If he wants to end it sooner than later, Barack Obama should announce now that he intends to ask Hillary Clinton to share the Democratic ticket with him.
Clinton herself opened the door for such an invitation today. Asked about the possibility on CBS' "Early Show," she answered "that may be where this is headed, but of course we have to decide who is on the top of the ticket."
That decision has already been made by the voters and, in the coming days, will be ratified by the defection of superdelegates. With her "35 years of experience," Hillary Clinton is a seasoned enough politician to know that.
For his part, Obama has been reaching out far enough to indicate that he might ask Republicans like Chuck Hagel and Dick Lugar to serve in his cabinet as Secretaries of Defense and State. Making a move toward Clinton would not be that much of a stretch for a candidate whose theme has been uniting the country.
He can start with the Democratic Party. A declaration that he wants Hillary Clinton to run with him need not be coupled with the demand for an immediate answer, but it would relieve Obama of any pressure to go negative against Clinton and help disarm her recent tendency to tear him down.
In 2000, George W. Bush claimed he was a uniter. This year, Obama can prove that he is one and go a long way toward the White House by doing it.
Showing posts with label Dream Ticket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dream Ticket. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The Bickersons Turn Into a Ticket
From the moment Barack Obama held out Hillary Clinton's chair as they sat down to debate to the near-hug as he patted her shoulder when they stood up, the Democratic candidates put their party back on the road to the White House tonight.
Gone was last week's Palmetto rancor to be replaced by enough Hollywood feel-good to make Wolf Blitzer's final question about their forming a Dream Ticket plausible. In turning away from attacking each other to aim their fire at George Bush and John McCain, both Clinton and Obama showed voters their best selves.
The former First Lady softened her wonkiness with what came across as genuine caring, while Obama leavened his earnestness with cocky jokes like the one about Mitt Romney's shortcomings as a CEO who was not getting a good return on his campaign money.
If there was a fault line between them, it came toward the end as they discussed the 2002 Senate resolution to let Bush invade Iraq. Clinton, for some reason, continues to dodge admitting her mistake in voting for it, leaving an opening for Obama to score the point that a President needs not only experience but good judgment from Day One.
They started out by sharing satisfaction in the fact that the election of either of them would change American history, and they ended by going off toward Super Tuesday with a civility that bodes well for that future.
Gone was last week's Palmetto rancor to be replaced by enough Hollywood feel-good to make Wolf Blitzer's final question about their forming a Dream Ticket plausible. In turning away from attacking each other to aim their fire at George Bush and John McCain, both Clinton and Obama showed voters their best selves.
The former First Lady softened her wonkiness with what came across as genuine caring, while Obama leavened his earnestness with cocky jokes like the one about Mitt Romney's shortcomings as a CEO who was not getting a good return on his campaign money.
If there was a fault line between them, it came toward the end as they discussed the 2002 Senate resolution to let Bush invade Iraq. Clinton, for some reason, continues to dodge admitting her mistake in voting for it, leaving an opening for Obama to score the point that a President needs not only experience but good judgment from Day One.
They started out by sharing satisfaction in the fact that the election of either of them would change American history, and they ended by going off toward Super Tuesday with a civility that bodes well for that future.
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