Thursday, May 1, 2008

The Unity Ticket: Obama and Hillary

The Unity Ticket: Obama and Hillary
By Jerome Grossman

Traveling serenely down Pennsylvania Avenue on his way to the White House, Barack Obama had an accident that he should have anticipated. If anybody knew of Jeremiah Wright's opinions and meanness and self-centeredness, it was Obama, whose twenty year association with the pastor included close family relationships as well as significant political cooperation. However, Obama tried to repudiate Wright when he excluded him from the presidential campaign but Jeremiah refused to be excluded. He had messages, many hateful messages, to be delivered to the world and nothing was going to stop him from using this rare opportunity.


Obama has been hurt and his campaign will suffer in the nomination struggle and in the general election in November. How important was Wright in the beginning of Obama's political career? Why did the association last for 20 years? Why did it take so long for Obama to renounce his pastor and denounce his opinions?

Obama remains the likely nominee of the Democratic Party, damaged but viable. Perhaps it was better for the Wright explosion to have happened in April than in October. Better to give Hillary a leg up now than to give McCain an advantage just before the election. There is no doubt that the controversy would have exploded whether or not Hillary was in the race. Wright could not have been contained and is still on the prowl. Hopefully, the story will be old news by Election Day.

Now, Barack and Hillary need each other to put a Democrat in the White House. Party unity is in serious danger. On both sides strong feelings and even hatreds are erupting in public and in private. Not about issues: both are hopelessly centrist, offering virtually identical programs on domestic and foreign policy. The angry partisans are excited by the contrasting personalities, the differences in style and the intensity of the horserace. But underlying these conflicts are the strong feelings about race and gender, as the first African-American and the first Woman battle to break the ultimate ceiling.

The Republicans, handicapped by Bush’s unpopularity, presiding over recession, over failure in Iraq and chained to a reputation for incompetence, can win only if the Democrats become disunited and fratricidal. GOP political contributions have diminished, their Congressional retirements have risen, and their voting turnouts have declined.

A Democratic Unity Ticket with Obama as president and Hillary as vice president would satisfy party factions, lower the temperature, lead to a landslide victory in November. Obama would bring to the marriage the young, the black, and the liberal suburbanites. Hillary would attract her proven constituency of older voters, women, whites, workers and Hispanics. On to victory.

Would Obama accept Hillary? Would Hillary play second fiddle? Would they work together as did Cheney and Bush, Gore and Clinton? Or would she be frozen out any effective power the way President Kennedy isolated his vice president, Lyndon Johnson? Would Hillary be satisfied to be the lady-in-waiting for the presidency? Could Hillary learn to cooperate and surrender rivalry? Or would she prefer to build up her power in the Senate to raise her prospects for future presidential runs?

Let's get these questions answered. Then unite. The choice may be to win together or lose separately. On to victory.

3 comments:

jmsjoin said...

First I want to say under normal conditions An Obama Hillary ticket could work but there is no way now. Just Imagine! I use to think having Bill was a two for but after his mis performance and mouth during this run there is no way I can imagine anyone wanting to VP under her.Bill sleeping with her and believing he knows everything would make Veep impossible!
Anyway I don't understand why Obama didn't immediately run from Wright if only to cover himself. however During that interview Wright was dead wrong and was concerned about his own ego and careless of the harm he was causing Obama and the country!
First I am nonplussed that the likes of Limbaugh and Coulter are not tried for terrorism for the crap they espouse. it is sickening and harmful to America.

Now I posted on this the other day but in a nut shell MSM is in the rights pocket. As I have said innumerable times it is a media controlled agenda.
They control the agenda and the discussions.
First McCain is the next false Republican God and a given already but I will still do my end and just watch how this will get stolen this time. Anyway, MSM (main stream media) got off Hillary and on Obama when she whined and they were worried Obama might get the nomination.
They have to stay off McCain and stay on Obama until they sink him and guarantee the scenario Bush called for 2 years ago.
They want to face Hillary because they know they will defeat her and guarantee a continuation of Bush's new order agenda only worse because McCain is even much worse if you can believe that.
As you may know I say frequently that this entire mess is just beginning
I saw a poll yesterday that we are in trouble because 50% of Dems said they will switch or not vote if their nominee is not nominated. That is asinine and counter productive to our future. People must wake up to the nightmare before them. At least make them steal this election to and they will, or whatever they're going to do.

Anonymous said...

Will the Clintons reject Cheney's 4th branch of government arguments?

jmsjoin said...

Hi Gentlemen!
I heard this morning that McGovern has switched to Obama and he along with others are telling Hillary to drop out.
Yesterday I heard that Hillary wants Veep. I don't know if Obama can handle her and Bill but that would work for me. Good one Jerome!

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