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Why Hillary Won't Be VEEP
Columnist Ron Hart totes up the reasons, including the
following:
Part of Hillary's problem was her insistence on staying in the race against Obama after she was mathematically out of it. She felt that math was elitist, and because many Democrats are not good with numbers, she kept going. Unlike "American Idol," where Americans actually take their vote seriously and when you lose you have to go home immediately, the Democratic primary allows losers to linger and make life hard for those who beat you. And linger she did.
Lesbian Dictator Barbie|8.20.08 @ 3:58PM|#
She felt that math was elitist
Math is tough....
It's not fair....
Nigel Watt|8.20.08 @ 3:59PM|#
I would think Obama would want a safe, unobjectionable choice (ie Sebelius).
Junter Klops|8.20.08 @ 4:06PM|#
Actually, I have arrived at the sound mathemalogical conclusion that Hillary CAN STILL beat Obama. First, plot a graph of Hillary's votes for the nomination over time. Then fit the results to a 3469 degree polynomial (The 3469 is so large that it makes it extra precise). Then take the absolute value of this function (because it doesn't make any sense to talk about negative votes). Finally, take the limit of this function as time approaches infinity. The result is that, sometime in the distant future, Hillary will have infinite votes. Beat that Obama!
Orange Line Special|8.20.08 @ 4:19PM|#
Actually, she figured that BHO would be forced to drop out when
many realized what she could already figure out: he's close to the
furthest-left major party candidate of all time. And, unlike
others, he's not clear on basic U.S. concepts.
See, for instance, these recent Obama
remarks. Search at my site for much more, or see the list
here.
ed|8.20.08 @ 4:19PM|#
many Democrats are not good with numbers
Black ones, you mean? Was he being sarcastic? Funny anyway.
|8.20.08 @ 4:27PM|#
She wasn't mathematically eliminated until just before dropping
out. Yes, it was clear that her likelihood of winning was
infinitesimal long before she quit, but mathematical elimination is
another animal entirely.
How come no one's jabbing at Ron Paul's math skillz, when he stayed
in the campaign for months after he was eliminated?
SIV|8.20.08 @ 4:30PM|#
Lonewacko,
Hey, one of those links actually went somewhere other than your
site.I often hover over them and check but I never click if it goes
to you.
squarooticus|8.20.08 @ 4:32PM|#
How come no one's jabbing at Ron Paul's math skillz, when he stayed in the campaign for months after he was eliminated?
Because RP isn't trying to be McCain's running mate?
Hint: this blog post isn't about "jabbing" HRC.
|8.20.08 @ 4:48PM|#
You think Hillary's gals would be a blow to the Dems chances? imagine the damage if the party drops the black guy from the ticket.
|8.20.08 @ 4:58PM|#
Honestly, if you were in charge of any organization and your beating hear was the only thing standing between her and ultimate power in that organization, would you want HRC to be your #2?
|8.20.08 @ 5:01PM|#
Women suck at math...
She not just a woman, she's a socialist, and socialists have always
been hopeless at math.
-jcr
Paul|8.20.08 @ 5:13PM|#
Math is tough....
It's not fair....
Hence Democrat hostility towards it.
But seriously, folks. She won't be veep because Obama
doesn't need her. It's a matter of simple math (har har).
Hillary voters aren't going to switch to McCain in any large
numbers. Obama's trying to capture swing voters with this choice,
not hard-line Democrat baserunners.
Even I can figure out this politics-as-sports thing, too.
Orange Line Special|8.20.08 @ 5:24PM|#
imagine the damage if the party drops the black guy from the
ticket.
There's going to be a lot of damage when he loses (if he's
nominated). It's going to be a lot worse than the last two
elections, BDS, etc. And, if you think the Dems are sleazy now,
wait until they base most of their policy around calling their
opponents names.
The best thing for the U.S. is to clearly show to everyone what's
obvious to me and many others: BHO is not only not qualified, he's
a borderline radical. Do that well before the election, and a lot
of problems will be prevented.
Now, libruhtarians should take their naps.
