Can we even discuss it civilly? I am open to Hillary as VP but I have some questions:

[Political Heretic]

Okay, here goes....I hope to God we can do this without a flame war.

I am open to Hillary Clinton as the Vice Presidential choice, if the Obama campaign determines that she would bring the most to the ticket. However, if they were to consider her, there seem to be a couple of questions that need to be addressed:

First, how will the media respond to a Clinton VP - will they focus on Bill Clinton (even though that would be wrong, sexist, whatever) and what will that do for the campaign?

Second, vetting - if Bill Clinton is unable or unwilling to disclose donor information on the presidential library, does that create unnecessary complications for the Obama campaign in the media?

Third, wouldn't the McCain campaign make an issue out of Obama's message of Change if he chooses Clinton? There is audio out there of Obama one defining change as a chance from both the bushes and the clintons - I don't know the context of the comment or how high profile it was, but isn't it possible that McCain, who is already going with a "I'm the real change, he's the wrong/fake change" message would exploit choosing Clinton as a VP? If the answer is yes, how does the Obama/Clinton campaign deal with that?

These seem like pretty important issues that would have to be figured out before she could be VP.... ?

And YES, I am concerned cat. :P I want Obama to WIN. If Clinton brings the most as a VP then I am ALL FOR IT. But what about these things?

[writes3000]

1. I think the ticket of "Firsts" would overcome any "status quo" arguments.

Bill Clinton would have to disclose the donor info. It's a must.

As for the media, they would eat this up. Because the Obama/Clinton dynamic is far, far more compelling than anything John McCain has to offer.

[dkf]

4. I think the Hillary and Bill media circus would drown out Obama.

If they hide Bill away, that would be the main story too.

Either way, the Clinton's suck the media air out of the room.

All the speculation would be on what role Hillary would play, where would Bill fit in, what projects will she spearhead, what happens if Bill gets caught in another scandal, etc.

The media will eat it up...and Obama's message will be drowned out.

[writes3000]

5. I think the Obama campaign could easily dominate the message IF...

Hillary and Bill stayed on message and in their roles. And I believe they would.

A unified Democratic party would be THE story of the campaign.

[dkf]

8. You really think the media is more interested in party unity than in

hoopla and scandal?

I don't see how unity lasts as a story for more than 15 minutes. It would probably just be a poll number, measured as the % of Democrats that are voting Obama.

[CakeGrrl]

11. Hillary's not staying on message *even now*

The day after her concession speech, Dianne Feinstein, the good friend of HRC at whose house Hillary met with Obama two days earlier went on the air talking up the *false* popular vote claim.

There is no way that undercutting the nominee's legitimacy by saying the OTHER candidate has the popular vote fosters unity.

And there's no way I can believe Feinstein is doing that against Hillary's wishes. But now that Hillary has verbally committed to "unity", she can't promote the idea herself.

The Clintons are simply not to be trusted.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

2. Air Fuck One

If that Vanity Fair article had run during the general with Hillary on the ticket, would anyone be thrilled to give John McCain a week of "Is President Clinton Upstaging the Obama Campaign?" headlines?

If Hillary came on, she'd have to almost be completely shorn of the people that ran her campaign. It'd be ugly.

[anonymous171]

3. Send Bill Clinton to Appalachia, make him stay there for the entirety of the campaign.

[musicblind]

6. You have a good point. He campaigns well in those areas. But I also feel like he could campaign well

in smaller cities like he did in Asheboro NC. When he came here it was a big deal and he did a great job. So yes, def have him campaigning in Appalachia (good idea) but also have him branch out to some of the other smaller towns telling people there how Obama can help them. They WILL come out to see a former president speak. His star power will wow them into believing the true and positive things he says about Obama. Bill Clinton showing up was the front page of our local hometown paper. :)

[flor de jasmim]

7. A few thoughts --

1. Hillary has too strong a personality for VP - just as we did not have a provision in the Constititution for a Co-President in 1992, we don't have one now. Bill content to be "SPOUSE OF VP"???? No, he also has a persona which is bigger than that.

2. Complete discloure of all financial dealings with the Clinton Library, Bill's current financial activities, abandonment of all activities which are "inconvenient" for an Obama Presidency... would Bill agree? and even if he agreed, would he comply?

3. Revival of all the scandals of the 90s--real and otherwise. The Republicans have not brought them up during the election--SO FAR, and neither did the Democrats. If Hillary is VP, all gloves will come off and the Republicans will jam the airwaves with them.

4. Obama as FUTURE, Clinton as PAST. This is not as strong an argument as the first two, because it suggests that Clinton can't move forward, and of course she can. However, symbolically Obama would look much weaker if she were chosen.

5. The vast majority of Democrats will move into Obama's corner, with or without Hillary, because the other options are not appealing. They should not be taken for granted--they will need some time and get re-acquainted with the two possible realities (Obama vs McCain), but they will come around.

6. In old politics, this type of joint ticket "worked" (when it did), because people assumed the VP position was of little importance and no one counted on the VP for much. I believe Obama wants a working partnership, and given the way he has not allowed people to stay on his team who went too far off-message, I cannot conceive of Hillary being a serious contender, given some of the things she has said about him while on the campaign trail. If his staff had said the same things about his OPPONENT they would have been off his team.

There are plenty of positions within an Obama government that would:

a) be MORE INTERESTING for Hillary
b) USE HER STRENGTHS better
c) give her MORE PRESTIGE

[ima_sinnic]

9. everything you mention are the reasons she should NOT be VP

and I am NOT "open" to her being VP. If Obama picked her as VP, I would immediately lose ALL respect for Obama and walk away not only from supporting him but also from politics at all. It would just mean that the whole "change" idea was a lie and that there is no escape from the elitist corporate powers that are sucking our blood.

[CakeGrrl]

10. There's the rub: Clinton DOES NOT bring the most to the VP ticket

Other than the possibility that some of her all-or-nothing voters will show up once she's there.

As has been said, the McCain camp has ready-made tape of her multiple statements that Obama is nothing but a speech compared to John McCain, who crossed the Commander-in-Chief threshold. That looks very, very bad.

Then there's her Bosnia lie vs. the bona fide POW. Major credibility failure.

She weakens Obama's higher ground on IWR and Kyl-Lieberman since she voted for them. He needs to keep separating himself from Iraq war support as much as he can. She hamstrings that effort.

She will repel the swing voters and crossover Independents and Republicans. I'd rather gain them then try to retain some Hillary dead-enders, some of whom only voted for her because she is NOT Obama. Putting her on an Obama ticket isn't going to bring ALL of them along.

The thought of "Clinton Fatigue II" makes me ill. You know the media WILL NOT resist.

Voters who understand the importance of voting Democratic this year will do so whether she's there or not.

She can fill other roles in congress or in an Obama cabinet. Why MUST it be VP? The relentless pushiness is a bad sign in and of itself.

[cloudythescribbler]

12. Who would Hillary Clinton as VP nominee get that CA Sen Barbara Boxer would NOT?

not very many votes -- but on the upside, Boxer might win LOTS of votes that HRC would not.

HRC deserves to play a central role in US politics over the next years, possibly more importantly than VP (VP's cannot be their own agent w/o creating serious problems for an administration)

She might by NY State Gov, S Ct, or some other key role, including as a major Senate leader. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE HER ON THE TICKET, HOWEVER -- I am NOT overconfident of an Obama victory in Nov, and want his chances ABSOLUTELY MAXIMIZED.