2008 Primaries, Views on News • May 8th, 2008

When ego gets in the way

by Chris Lato

With Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign basically in death-rattle mode, the inevitable question surfaces: what about a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton ‘dream ticket?’

Well, holy cow. That would be some ticket. I daresay that kind of powerhouse ticket would be awfully hard to beat – that is, if the rivers of bad blood between the two camps could somehow magically disappear.

Too bad it’ll never happen.

The old political saw is that the vice-presidential candidate makes little difference in an election. This year, though, the rules are changing.

John McCain is no spring chicken. He is well aware of the focus on his age and the need to pick a younger running mate in case his health goes south. That pick will weigh on the minds of voters who will otherwise say McCain is too old.

For the Dems, the idea of having the top two survivors of this extreme-fighting match of a primary season united on the ticket has to be powerfully appealing. So what’s to stop it?

Ego. From both candidates.

Start with Obama. Beyond all the political baggage the Clintons bring, does anyone think Obama wants Hillary Clinton, and her former president husband, kicking around the White House and demanding their say in what’s going on? And bad mouthing him when the Clintons don’t get their way?

Obama wants to be the leader. As president, he will not be looking to share this responsibility. It would be an extraordinarily awkward arrangement. He knows better than to undermine the image he is looking to present.

Which leads us to Clinton. After a bitter, hard-fought loss, is her desire to get back in the White House so strong that she would be willing to play the role of second banana under President Obama? It’s hard to process that one.

It will be fascinating to watch this all play out in the next few weeks. The talk of an Obama-Clinton pairing will undoubtedly heat up. And it will undoubtedly collapse.

And if I’m wrong, well, I’ll shave my head bald.

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