The idea of a general election in November that would see the two Democratic heavy weights on the same ticket will remain, as it should, just a dream. Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton have such huge cult-like followings and enormous bank rolls that adding the two together would almost mean sure victory against McCain and whoever he decided to take down with him. It is, however, highly unlikely that this union will take place.
Obama, almost certainly the nominee, has run his revolutionary campaign on the platform of change. Not just change that suggests one party over another but also a deeper more fundamental change addressing the way government as a whole should approach problems and arrive at solutions.
Clinton, in contrast, has run more of a traditional Democratic Party campaign strategy, albeit on steroids. While both campaigns have proven to be wildly successful, the two styles don’t necessarily make good bedfellows. If Obama were to choose a running mate that did not give concrete form to his vision of change, but instead opted for someone just for a perceived short cut to the November finish line, he would dilute his message and appear different only in his oratory ability, not in practice.
Another reason I don’t foresee the pairing of these two Democratic “rock stars” is the nature of this season’s campaign rhetoric. Fiercely trading verbal punches in an election is not new in American politics; neither is an endorsement by the loser for the victor, but what is not so common is the yoking of such sparring partners, especially when the attacks have been as personal as some this ’08 primary season.
Even if Clinton and Obama can personally write off the attacks as by-products of political engagement, choosing someone as a counterpart who has vehemently expressed to voters how little he or she thinks of the other and/or the other’s ideas would discredit the union entirely.
Finally, if Obama does gain the nomination, it would seem more fitting for Hillary to continue her role as Senator of New York. The behind-the-scenes silent role typical of the American Vice-President is not exactly what we have come to expect from Clinton. Her contentiousness, persistence and wit would seem better served in a more visual, front line position.