Hillary did not declare Obama the party candidate in her speech about the primaries outcome. A strange way to move forward that casts doubts on her genuine support in the coming months and an ambiguity that suggests the price she might get for her rallying the Obama ship is the VP spot.
But even from France, it seems dubious that Hillary will be on the ticket, for several reasons:
- as I wrote on June 3 (Hillary 2012), she does not need it to exist politically and her interest may well mie in Obama’s defeat in November, so she can assert herself as the inevitable candidate for 2012.
- the battle for the nomination makes it awkward to team up in the immediate aftermath of a long, neck and neck struggle.
- Bill’presence will make the situation uncomfortable for Obama
- the Clinton fatigue and epidermic resentment vis-à-vis the Clintons will not play in Dems favor. A young Black man and a Clinton: too much
- Obama needs a more conventional, experienced running mate with strong credentials in foreign policy such as Sen. Joe Biden or Jim Webb, Reagan’s former Navy Secretary and now a Southern Democratic Senator.
