Tuesday, June 03, 2008

How can Obama the "Change" candidate pick Hillary?

In one day the notion that Hillary Clinton will be Barack's running mate has gone from "a complete inacuracy" from Terry McCauliffe, to a rumor from CNN, to a quote from Hillary that she is "open to it."
But how can Obama bring change and still choose Hillary? How can he not choose Hillary, unite the party, receive the votes of Hillary supporters, and most importantly be elected President? If he chooses Clinton he may loose independents and those Obamicans excited about a new kind of politics. If he chooses someone else, it depends on how Hillary works for his campaign. Her choices are: 1. smile and endorse, but undermine him in private in preparation for 2012 2. endorse and work for his election, then receive her payback, or (the most likely) 3. Arrange her spot as the VP and let Obama steal the show.
No one knows what will happen, least of all the candidates, and it will probably be a combination of the three choices.
Here is how Obama can chooses Hillary Clinton fro the VP slot without loosing the appeal of being the change candidate:
1. BE HUMBLE
Tell the voters, humbly, that although he does not agree with all of Clinton's positions, the race was just too close for her not to be on the ticket. This shows that he respects all of the voters who supported Hillary as well as her campaign supporters. It also MAY make the ticket more exciting to the large number of female voters who routinely stay home.

2. BE REAL
Obama could give a speech, another great one, where he steps outside of the lengthy campaigning, puts aside the rhetoric, and tells voters that if he can unite with Hillary Clinton and bring his party together after 18 months of bickering, he can bring our country together after 8 years of George W Bush. Criticizing W is a huge applause line.

3. BE NOSTALGIC
Tell voters that going back to the Clinton peace, the Clinton economy, and the idea that universal health care can work, and will work, is Change that should have happened and now it will. (Don't forget to bring in Al Gore.)

4. BE POLITICAL
Remind reporters that JFK picked LBP and Reagan picked Bush I and they all were supposed to despise each other. Laugh off the RFK remark, Ferraro, race baiting, and debate criticisms as an unfortunate reality in the political world. Easier said than done, but the media may let it slide as the audience looks for the Obama / McCain bickering to begin.
His campaign will have to assess where she is an asset and where she is a liability. Obama can likely forget Missouri, Iowa, South Carolina, Virginia, and Colorado with Clinton on the ticket. He may compete in Ohio, Florida, Arkansas, West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Nevada. Not a bad trade off.

5. BE SPECIFIC
Tell the independent voters exactly what you will expect of Senator Clinton, then hope the voters that do not like her aren't too interested in it. Send her to campaign in Appalachia. Send Bill with her.

6. BE OBAMA
Above all people just like Obama. If he runs the campaign and ignores the advisers that will come with the Clintons, they will win...big!

1 comment:

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