If you're trying to wrap your mind around recent comments made by the Clinton camp, don't worry... you're not alone! It seemed like just yesterday that we were all chuckling and placated before our television sets. Super Tuesday hadn't even arrived yet, but we were watching the last feel-good debate where Clinton and Obama realized that this was it: the contest came down to a Woman and a Black man -- one hell of an anomaly. (Hell, even Newt Gingrich was genuinely shocked.) When asked about a potential Clinton-Obama "Dream Ticket" both laughed coyly and lightly joked that it depended who was FIRST on that ticket.
One month later, with Clinton's commanding lead slipping and all the media buzz shifting to Obama's charisma and hopefulness, Hill's pulling every Clintonian trick out of the bag. She remained on the Michigan ballot, even though Obama took himself off. She accused him of making secret deals with the Canadians regarding NAFTA just before the Ohio primary. She ran a scare tactic ad implying that the world will not be safe with ringing phones, children asleep and Obama as president. Most recently, she enticed voters with the notion that Barack Obama's on her "shortlist of VEEPs," preying on her voter's open-minded attitude toward her opponent. While many Clinton supporters conceded that Obama is an "OK guy," just "not best suited for the job"... most Obama supporters confided in exit polls that they'd NEVER vote for Clinton. So it should come as no surprise to any of us, then, that Clinton would try to entice Independent Fence Sitters and any Wayward Clintonites by hinting at an Obama VEEP. "This may be where this is headed," she had said last week.
What was surprising was her next breath: " I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002." And furthermore, "I think it's imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander in chief threshold, and I believe that I've done that. Certainly Senator McCain has done that. And, and you'll have to ask Senator Obama with respect to his candidacy."
Then Chief spokesman Howard Wolfson said it ever-so-bluntly, "We do not believe at this point that Sen. Obama has passed that key commander in chief test.” Wolfson said. Later, Wolfson added that what Clinton views as Obama's failure to pass that test would disqualify him as a vice presidential pick, since a vice president must be prepared to step into the presidency at a moment’s notice. Sen. Clinton will not choose any candidate who has not at the time of choosing passed the national security threshold, period,” Wolfson said. Just to be safe, he added, “We have a long way to go between now and Denver. And it’s not something she’s prepared to rule out at this point."
Obama laughed it off and wondered how Bill and Hillary could go around talking about Obama for VEEP and yet also claim he's not a qualified Commander-in-Chief. "I am not running for vice president and don't intend to be vice president," he told reporters. "My argument throughout this campaign is that we need to change how business is done in Washington. I don’t think Senator Clinton represents the kind of change that's needed. This has not been an empty exercise. I profoundly believe we have to shift Washington. And I believe I’m the best person to do that job." He accused Senator Clinton of "hoodwink" politics and added, "I don’t know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is in first place.”
Some democrats like Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Chairman of the DNC, worry that all this VEEP speculation could "spiral out of control" and reveal a weakness in the party's strategy. Whether or not Clinton's offhanded remark was genuine, I think it's safe to say you can call this the nail in the coffin for some American's "Dream Ticket."
