While I recently wrote longingly about the prospect of the two remaining Democratic candidates wailing on each other right up through the Denver convention, there has been some recent, albeit minimal, speculation about an alternative resolution to the Democratic ticket. While not widely subscribed to, the idea of a dream ticket including both Hillary and Barry, has been proffered as a neat alternative to a long, drawn-out fight to the death, which, in all likelihood, would only benefit John McCain and the Republicans. As unlikely as this combination might be, it would, presumably, allow the Dems to heal and unite behind the ticket long before the November election. All that stands between that and the present state of affairs is the answer to one simple question: Who will be on top? Of the ticket that is.
While I am as about as clairvoyant as a blind cat in a dark broom closet, I can’t see this ticket ever seeing the light of day unless Herself is in first place while Barack flies second seat. I could list all the reasons why I think this is so, and maybe, for fun, we might, at some point, think the opposite arrangement through. But for now, let’s just run with the assumption that Hillary would be the presidential candidate teamed up with Obama for the veep slot.
Given his relatively young age, Obama would have to buy in to the rationalization that serving four, or possibly eight years as Hillary’s no. 2 would leave him as a more experienced candidate in his own right. In order for the Clinton’s to pull this off, they would have to promise Obama a portfolio of highly-visible responsibilities, which they could easily do. Is Obama gullible enough to believe such drivel? Is anyone? And at the very least, he ought to touch base with Al Gore before accepting any such deal. However, never say never. Presumably, after serving such a sentence, I mean term, he would be ready to perform on day one and answer the phone whenever it rang and whoever was calling. Now let’s return to planet Earth and see how things might really play out.
If no dream team compromise is struck, the decision on a Democratic candidate goes to the convention in August since, according to current tallies, neither candidate can clinch enough delegates in the remaining primaries to ice the nomination. There is also a wild card in terms of counting Florida and Michigan delegates, but the resolution of those votes, while possibly tinder for an explosive mini-plot, still won’t change much before the convention. If, once the convention starts, the Super delegates roll over and Hillary prevails, Obama can simply go back to the Senate for a little more seasoning. In the meantime, if Hillary loses the general election, Obama gets a big “I told you so” And Hillary? Well, we all know how the Democrats deal with their losers.
In the event that candidate Hillary wins in November, we get to see just what kind of an administration she can run. That in itself should be high drama, especially with Bubba lurking around with nothing to do. Even if she’s a screaming success and wins a second term, she still has to get out in 2016. Unless Chelsea has by then emerged as a successor, we might be finally rid of the Clintons, even if it leaves the country in collective mental exhaustion. Obama would still be young enough to run again for the presidency.
So, will Barry accept the no. 2 position? He would be making an enormous personal sacrifice, the principal beneficiaries of which would be the Democratic Party and the Clintons. There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of upside in this for him. Let’s hope that he sees things our way. We don’t want to be robbed of the high drama of a Democratic convention that will actually have to choose a candidate, right there on live TV in front of God and everyone. It could be a mini-series. “There will be Blood” might be an apt sub-title
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