Why Hillary should NOT be Obama's choice for VP

[State the Obvious]

Clearly, Hillary is trying to make a case to FORCE Obama and the DNC to put her on the ticket with Obama. I can't think of any other reason for her insisting she will have the delegates (and/or popular vote) to become the nominee. I DON'T hate her, I just think she would bring the ticket down. Her campaign team continuously talks of Hillary's huge "coalition" (Bush terminology) of women, "hard-working white Americans", Hispanics, Catholics etc. Lanny Davis talks of her "base" of 16 million strong. How many of her coalition/base are "Limbaugh Republicans" that are hoping against hope that she will be on the ticket?

This is why I think she would be a bad choice for VP:

1. She has given Republicans too much ammunition against Obama. HER sound bites would be PARAMOUNT in the Republican attack ads AGAINST Obama.

2. Americans want CHANGE, which is the basis of the Obama campaign. SHE wants to recapture the spotlight from the "old days".

3. She is chameleon-like in her personality and policies. Her inauthenticity contradicts Obama's message of openness and honesty in America's political future.



(Any other tactfully-stated reasons Hillary, as VP, is not a good idea? )

[newmajority]

1. Two senators on a ticket is suicide.

That eliminates her right there, and does so without angering the Hillbots. O8)

[AtomicKitten]

2. #1) She is the antithesis of his message.

#2) She has shown she can't be trusted.

[Cosmocat]

3. I have said all along that ...

having her on his ticket invalidates his whole platform ...

I don't see her wanting to be VP ... Not under someone she doesn't respect all that much ...

I think she is still in it to 1) start to bring her ego to the point of accepting stepping out 2) to start to eat into the debt ... This is going to drive their rhretoric a lot, they have to give supporters the sense that they are still fighting to win, to get them to continue to contribute ... If they aren't getting money, there is no reason to continue to campaign, and that goes for her workers, too, cause they want paid ...

[CakeGrrl]

4. Her negatives poll over 50%; her "trustworthiness" is almost equally in the toilet.

She's the antithesis of some of what Obama has campaigned on. She voted for the IWR. She applauded Bush's SOTU comments regarding Iraq while Obama had the principles NOT to react like a bobbleheaded supporter.

She has no firm stand - she panders to whomever she needs on whatever issue she needs.

Bullying/extorting her way onto the ticket will drive up her negatives within her own party. You may have to capitulate to someone who has the leverage to hijack the ticket, but you don't have to - and in this case, I definitely WILL NOT - like them.

Democrats who are signing onto this are part of the reason that the Democratic party is known for turning victories into defeats. You do not put someone on the ticket who's getting cheerleading from the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

[asjr]

8. If her negatives are over 50%

you can thank the media. You can thank the pundits who have persuaded you that she panders. The cheerleading of Rush Limbaugh is because he is afraid of a strong woman. I won't get on that negative train no matter who our nominee is. I don't say things like that against Obama. I am an old Democrat who has been around and seen a lot of elections. I used to be an old Republican who saw the light. And the people who link her with John McCain do so only to blast her. She is not McCain and you all know it. All the garbage dumped on Hillary Clinton makes me want to vote for her even more. I will take any Democratic nominee.

[On the Road]

5. I Have Somewhat Different Reasons

Obama is a young candidate. If he has a strong a VP who spent eight years in the White House and Bill Clinton hanging in the wings, nobody will know who's in charge. It's like a CEO retiring and moving to a ceremonial or VP post -- everyone instinctively looks to the old boss. Obama needs to choose his own people and make it his own team.

From Hillary Clinton's point of view, VP might not even be the best slot. I have heard it suggested that Obama might support her for the Senate Majority leader spot, replacing Harry Reid. That would enable her to be the leader of her own branch of government and give her an independent power base. That might be better than being a VP for her opponent. And Clinton and Obama might collectively produce more for the party as negotiating partners (and occasional policy adversaries) than as a mismatched Pres-VP team.

[baldguy]

6. Hillary wants to be Dick Cheney

The power behind the throne.

[spin]

9. What a scary but possibly true statement (n/t)

[11 Bravo]

7. I hope he picks her just for the sheer entertainment value of exploding heads all over GD:P.

There are regular posters here who would suffer a fecal hemorrhage, faint, and fall face first in the resulting effluence. I'd pay to see that!