Forget The Fantasy – Dream Tickets Will Not Happen in Campaign 08
There are those who write in this space of dream tickets for President and Vice President. Even at last week’s debate, a reported suggested in question form that Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama would be a “dream ticket.” It is not going to happen. Neither candidate will run as a number 2, and especially Obama, who would really be #3 in a Clinton White House.
Although there is a peaceful environment surrounding the campaigns, a truce if you can call it that, tensions are deep beneath the surface. The battle is so close now that those peaceful tactics may be changing shortly. There is a difference between negative ads and the spectacle of the candidates verbally attacking each other on the stage.
Again, there will be no “dream ticket”, because its not a dream ticket. Any time two powerful people run on the same ticket, a real doom and gloom is in the air. Hillary Clinton has already served as untitled number two as the First Lady. Barack Obama is in this to win.
On the very cheerful Republican side, there will also be no dream theme. If McCain gets the nomination, and he should, he will be forced to pick the most qualified person in the nation to back him up. His age requires that he give teh voters a sense of security about the “just in case” factor. Look for him to find a solid, super-experienced veteran of years in government. McCain cannot afford to play any political games with his VP choice. It’s got to be a choice of competence.
It will not be Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee. And Rudy, McCain’s friend, has no interest in the job. None.
Some possible choices for McCain: Tom Ridge, Governor Charlie Crist of Florida, and Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina.
Comments(28)
So silly. Just like Dick Cheney, if Obama were the vice president he’d be numero uno. Good thing he’ll be president anyway. He doesn’t need Hillary to win. She is nightmarish baggage best left on the carousel of the 1990s.
I am sick to death of this whole dream team idea. Hillary supporters and obama supporters will never come together. I know if obama is the choice I will sit out the election in november.Many of my family aqnd friends will do the same.
The democratic party is fractured and I don’t believe it will ever recover.
Any ticket with Hillary on it is a nightmare, not a dream….
If Barack Hussein Obama gets the nomination, I’d look for McCain to try to coax Colin Powell back onto the scene. If Hillary gets it, I’d look for McCain to consider some chicks, like Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison.
I do not consider a McCain-Huckabee ticket a ‘Dream Ticket’, but a good call for the Republican Party and for America. Senator McCain has many redeeming factors about him, but a few questionable stands oncore Republican issues, whcih have cause some to label him a ‘Republicrat’ or a ‘Democan’. Mike Huckabee would bring balance to the ticket to ensure that this great nation does not return to to the moral cesspool of the Carter years. God Bless the Reagan era, and bringing America out of the morass, and God Bless God-fearing men like George Bush and Mike Huckabee for being men of true faith, allowing God to be Lord of their lives. And, finally, God Bless the United States of America!
hello Larry,a Clinton/Edwards ticket would be a pretty good dream,Clinton/Rendell is a nice dream too.
and Larry,how good does the Rendell endorsement look now,Hillary ‘is in it do win it’,she looks very impressive.
thanks Larry,
Obama would look to either pick up the Hispanic vote (Richardson); or, solidify his southern edge (Edwards). Hillary might look to appease the black/southern vote might surpise everyone with Jesse — longshot. If they werent from the same state, I would think Cuomo would be good on a Hillary ticket.
McCain/Huckabee seems to be a preordained ticket at this point. Huck helps McCain solidify his conservative bonafides (shortcomings). The only problem with this is I think a large majority of clear thinking people would have a problem with someone that close to being president not believing in evolution; and who also believes that the U.S. Constitution needs to be more in line with the Bible — I know I would. I think the Colin Powell comment is a good one. I could see McCain tapping him — though would Powell do it?
Obama’s running mate is an interesting speculative matter. If history is to be made why not be the one sitting at the right hand of the first black Prez.
Who could it be? If Obama plays the odds his VP mate should be someone with experience, have a handle on foreign affairs, is able to attract the Hispanic vote along with some working class whites and southerners. JFK used this tactic somewhat in choosing LBJ. He can’t choose a woman or a black. That would be too historic. The only guy I can think of who remotely fits the bill is John Edwards. Little foreign affairs experience but a lot of recognition.
PENNSYLVANIA, stop letting the media sway you. The whole campaign that Hillary is divisive. Look at the 2: One is holding pep rallies and chanting and the other is talking and talking about solutions.
Vote Hillary. Don’t drink the kool-aid, of Obama. There are men in the DNC out to get the Clintons: Dean, Ted, Kerry, and Gore.
P.S. Note that Robert Kennedy’s family supported Hillary. Robert was the civil rights Kennedy.
mjn-i’m buying what you are selling,O’bama is good with the slogans,he has no answers for the nightmare of the last eight years,Hillary has 35 years experience and deals with issues and solutions.
JR, You keep repeating that part about the experience. The pastry chef also has years of experience.(author unknown)
I’d still like to find out in what area that experience was for HRC.
Hillary has the kind of experience that might make her a good Senate Majority Leader, but being a policy wonk doesn’t make for a good president. Obama is so much more an executive style leader. Her line that she is ready to go from day one is silly, insulting, and possibly a bit racist. Any incoming president will have to transition and will rely on advisers. And who knows what will happen in the world or the economy between now and next January. The only thing that the so-called 35 years of experience claim does is to demonstrate that Hillary has lost significant battles and still doesn’t know how to reach out to people who disagree with her. That’s not what I want in a president. McCain would destroy her in a general election.
I thought Robert was the Eco-friendly Kennedy. That was until someone wanted to erect wind power mills near his summer home. And who said Hillary is divisive. She’s abrasive, evasive and
obsessive but not divisive.
