| I went out on a long limb to suggest that Rudy | | | | days from her husband's presidency to defeat |
| Giuliani may be the best running mate for | | | | the ticket. She would be a stronger public figure if |
| Republican presidential candidate John McCain, I am | | | | she remained in the Senate with a safe seat |
| at a loss to guess who would run with whom on | | | | from an important state. Hillary Clinton could go |
| the Democratic ticket. The highly competitive race | | | | down in history as one of the most effective |
| between Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and | | | | Democratic legislators, like Ted Kennedy. Why |
| Senator Barack Obama has had more than its | | | | should she compromise that legacy by running as |
| share of drama — and more than its share | | | | the number two on Obama's ticket? |
| of barbs that will only help a Republican deflate | | | | It's equally difficult to imagine Obama as number |
| the credibility of the eventual nominee. | | | | two on a ticket led by the Clintons. Bill Clinton is |
| That's one reason why I do not believe a | | | | one of the finest political minds of this generation |
| Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket can win. I | | | | and he is still the standard bearer of his party. |
| can just see the Republicans using their own | | | | Hillary would do better to run on the positives of |
| comments against each other. Combine that with | | | | his record — and compare the end results |
| McCain's strengths on defense and national | | | | to Bush 43. Obama is charismatic, but can his |
| security, and it's likely we'll see Bush and McCain | | | | charisma sway voters, especially the younger |
| on the podium together on Inauguration Day. | | | | ones who volunteered for him, to a candidate he |
| Obama and Clinton have also run very different | | | | so soundly criticized? |
| campaigns, with Obama doing a better job at | | | | Which comes back to the notion of the vice |
| attracting new contributors and young volunteers. | | | | presidency as a bargaining chip. |
| He's also made better use of the Internet. Clinton | | | | The Democratic vice presidential nominee should |
| has obviously done at better job at winning the | | | | be Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. |
| larger states through a more conventional | | | | A Clinton supporter, Nelson comes from an |
| campaign. Obama has carried only one, his home | | | | important swing state. A former six-term |
| state of Illinois. Neither has enough to be | | | | Congressman, Nelson, like Clinton, is a second |
| on-course to win the nomination outright. Even the | | | | term senator and he was re-elected with 60 |
| uncommitted superdelegates in the states that | | | | percent of the vote from a Republican state. |
| Clinton and Obama have already won (excluding | | | | Nelson not only comes from an important state, |
| Michigan and Florida) go along with the popular | | | | he lends an experienced contrast to Obama, |
| vote in their state, Obama would have an | | | | should he emerge the nominee. |
| additional 137 delegates and Clinton would have 91. | | | | Interestingly enough, Nelson has gone into space |
| That would put Obama at 1,759 delegates and | | | | as a payload specialist on the shuttle Columbia. |
| Clinton at 1,576; neither close to the 2,024 needed | | | | There may be some amusing comparisons |
| to win the nomination. There are only 48 | | | | between him and Larry Hagman's Major Nelson |
| uncommitted superdelegates in the states that | | | | from I Dream of Jeannie, but in the rough and |
| are yet to hold primaries; they are votes to be | | | | tumble world of politics that might not be such a |
| had, of course, but hardly enough to sew things | | | | bad thing. Neither Clinton nor Obama would be |
| up. | | | | hurt by Barbara Eden's endorsement. |
| It's going to come down to Florida and Michigan | | | | Nelson has also been active in pressuring the |
| for Obama more than Clinton; he has to prove | | | | Democratic National Committee to seat his state's |
| that he can take better than 45 percent of two | | | | delegates; it was a Republican-controlled Florida |
| large states where his opponent has already won | | | | legislature that moved up the state primary date. |
| a popular vote. Or the fight's coming down to the | | | | It would be wise for the Democrats to position |
| convention floor and one potential bargaining chip | | | | Nelson as a hero from the convention and strong |
| can be the vice presidential nod. And it should not | | | | second chair in what promises to be a very tough |
| go to the losing side. | | | | presidential race. |
| It's too difficult to imagine a former First Lady | | | | (Originally published at Educated Quest blog and |
| enthusiastically fighting to be further from the | | | | reprinted with permission of the author, Stuart |
| West Wing, while the Republicans use the bad old | | | | Nachbar). |