WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday she's open to the possibility of being Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate, a Democratic party aide said.
Clinton, who appears on the verge of losing the Democratic presidential nomination to Obama, made the comment in a conference call with fellow members of New York's congressional delegation, the aide said.
The party aide quoted Clinton as saying, when asked about being Obama's running mate: "I am open to it."
We are now getting into the negotiations between the Obama and Clinton camps over what role Hillary Clinton will play in the Obama campaign. Clinton obviously knows that she is not going to win the Democratic nomination for president, so she is extending the possibility of campaigning as Obama's running mate. I've talked about the possibilities of a Clinton / Obama ticket here and here. Looking at the pros and cons of a unified ticket, I thought that the biggest con would be bringing Bill Clinton back into the White House. I'm not sure that is a good idea, if a President Barack Obama can not control a former vice president as a de facto part of the White House staff. I like the idea of Hillary Clinton as Senate Majority Leader, or in a cabinet-level position like Health and Human services, or even as a Supreme Court Justice (That would send the hard-lined conservatives and Religious Right into convulsions).
But still, a unified Obama / Clinton ticket would do wonders in bringing together both campaigns and energizing the Democratic Party in its focus on attacking Republican John McCain during the general election. The Obama campaign will have to think long and hard on this position.
No comments:
Post a Comment