Elemenope|8.20.08 @ 5:30PM|#
Actually, I have arrived at the sound mathemalogical
conclusion that Hillary CAN STILL beat Obama. First, plot a graph
of Hillary's votes for the nomination over time. Then fit the
results to a 3469 degree polynomial (The 3469 is so large that it
makes it extra precise). Then take the absolute value of this
function (because it doesn't make any sense to talk about negative
votes). Finally, take the limit of this function as time approaches
infinity. The result is that, sometime in the distant future,
Hillary will have infinite votes. Beat that Obama!
LOL. "Take that, subspace!"
|8.20.08 @ 5:46PM|#
Hillary voters aren't going to switch to McCain in any large
numbers.
I wouldn't be so sure of that. A good chunk of Hillary voters are
probably what used to be called "Reagan Republicans" - socially
conservative blue collar types. That's the group Obama can't crack;
they may well break for McCain.
Gene Berkman|8.20.08 @ 5:51PM|#
Ron Hart's column has another great zinger:
"It is too bad Hillary did not win the nomination. She seemed so
presidential during the race by running up the largest campaign
debt in history, $22 million."
"As a consolation prize for her exiting the race so early and
gracefully, Obama went through the motions of having a fundraiser
dinner for her to pay off debts - except he forgot to ask those in
attendance to donate to her. Oops - his bad."
Paul|8.20.08 @ 6:08PM|#
I wouldn't be so sure of that. A good chunk of Hillary
voters are probably what used to be called "Reagan Republicans" -
socially conservative blue collar types.
And on this point, we'll have to agree to disagree. I'll be the
first to bow down to your brilliance if a post-election poll shows
this happened, and I'll re-evaluate my knowledge of the Hillary
voter. But I just don't see this as happening. I feel that these
blue-collar Reagan Republicans are already with McCain and never
were with Hillary.
Paul|8.20.08 @ 6:11PM|#
On further reflection, RC Dean, these Hillary voters of which you speak would probably be considered "swing voters" which would be covered under my first presumption. He'd still do well to pick someone besides Hillary to capture them. People who preturnaturally like Hillary aren't, in my opinion, Reagan Republicans, no matter how hard she's tried to capture them these last few years.
|8.20.08 @ 6:21PM|#
Hillary might well have drawn lots of votes from younger
blue-collar women who might not vote for Obama. As VP she might
help get Obama elected, but after that it'd be hell for him, always
looking over his shoulder, trying to figure out what Hillary and
Bill were plotting or what new scandal they were involved in.
(Actually, I think she'd have done better this year if she'd
divorced him years ago.)
As for Sebelius: no way, unless Obama really wants to tick
off Hillary supporters.
And Hillary getting the nomination? Also no way, short of (say)
video of Obama machine-gunning a playground showing up in the next
few days. Anything less than that and the Obama true believers will
make Chicago '68 look like a tea party.
|8.20.08 @ 6:25PM|#
i loved the line in that article where he said hillary was "america's exwife" haha
|8.20.08 @ 6:52PM|#
No way Bill would let Hillary spoil his party by forcing her way onto the ticket. Obama is the true teflon candidate. The spoils Bill is drooling over can't be achieved if his wife is drawing the scrutiny he knows she will.
|8.20.08 @ 7:00PM|#
"And linger she did."
Like a greasy fried egg fart.
/I didn't just say that.
//Yes I did.
No Comment|8.20.08 @ 7:49PM|#
With all due respect, and I'm by no means a Hillary Clinton
supporter, but she did lose the primary by under a 1% margin of
votes, considering all votes cast.
If not for primary which-state-can-be-first arms race, two of our
largest states, Florida and Michigan would have counted fully in
terms of delegates.
I think we all can agree that the media bump from those substantial
victories would have very likely made this an even closer contest,
if it wouldn't have tipped the primary in her favor entirely.
The eventual compromise did show what we all knew, however: the GOP
and DNC have no balls, and given a close election, they were going
to at least consider back away from their threats of
slashing/eliminating the nominating delegates from states thatn
moved their election calendar up against the wishes of the national
parties.
