First, I am a rabid Obama supporter, and I never supported Hillary in the primary process. But I think the media get a little foamy in the mouth sometimes. Obama was 100% right to praise Hillary in his speech in St. Paul, and Hillary's accomplishments as a campaigner cannot be taken away from her. Also, as an old political hack, I can say that in many respects Hillary was a better campaigner. Look what she did in the final primaries when she was hopelessly outgunned and outspent.

The key is, Obama needs Hillary to reach those demographic groups who would otherwise find it very hard to vote for an Obama candidacy. I'm not only thinking women, but seniors, and blue collar voters. Those three groups make up much more than 50% of the Americans who actually vote. Forget college students! And highly educated professional types like myself are not capable of fielding a national majority all by ourselves.

So, what is to be done? There's no doubt in my mind that Obama needs Hillary Clinton as his VP, and Hillary has more or less come out and said that she would be happy to serve as Obama's #2. Many objections can be raised, but realistically speaking, there is no alternative for Obama. Without Hillary (and with any other candidate) it will be very easy for McCain to win in November. The pundits will be able to talk at length about the Angry White Female. And if Obama does retain Hillary as his running mate, he will have an excellent Nixonlike running mate, a running mate capable of doing a quick down and dirty on anything the Republicans can throw at Obama.

A calculation that needs to be made is the media hole that exists between now and the conventions. John McCain gave a very lackluster speech tonight, and his claim to be the agent of "change" is totally laughable. If the Democrats are going to dominate the media playing field for a month or so, it will be necessary for there to be a kabuki dance between Obama and Hillary. Obama will praise Hillary, telling everyone how much he loves her and the people who voted for her. He will pretend to look at other vice presidential candidates. Hillary, while not talking about becoming Vice President will talk at length about the importance of defeating John McCain, saying a few nice things about Obama, and pretending to be still seeking the #1 position. The chattering classes will go all agog at the spectacle, and (miracle of miracles!) at the appropriate time, it will be announced that Obama hassettled on Hillary as his running mate.

The media controversy generated by this will eclipse anything that poor McCain would hope to do, short of challenging Obama to a jello wrestling contest. Such is the nature of American politics.

Let's not be fair... she is -not- the better campaigner. Why?

It's really really simple. If she was better... -she- would have the Obama money and resources and momentum ...and Obama would be the second rater. That did not happen. So Obama is better... miles and miles ahead. She kept herself alive with gender identification and the poor, uneducated looking for a Hillary handout. That's not better campaigning.

She was actually a lying, negative, distorting, bullying second place candidate. I'm not Obama-rabid, I don't hate women... I just don't like lying, negative, distorting B.S., particularly from someone who DOES have 'baggage'. Obama has far less and has done far more in the shorter time that he's had. -He- is the skilled campaigner that put the winning base in place... and if/when elected, he has the skill to gather together a 'winning' team to govern. Polls and 'projections' don't tell the actual story... only the general election campaign will... and he doesn't need HRC for that.

HRC is simply trying to get the most mileage from a usually short-term power base... whether a sidekick position to springboard from next time, concessions now, or solidifying the current foundation for another run in 4 or 8 years, even against Obama again, if necessary.

There are better women to choose as VP.... ones who can help with the same demographics... without the 'baggage'.

Obama has plenty of alternatives, and frankly if Hillary is his VP I will vote for McCain. I voted for Obama not Hillary, and I don't even want Hillary on the ticket.

Quite right.#

We Obamites are simply gonna sweep the country without need for a SINGLE Hillary zombie.

Our guy is GOD.

To hell with Hillary and her supporters !!!

ALL OF THEM BELONG TO THE DUSTBIN OF HISTORY.

There's also no guarantee that putting Hillary as a VP on the ticket will insure that she'll bring everyone into the fold with her. I'm sure that a considerable number of her supporters will consider the VP spot "beneath" her and that she really should be president.

I'm not at all convinced that Obama and Clinton can work together collaboratively - and then there's the question of what to do with Bill. This election has clearly been just as much about Bill as Hillary - you really don't get one without the other. Neither has shown genuine respect for Obama and this public strongarming, as someone said, is illustration of that. I'd rather see Obama take a gamble but on whom? Who really excites people? Jim Webb? Kathleen Sebelius? Not likely.

"We Obamites are simply gonna sweep the country without need for a SINGLE Hillary zombie.

Our guy is GOD.

To hell with Hillary and her supporters !!!"

This is downright laughable. You don't know much about voting demographics, do you? You think a bunch of college kids are going to propel him to POTUS?!? To hell with working class and blue collar voters, eh? Grab a US history book and read the chapter where McGovern runs.

"The key is, Obama needs Hillary to reach those demographic groups who would otherwise find it very hard to vote for an Obama candidacy. I'm not only thinking women, but seniors, and blue collar voters. Those three groups make up much more than 50% of the Americans who actually vote. Forget college students! And highly educated professional types like myself are not capable of fielding a national majority all by ourselves."

Obama does need a VP that will help him reach those demographic groups. The problem with Hillary as VP lies in her extreme negatives on the right and with independents. They're already foaming at the mouth NOT to vote for her. Obama does well with indies, albeit mostly in states that will vote McCain in the general, anyway.

Ganpat Ram: Our guy is God.

I was going to make a withering comment, but then I caught myself -- are you being ironic? I hope you're being ironic.