The Democratic party has a candidate!

[amethyst73]

It's been coming on for the last few weeks, but yes, finally Barack Obama has the delegates required to clinch the Democratic nomination for President.  I'm glad; he was the candidate I voted for (in no small part due to encouragement from orichalcum and cerebralpaladin).  And Hilary Clinton kept going for longer than she ought to have; I have found some of her recent actions and stances irritating at best.

That said, I do now honestly think that the best thing for the party would be a realization of the so-called 'dream ticket', with Obama in the Presidential slot and Clinton as Veep.  From what I heard on the news in the last day or so (particularly regarding the protests outside the decisionmaking regarding the Michigan and Florida delegates), there are portions of the Democratic party that have become kind of frighteningly polarized over this issue.  I believe that having both candidates on the ticket would be the fastest, surest way to excite and energize those who were/are strong Clinton supporters who may feel disappointed - or even robbed - by the Michigan-Florida delegate decision. 

That's my hope, anyway.  I think Obama is both smart enough as a gameplayer (re orichalcum's post) and gracious enough as a human being to extend her the offer.  We'll see what the next few weeks bring!

Comments

[holmes-iv.livejournal.com]

I heartily agree with your general sentiments! But I disagree strongly with your conclusion: I think the fastest, surest way to unite the party would be for Clinton to stop pretending that she's going to win, or insinuating that Obama's trying to steal her victory from her by underhanded parliamentary tricks (like "getting more votes"). If she does, and starts campaigning for her party's nominee (and graciously declares her desire to let him pick his own V.P. rather than trying to arm-twist him into picking her), I think that she'll be able to bring most of her more embittered partisans around without having to be on the ticket. And if she doesn't, then I certainly don't want her anywhere near the vice-presidency!

[apintrix.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't call that invitation either smart or gracious. Clinton's got a lot of detractors of her own, and I'm really unconvinced that the votes she'd gain him would surmount the folks who hate her. As to grace, IMO that is for speeches and post-contest courtesies, not for political decisions in an ongoing race.

[meepodeekin.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with holmes_iv and apintrix. Clinton is a nightmare, and having her on the ticket will seriously compromise Obama's vision, and his reputation as a person seeking change outside the party machine. It would probably garner an immediate bump in the short term but I don't think it's clear that it would help his electability in the long run. And, to be a bit blunt, I fear the ticket needs at least one white male to have any chance at all. I haven't got a great alternative option, though, so we'll see.

In the meantime, I wish that b***h would stop pretending there's any reason she's still talking, and shut up. I've had enough of her insinuations, threats, and manipulations.

[orichalcum.livejournal.com]

Thank you; I'm very glad that our words helped you to make a decision.

With regard to the vice-presidential candidacy, I first of all agree with holmes_iv that the first thing that needs to happen is for Clinton to _stop running_ and make it clear to her supporters that they need to unite behind the Democratic nominee. Right now, Obama wouldn't so much be getting the trusting and loyal relationship you want with a veep.

According to Howard Fineman of Newsweek, speaking on MSNBC, the Clinton campaign is demanding that she be offered the veep slot, which she will then decline, and then Fineman quotes the Clinton campaign as saying "don't you dare offer it to another woman." (http://www.americablog.com/2008/06/clinton-campaign-hillarys-not-gonna.html)

It's that kind of petty behavior that has made me lose a lot of respect for the Clintons. I agree that the party has become polarized, but the impetus is on HRC right now to show her supporters that there are more important things to be fighting for than her personal candidacy. Until/unless she has the courage to do that, I think she'll hurt rather than strengthen the ticket. And there are a lot of other great potential nominees out there - including other brilliant, strong women like Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, who has managed to convert all the Republican leadership of Kansas into Democrats.