Joshua Holmes|8.20.08 @ 7:51PM|#
She not just a woman, she's a socialist
She isn't a socialist, just a typical crony capitalist.
Dwayne Mayor|8.20.08 @ 9:29PM|#
"During the final leg of the campaign, Hillary and Barack seemed
to fight a lot, which was odd because they do not differ on many
issues. The only one that I can think of where they have opposing
views is affirmative action. Hillary differed with her party on
that one. She felt strongly that one in every 45 Democratic nominee
being black represented a quota, and she is against quotas."
This is fantastically funny!
Paris Hilton|8.20.08 @ 9:51PM|#
Clinton creates 'whip team' to quell anti-Obama protests
That's hot.
Santiago|8.20.08 @ 9:53PM|#
BHO-HRC would be a horrible ticket. Carter was right. (Must wipe
down keyboard.)
I know we're not supposed to talk about this, but let's combine
the folks who won't vote for the black guy with the
folks who won't vote for the woman, then just to round up, add
in the folks who hate the Clintons. Your running mate is
supposed to get you more votes, not less.
On the plus side. HRC would be one hell of a follow up to
Cheney.
Warmongering Lunatic|8.21.08 @ 2:43AM|#
It doesn't matter if she's a lousy VP choice or not. It doesn't
matter whether Obama wants her for VP or not. It doesn't matter if
BHO out-and-out resents and hates her or not. If Obama nominates
anybody other than Clinton, he needs her pledge, in advance, that
she will stop her delegates from nominating her.
There are only three possibilities right now:
1) Hillary Clinton withdraws her own name from consideration as
VP.
2) Hillary Clinton is the Democratic VP candidate.
3) Obama loses the general election.
Remember, the convention nominates the VP. If Hillary's
name is put in nomination from the floor of the convention for
Vice-President, she starts with 40% of the voters being people who
wanted her to be President. Any fight at the convention that
manages to keep her out of the VP position then does incredible
damage to party unity.
Obama is already at effective parity with McCain in the (non-Zogby)
polls; if all "leaning" states are assigned, McCain has an
electoral majority. Obama needs the whole Democratic base and a
solid convention bounce. He cannot afford for the convention to
change from a triumphant celebration of unity to a bitter floor
fight that re-offends Hillary Clinton's supporters.
|8.21.08 @ 7:46AM|#
Hillary voters aren't going to switch to McCain in any large
numbers. Obama's trying to capture swing voters with this choice,
not hard-line Democrat baserunners.
But according to the polling I've seen, which of course could be
wrong, a ton of voters now in the "Undecided" category are Hillary
supporters. I suspect you are right, though, and that most of those
Hillary supporters will move to Obama's side, not McCain.
|8.21.08 @ 8:40AM|#
I think we all can agree that the media bump from those
substantial victories would have very likely made this an even
closer contest, if it wouldn't have tipped the primary in her favor
entirely.
Well, what reason do we have to say that Hillary would have scored
"substantial victories" in those states? Obama's name did not
appear on the ballot in one, and he did not campaign in the other
(while Hillary did). We can look at the demographics and speculate
about what might have happened had proper elections occurred in
those states, but it would be just that--speculation.
|8.21.08 @ 9:30AM|#
Hart is about as good as it gets these days with writing political humor. He is our Jon Stewart...Stewart of course being a hard left only satire pimp. Hart pimps for us at least. Let's buy him a big pimp hat!! He is great.
jtuf|8.21.08 @ 10:52AM|#
Neither Obama nor Cliton has enough pledged delegates to guarantee the nomination. Obama has it wrapped up, because the superdelegates support him. A Clinton win is still possible, but very improbable, especially after 2 pro-Hillary superdelegates end up in the emergency room in one week.
|8.21.08 @ 12:13PM|#
During the final leg of the campaign, Hillary and Barack
seemed to fight a lot, which was odd because they do not differ on
many issues.
They differed on the only issue either of them cares about: who
should be the next President.
James J.B.|8.21.08 @ 4:24PM|#
I for one was solidly behind BHO until I saw his most recent speech. See it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65I0HNvTDH4&feature=related
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