Marin Forum

With the primaries over, Obama has clinched the Democratic presidential nomination. What remains to be seen is how strong Clinton pushes for the vice presidency. Including Hillary on the ticket would bring some advantages to Obama but it would also bring its fair share of problems.

Pros

• One of the most surprising things about the primary race is the fact that many Hillary or Obama supporters would not vote for the other candidate. For example in Montana only 58% of the people who voted for Clinton would vote for Obama. Around a quarter of them would vote for McCain. It would seem that the only way for Obama to receive Clinton’s supporters would be to give her some role in his presidency; the vice presidency is an obvious choice.
• By including Clinton on the the ticket Obama could fair better in states such as Pennsylvania. At times Obama did poorly among white working class people while Clinton ran well. By including Clinton on the ticket perhaps Obama could pick up that constituency.
• Clinton is a strong candidate and she has good credentials.

Cons

• Clinton and Obama are opposites. Obama represents change and Clinton represents the status quo. Obama might alienate some of his support base who see him selling out on his message.
• There’s the possibility that the primaries have created irreparable harm between Clinton and Obama. It has been an intense campaign and it is clear that neither side really likes the other. There could be too many divisions and animosity between the two for Obama to effectively govern. However, Kennedy and Johnson did not get along well but the ticket still worked.
• Clinton is a strong candidate and her personality could undermine Obama’s government. She’s not going to want to be in the shadows. That may be fine, but it can also be a problem.
• Bill Clinton. He is a liability and he’s going to want a prominent role. Regardless of who’s the nominee for the Democratic Party, Bill Clinton would be seeking a prominent role as Carter during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Simply put, Bill Clinton could get in the way.
• Lastly, Hillary Clinton is not well liked outside the Democratic party, and even within the party people are wary of her. She could scare away independents from the ticket.

Hillary Clinton as the vice president would be a mixed bag. She’s competent and could help win some states, but she has her own baggage, namely her personality and her husband.

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