’s a one termer, which is probably a good thing in all honesty. Perhaps the things that need to be done will be done, instead of simply doing what is politically expedient for re-election.

I’ve been saying this for MONTHS... don’t know who this author is, but next time, give credit where its due and stop plagiarising me.