Anonymous wrote:Still hoping for the "Dream Team", Obama-Clinton ticket. It would be a slam-dunk...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still hoping for the "Dream Team", Obama-Clinton ticket. It would be a slam-dunk...

It would only guarantee that I not vote for him.

Anonymous wrote:Still hoping for the "Dream Team", Obama-Clinton ticket. It would be a slam-dunk...

This column has been pondering and predicting an Obama-Biden ticket for some time now. That's still the best bet, and now that the announcement is finally imminent, everyone is talking about it.

So, what the heck, let's run the Hillary Clinton scenario one more time:

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton like one another. Obama had Clinton's cell number on speed dial, and vice versa. They maintained stable, even good, personal relations during the primary campaign. When things got ugly, Obama stepped up several times to defend Clinton, and the senator from New York got what might have been the loudest and most sincere round of the campaign when she seemed to suggest at the close of a contentious primary-season debate that she would be willing to join an Obama-led "dream ticket."

But we always knew that the "what to do with Bill Clinton" challenge would steer Obama away from an easy or casual selection of Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate. Again and again through the primary season, it was Bill who said things that seemed to inflame the competition and move both camps to their respective corners. And, of course, there is the fundamental question of where to put an ex-president in an administration that supposed to be all about change.

So the line became: Obama would only pick Clinton if he comes to the conclusion that he needs her badly enough to accept not only his former rival but the complexities that her husband brings to the equation and, of course, their considerable baggage.

Well, the latest polls seem to suggest that Obama finds himself in a circumstance that lends itself to the Clinton consideration.
Despite the fact that the miserable state of the U.S. economy shaped by eight years of oilman budgeting should be handing the election to Obama, he's either tied or behind in a number of key state and national surveys. The new Reuters/Zogby poll has Republican John McCain leading Obama 46-41. Gallup and LA Times surveys have it much closer, with Obama slightly up. But these are not encouraging number for the Democrats.

Russian tanks in Georgia, regime change in Pakistan and the general uncertainty about whether to worry more about a new Cold War or the mismanagement of the old war on terror seems to have caused a good many Americans to edge toward McCain. That may not be reasonable, or smart or fair. But, to employ the phrase of the season, "It is what it is."

Barack Obama might just need Hillary Clinton.

Clinton, whether appropriately or not, seen by a great many Americans as someone who knows her way around the international stage. In fact, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who are not fans of Clinton have told me that she has far better international connections than McCain or Obama.

She also has some pretty good connections in the swing states of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Then there is the whole "dream ticket" thing.

If Obama takes the stage in front of the Old State Capital in Springfield, Illinois, Saturday with Evan Bayh at his side, it will be news -- but not very exciting news. If he does so with Joe Biden, it will be bigger news -- but it's not like Biden brings the "wow" factor.

If Obama takes the stage with Clinton at his side, it will be the dominant news story of the weekend, the convention and perhaps of the fall campaign.

Indeed, it could create that wave of excitement that Obama needs to have not just a triumphal convention but a triumphal campaign.

So that's the Hillary Clinton scenario, with all of its challenges, complexities and unpleasantnesses.

One does not have to like Clinton, or even believe that Clinton will ultimately join a "dream ticket," to suspect that as the Obama camp reviews the latest polls, they might be spinning the scenario one last time. Obama and his aides may reject the option -- because of Bill, because the former First Lady does not say "change," or because of concerns that a ticket made up of an African-American man and a woman might be too much change for the electorate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still hoping for the "Dream Team", Obama-Clinton ticket. It would be a slam-dunk...

It would only guarantee that I not vote for him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still hoping for the "Dream Team", Obama-Clinton ticket. It would be a slam-dunk...

It would only guarantee that I not vote for him.

If Obama decides to grace Hillary by putting her name next to his on the ballot than I think McCain would have a field day with accusing him of flip flopping/hypocrite since Obama and Hillary were so contentious for so long and now all of the sudden they would be buddy-buddy (or Pres and VP).

Anonymous wrote:McCain:
- Meg Whitman, if he wants a potential game changer of a running mate
- Lieberman or a pro-choice Republican if he wants to tick off the far right and emphasize his credentials as a free thinker
- Romney if he wants to tweak Huckabee and stress his openmindedness on religion, and he can get past his lack of chemistry with Romney
- Bobby Jindal if he wants to give up slamming Obama on lack of experience, which he doesn't
- Tim Pawlenty or Lindsey Graham if he wants a safe pick

Obama:
- Joe Biden if he's feeling less confident than he was two months ago (though Biden undercuts the change message more than Hillary would)
- Evan Bayh if, again, he's feeling less confident (but today's well-timed oppo hit on Bayh may knock him out of the running)
- Jack Reed if he wants military and national security experience without a lot of baggage (but with no excitement)
- Tim Kaine if he's feeling cocky
- Kathleen Sebelius if he's feeling really cocky
- Hillary Clinton if he really wants to win and his ego allows it, which it won't

I think it will be Biden for Obama. McCain will be able to factor in Obama's choice in making his own, so I'll hold off on guessing McCain's running mate until Obama makes his choice public.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McCain:...
- Tim Pawlenty or Lindsey Graham if he wants a safe pick

I think the rumors about Graham being gay take him out of the "safe" category. But he's one of McCain's closest friends and strongest supporters. He would certainly be a gutsy choice.