We may forgive but we don’t always forget. Hillary Clinton’s comment referencing Bobby Kennedy’s assassination on the heels of his California primary victory in June when asked why she remains a candidate was unapologetically guile. The insinuation that she could be victorious by default defied the fair play line.

Still, the Obama/Clinton ticket holds the greatest kick Republican ass weaponry potential. McCain’s path to Pennsylvania Ave. must be impeded unless you’ve pre-registered for another four-year round of economic misery.

Political strategist and native Houstonian Paul Begala was on point when he recently handed Al Gore’s former campaign manager Donna Brazile the reality check that a voting base beyond eggheads and African-Americans will be required to elect Obama.

Let's be real - Obama NEEDS bigots and blue collars in order to wear the White House white collar.

Suede, he can get that with someone who doesn't bring the baggage Hillary does. My vote is for Jim Webb, Virginia's junior Senator. While I'd hate to lose his voice of reason in the Senate, I think he's a fine running mate with military experience, a kid serving as an enlistedman overseas, Southwest VA/Mountain roots but a "ferrin" wife (who's a brilliant trial lawyer) and a young family. He's just what the ticket and the party need, and he could tip VA into the Democratic column on election night.

I know too many otherwise rational people who would vote for "Anyone But Hillary." People who would not cross the street to put her out if she were on fire. They are so disgusted with her, they don't know what to do. It used to be only rabid far-right conspiracy theorists who passed around ugly rumors or mean emails about her but now it's easily a third of the electorate around here. "Around here" has an unusually high number of servicemembers who've always been told she treated the military badly (although nobody can ever say how, except "she kept Chelsea away from them") but it also has a surprising number of servicemembers and their spouses who are voting for Obama and supporting the campaign financially. But if he were to put her on the ticket, he'd be "just another politician" and people have said they'd stay home rather than pull the lever for her. People say this who went to jail to get the right to vote, that's how much they mean it.

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I agree with Advn2girl: Hillary might bring some bigots to vote for an Obama/Clinton ticket; but she would also turn off some independents that won't vote for a ticket with her on it.

Dude, wake up an drejoin the real world. hat votes will Hillary deliver, and how many will she lose? Plus, wouldn't it be just wonderful to pick a running mate who hopes you get shot so she gets the top job?

Jim who? In your book, to what degree will name recognition be a factor

Suede:

Jim who? In your book, to what degree will name recognition be a factor

Oh, you know: Webb, that guy who just got 75% of the Senate to sign off on his new GI Bill? ;^)

"Let's be real - Obama NEEDS bigots and blue collars in order to wear the White House white collar. " suede

But this is one of the most fundemental errors in thinking...

People who aren't going to vote for "the black liberal" aren't going to vote for "the black liberal and Bill Clinton's Wife".

I mean seriously...if someone isn't going to vote for Obama because they're a bigot, why on earth would you think that Hillary as VP will change their mind?

Seriously, same problem different year..John Edwards the most "populist, southern, mill-worker's son " kinda guy in politics couldn't change people's minds about Kerry as VP, but Hillary can?

Hillary supporters are now insisting that she be on the ballot, because they want to see her get at least a consolation prize out of this historic run. They say she's "earned" it. But nobody thought Howard Dean deserved a "consolation prize", and I wonder if this isn't just a tiny bit about her getting some sort of special treatment for being female. I can understand her supporter's enthusiasm for a theory that rewards their candidate, but that's not how it usually works.

Nobody "earns" the VP slot. It is someone basically appointed by the presidential nominee for the specific purpose of "rounding out" the ticket. Someone who fills in the bare spots in a candidates resume', and provides geographical diversity to the ticket, and normally a different political perspective. (ie. military/business, or domestic/foreign policy).

And most importantly, someone who brings no major negatives to the candidates ticket...That is a serious issue with Hillary as VP simply because of her prior national status.

She has massive negative rating for honesty, and further more she'd bring "Loose Cannon Bill" with her. God knows he's just done wonders for her campaign.

If Hillary was winning the nomination, her supporters wouldn't be that thrilled if Obama supporters insisted that she HAD to pick him as VP. They would instead insist, as Obama supporters do, that she had won not only the candidacy, but the right o choose as her own VP the person who would best "round out" her own ticket.

That said, Hillary is certainly a reasonably well qualified person to be on Obama's VP list.

She has some negatives..same geographic area, and a very similar political perspective, also a huge change from politics as usual as a female candidate.

But she also has some pluses, policy wonkage to die for, and currently a very high profile and a small fiercely loyal demographic (feminists) that she CAN bring to the table.

And, if Hillary and her supporter's hadn't pushed this so hard in an effort to make Obama feel he had no options, I'm sure he and his supporters would probably be a lot more enthusiastic about it. Nobody likes to be told what to do.

I mean, surely the same Hillary supporters that are howling that it isn't OK to dictate to Hillary that she must leave the race, don't think that it is Ok for them to dictate to Obama who his running mate must be?

A very good reading, in my opinion, Thevail.

Ok, maybe a very good writing. Which would be very good writing.

But no, I mean a very good reading.

So there.

Thank you muchly?