Bill Clinton hindered wife's VP chances, Plouffe says

[jenmito]

While Obama continued to consider picking Clinton throughout the summer of 2008, he ultimately eliminated her name from the list in early August, fearing, Plouffe writes, that there "were just too many complications outweighing the potential strengths."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/29/obama-wanted-clinton-as-vp-plouffe-says/

(Emphasis added.)

Just starting a thread with a more accurate title-the title of the article.

[Barack_America]

1. Whatever. It all worked out for the best. HRC's a great Secretary of State.

She really seems to be thriving in the role and everyone is benefitting from it.

I think she as SOS and Biden as VP was the correct choice.

[jenmito]

2. I agree.

:shrug:

[Barack_America]

6. I'm whatevering Plouffe and CNN for dredging up the primaries.

[jenmito]

7. Oh, ok. Gotcha.

[question everything]

20. Agree but, then, how else will you be able to sell a book

if you don't provide provocative headlines?

[Captain Hilts]

3. No shit. And HRC is not cut out to be Veep anyway. It's all for the better. nt

[Fire1]

38. Ditto that. n/t

[lunatica]

4. If she was VP and something happened to Obama

Guess how loud they'd be screeching like nail on a blackboard accusing her of offing him. And if she were President they'd be raving just as insanely as they are about Obama.

[Barack_America]

5. delete.

wrong spot

[Ozymanithrax]

8. At some point people need to get over this...

Secretary of State Clinton has moved on. It is time everybody else did.

[NYC Liberal]

9. Why is VP such a great position anyhow?

It seems to me the Secretary of State has a lot more power (not just whatever the current President decides), gets to travel all over the world, and is very visible without having to be as political as the president does.

The VP gets to break ties in the Senate, sits on the NSC ... and then does however little or much the President deigns to allow him to. Who wants to be VP?

[quantass]

11. +1 -- It seems the VP job is kinda dull -- If i didnt know any better id think SoS was more powerful

based on the visibility of the job.

[Jennicut]

13. It depends on what the President gives the VP to do. The last two VPs were much more powerful

then ever before. Gore was much more visible then past VP's and of course Cheney was actually given too much power. I think Obama giving Biden the duties of overseeing the stimulus and keeping a constant dialogue with the Iraqi leaders makes him have some power. Biden has gone overseas a lot. However, the VP also has to go out and help fund raise and support Dem candidates which is not always the greatest job. At least Joe likes to meet people. :) The worst thing is allowing too much power for the VP and I think Obama rightfully looks at Biden as someone who can advise him but does not overstep his boundaries.

[NYC Liberal]

24. Yup, the VP has advantages and disadvantages

The disadvantage is, of course, you don't have a whole lot of power legally. Your job is essentially what the president tells you to do, save for breaking the rare tie vote in the Senate. And even though the VP is President of the Senate, the Senate still gets to decide what role the "President of the Senate" has. After John Adams decided he had nothing else to do (well, he didn't), he took to presiding over the Senate every day and actually participating in debates, and made really long speeches everyone pretty much hated him for. So they changed the rules and the VP basically keeps order when he presides.

There is the advantage that the VP doesn't serve at the pleasure of the President, the VP is elected too. And not having a whole lot of specific legal roles means that the VP's job can be pretty flexible. So if you're asked to be a running mate, you can say "Well I'll accept but if we are elected I want to focus on economic issues as VP" or whatever area you're interested in.

I think Biden is a pretty typical VP. And I think he really likes what he's doing because he's said that he made it clear to Obama that he wanted a voice in the decision making and that he would voice his disagreement if there was one.

[Bitwit1234]

10. Thank God she is out of the spot

sitting and grinning and grinning. The VP spot is perfect for Biden cause he loves to grin and meet people. Hillary Clinton's talents are better suited as Secretary of State. It would have been the real insult for her to be stuck. The only advantage of being VP is you are next in line to the presidency.

But of course the only time a VP was powerful was cheney because we all know he ran the country and bush's job was to bend and grin.

[Arugula Latte]

12. His conduct during the campaign was just awful. nt

[joeycola]

39. I disagree but we can all have our opinions.

[Beacool]

14. Axelrod, Plouffe...........

x(

[jenmito]

15. Very intelligent comment.

:shrug:

[Beacool]

17. Axelrod, the Rove of the left.

They represent the Chicago way of doing business.

[jenmito]

19. "...the Chicago way..."? Use RW talking points much?

:eyes:

[ieoeja]

21. The "Chicago way" of doing politics is EXTREMELY grassroots.

The reason Chicago frequently gets 90% turnout (in a country where under 50% is the norm) is because the local Democratic party recruits an army of volunteers EVERY election.

So I consider the "Chicago way" to be a compliment. Even if a lot of ignorant people don't know what they are talking about.

[jenmito]

23. Well, Beacool definitely is NOT using the term as a compliment...

Her equating Axelrod to Rove says all we need to know about what SHE meant by it.

[ieoeja]

22. Rove is best known for attack, attack, attack.

Isn't that the Clinton way? In fact, the Clinton supporters constantly berate Obama even to this day for his refusal to attack opponents. So really, the Clintons are the Rove of the Left.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

33. She didn't compare Rove and Obama, she compared Rove and Axelrod.

Bush : Rove :: Obama : Axelrod



Quite simple.

[rvablue]

30. Holy cow! That sounds like a Limbaugh/Beck talking point. n/t

[jenmito]

31. Sadly, I'M not surprised. She still feel Hillary was robbed of the presidency. n/t

[Flying Dream Blues]

34. And that surprises you? nt

[firedupdem]

35. You and your teabagger talking points are just ridiculous.. n/t

[Forkboy]

36. Nice post, Hannity.

[geek tragedy]

37. PUMAs, the dinosaurs of the modern political age. nt

[PatGund]

40. "The Chicago Way", eh??

So what's your user name at PUMA PAC ??

[blm]

43. You prefer when Jackson Stephens picks our presidents for us...ahem...for HIMSELF, I mean.

Well...not just himself, but, for the the global fascist agenda he (and other BCCI figures) worked on with Poppy Bush all those years.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

32. Agree. n/t

[Starbucks Anarchist]

42. You're likable enough, Beacool.

[Mass]

16. I just wondered how long Plouffe spends on this compared to the importance the media give it.

Something tells me it could be very enlightening of how the media function.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

18. i am glad. the vp position for her would have sent too many mixed messages

[Jeneral2885]

25. Better off

I'm not sure how much work Obama would give her as VP. She's better off with her current post. Though she has yet to reform US development assistance.

[jillan]

26. I'm just glad he didn't pick Mark Warner - can you imagine?

[Clio the Leo]

27. And she refused to be vetted unless she was going to be the pick...

.... that is what Richard Wolffe wrote in his book.

I think we're reading this as "she was on Obama's list" as "she was the one he wanted" which is not the same thing.

I think it all worked out for the best. We have Biden AND Hillary this way. And she's able to be a bit more liberal with his speech than she would have been as VP. Did you see the video of her today? "We dont have to give you the money!" lol too funny.

[jenmito]

28. Oh yeah!

I forgot about that! And yeah-she was NOT the one he wanted in the end. She was in the top 6 but not in the top 3.

I agree that it all worked out for the best. Biden is great as Obama's VP, just "being Joe." And Hillary is also doing great as SoS. Yeah, I saw video of her today. :D

[jonnyblitz]

41. yup I just read the same book and remember that. nt

[bigwillq]

29. Duh!

:)