Obama-Clinton '08: wolf-face crazy

In response to Hillary Clinton's suggestion this afternoon that she's open to being Obama's VP, I would just like to reiterate my previously stated belief that picking Clinton as veep would be "wolf-face crazy...the kind of decision you make when you are drunk, and on cocaine, and on deadline, and on fire." (Hat tip: ESPN Page 2.)

As I put it then: "How can Hillary be on a ticket with someone she has called an out-of-touch elitist who is unready to lead from day one? Not that she'd have any shame about it, mind you, but the constant repetition of those charges out of her mouth would provide such a constant drumbeat of 'gotcha' moments that it would totally eviscerate any electoral benefits such a ticket would otherwise reap. Imagine the negative ads! 'Even Barack Obama's runningmate says...' NO WAY. Will not happen. Crazy." (If you don't believe me, here's a preview. Imagine how much worse this would be if she was his runningmate!!)

And that's without even getting into all the other problems with such a ticket. It really would be terminal insanity. Again: "Picking Hillary is suicide. It a) gains him a sliver of her base that he'd have otherwise lost, and b) loses him the election."

Alas, as I wrote in that May 8 post, "the media will be absolutely obsessed with the notion of a 'dream ticket' ... and the Clintonistas, given their endless supply of self-centeredness, will be only too happy to add fuel to the fire." That prophecy is now predictably coming true. As a result,

I actually think Obama would be well served to announce his running mate earlier than usual, just to prevent the inevitable Clinton-for-veep speculation from consuming the entire summer, and from further dividing the party when he finally gets around to rejecting what many pundits (and Hillary supporters) will myopically see as the "obvious" choice.

Before the "healing" can truly begin, the last shot must be fired, and that shot will be Obama's choice of a vice presidential running mate who isn't named Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Mark Halperin echoes this point today, writing that "any delay [by Obama] in choosing a running mate will only bring rampant speculation about whether he is going to pick Clinton – and if not, why not – speculation so extreme it might warp and dominate the entire process (and potentially create reams of critical and distracting press for his eventual Veep selection)."

The earliest vice-presidential selection in the last 20 years was Kerry picking Edwards on July 6, followed closely by Clinton picking Gore on July 10 and Dukakis picking Bentsen on July 13. (Bush picked Cheney on July 24. Gore picked Lieberman on August 7. Dole picked Kemp on August 10. H.W. Bush picked Quayle on August 17.) Personally, I'd like to see Obama beat Kerry's speed record. How does, oh, June 23 sound? Like I said before: rip the band-aid off quickly.

Comments

[Angrier and Angrier]

Hillary asking Obama to be VP is kind of like that crazy, stalking, ex-girlfriend of yours asking if you can "still be friends."

No! Go away!!!!

[David K.]

I prefer the term bat-$#!t insane to wolf-face crazy, but i suppose it IS a family blog...

[CORNHUSKERS 94 95 & 97]

I agree Brendan, no way he can do this and sell this to his backers as anything but folding.

and it makes him look weak.

she will want the role that Cheney has and that will lead to two messages leaving the White House

[Sandy Underpants]

AA nailed it, and now she can tell all her "friends" (voters) that she extended the olive branch right away and Obama just wouldn't accept it, she go on trashing Barrack for the next 5 months and justify her behavior.

It's all starting to come together now.