Amazingly enough, media speculation remains rife about “dream team” scenarios that could yield a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton Democratic ticket.
As has been well documented – and orchestrated – Obama’s allure, aside from being intelligent and articulate, is his avatar-of-hope and change-agent appeal at a time of consummate cynicism.
If he were to put Clinton on the ticket, he morphs into yet another hypocritically pragmatic politician. Actually, he’d be worse, because of the level of inspiration and aspiration he’s induced. Clinton, the princess of pander and blatant political calculation, is also the personification of Washington-insider entitlement.
Obama can’t load all that baggage on the ticket – including assistant vice president Bill Clinton — and retain any prospect of appealing to the electorate’s desire for change, let alone long dormant idealism. Plus, he’s outnumbered in a key inner circle.
Moreover, would Obama really want somebody who would be to the vice presidency what Vladimir Putin is to the prime ministry of Russia? Or who, in her heart of hearts, prefers that he actually lose in November — thus validating all those self-fulfilling jeremiads about him not being the best candidate to defeat John McCain? And thus ushering in her de facto 2012 presidential run?
Recall why few observers really thought John Kennedy was rooting for Adlai Stevenson in 1956.
Local insider Frank Sanchez of Tampa, who heads Obama’s national Hispanic fund-raising campaign, is among those dismissing the notion of a spot for Clinton on an Obama ticket. Sanchez likes Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn. His dark horse veep candidate: former Florida Governor and Senator Bob Graham.