Larry all good points. But who would the Dem number 2 be for either Billary or Obama. My take a candidate from a state with a high number of electoral votes.
For McCain the issue is also electoral votes. Perhaps a minority or someone from the south.
Interesting piece on msnbc regarding Obama coming up short. I think they are right. I predict a Billary ticket.
Robert, the civil rights Kennedy…who, while he was attorney general, authorized wiretaps on Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference..
Even for a Hillbot that’s some profound cognitive dissonance.
Can I ask a crazy question? McCain is now the only guy left standing for the Rs. If he picks Condi Rice as a VP, he gets the age factor protection, the conservatives, and all the demographics of both Hillary and Obama. I’m not sure he wants a Bush cabinet member as a running mate, but from a mere speculation standpoint, does it make any sense?
I still think Obama wins the Ds, but that race is more a marathon. It’ll probably take until the end of March, unless Hillary runs out of cash. I do not think he picks Hillary, and if she does win, he will not be the VP. Due to Bill being apart of the mix, she has to go with a no name, low aspirations type, and gift wrap it for him or her. I’ve said it before, nobody wants to be a third wheel in her Oval Office. Honestly, I think she is going to have a tough time staffing the cabinet with him around.
I know, how about an Obama and a Ted or Caroline Kennedy ticket?
JR, Hillary has been in Congress less than 8 years and in Washington (counting time as President’s wife)less than 16 years. Are you counting her years “married” to 3$Bill as experience that qualify her to be President of the US? She does not have anymore experience of her own than Obama. Furthermore she lived in Mayberry for 20 years.
OOJ, any ticket with Crash and Splash Kennedy is bound to fail.
Larry, I think the only viable VP candidate for McCain is going to have to be 20 years younger and from the East. Tom Ridge fits that bill. Pataki, Allen or maybe Crist. Dole is too old. Romney would be best choice but they obviously hate each other. Maybe Fred Thompson to appease Conservatives.
Obama may look at Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as VP. Richardson might be a solid choice. Edwards is not interested. Hillary, on the other hand, will have a hard time finding a running mate. Ed Rendell, please…
Romney is out. Gives the GOP a long runway until November. Meanwhile the Donkey Party is in chaos. Romney did the right thing. He will live to fight another day.
Condi Rice would be nice window dressing to offset Obama. But McCain needs someone with economic creditals to offset his weakness there. Condi also has yet to have any big foreign policy break through, so vetting her would remind everyone of Bush’s failures. Plus, McCain is the war expert anyway. I really think Mike Bloomberg is the one for McCain, the far right won’t like it, but it’s the way to win against an almost insurmountable challege given the mood of the country and electricity coming out of Obama- he raised $7million since Super Tuesday, while Hillary had to loan her campaign $5million,( I wonder if Republicanc are finacing Obama- I’m even tempted to give.) MCain/ Bloomberg, I’ve concluded Huckabee is too big of a gamble and his sales tax proposal is outright loony.
Huckabee would be a “safe” pick for McCain. I don’t think it helps him any – it’s not going to do anything to attract more votes from either the left or the right.
I like Condi Rice, but I don’t think that will happen. The DemoKooks will go apesh*t if he picks her – they hate her – they are quite scared of a strong conservative black woman. She doesn’t fit their mold.
In addition to my previous prediction of Powell or Hutchison, another possibility would be Joe Lieberman, who has endorsed McCain. I’d be good with that choice.
I think Colin Powell could have walked into the Oval office untouched but he didn’t want to put up with all of the hassle that goes with the campaign. To run as VP, Huckabee would have to make some brutal compromises – personal and religious – and he will get clobbered by the press and lose his cred with the conservative wing.
RM has some good points. Low visibility, 20 years younger, somebody with some government policy background, that may be what is needed.
It’s great to see all of the experts on this blog. I wonder how many of us will be accidently on target.
Obama love your spirt, couldn’t disgree any more with your ultra- left, socialist views. Try agin when you grow out of your nickers and get some big boy pants and a realistic understanding of the world and the place of government in our life. Hill no really, sorry about the dead weight still attached. Maybe if you had dumped him, I could respect you. Lets get the country moving. Mac, at least has a record of working WITH others to find common ground. Mike you’d be a great VP or at the least you should take over the Tonight Show.
Former Jim, I think you are right. Keep throwing enough names out there and all of the sudden you’re the next
Amazing Kreskin. What prophetizing… how astute…. amazing analytical reasoning. After Biden and Bloomberg, now Rendell and Ridge Larry is still touting his pick for the come back kid….McCain. He has however noted that the pundits haven’t earned their paychecks yet. Even poor Karl Rove can’t figure(or should I say manipulate) this campaign season.
Condi Rice is a disaster. Who would want her to be president? Yikes.
does anyone know anything about obama? I tries finding pictures from his childhood,high school,college years,who are his grandparents,anything that defines him,can’t find a thing. Press baggers hillary,high school,privilged life,college,pictures,best friends you name it,it’s out there.Why is press /media so soft with obama? Afraid of being labeled politically incorrect.
Racist?Afraid of the NAACP? Just asking?
Evan Bayh from Indiana on the Dem side as a strong VP candidate. Lindsey Graham as a strong VP running mate for McCain. Colin Powell is a closet Obama backer and probably will be his Sec’y of Defense if Obama becomes President.
But other, other Jim or is it formerly Jim or sometimes Jim has a good choice with Obama and Caroline Kennedy…My granddaughter Gracie would make a great choice but she isn’t old enough or doesn’t have enough accomplishments to suit the Jim’s. What’s up with the accomplishment stuff anyway, did you have a tough-axx teacher that beat on you all the time to get your studies done or what????