Why Obama Won't Pick Hillary

Bill: "Look, Obama's gettin' on a plane."
Hillary: "Allright, you know what they say-when the cat's away...."
Bill: "That's right, baby. Say, when are you gettin' on a plane?"


Far be it from me to advise Barack Obama on anything, but I can think of a lot of reasons why he shouldn't pick Hillary Clinton to be his running mate. It may be a dream ticket to a lot of folks, but I see nothing but headaches if Obama chooses her.

First of all, why would Obama want to have someone who can and will upstage him? Hillary is, if nothing else, ambitious. She also, being a technocrat, knows more about most of the issues than Obama. How could he trust her not to knife him in the back? The last thing Obama needs is this (yes) strong and devious woman standing over his shoulder (All you feminists, save your cards and letters-it's the truth.)

One hears a lot of speculation that Michelle Obama does not want Hillary on the ticket because she can't stand her. That seems like a no-brainer. There isn't enough room in the White House for both Hillary and Michelle. Truth be known, after this campaign, Barack and Hillary probably don't have much love lost-no matter what they say publicly.

There may be 18 million people out there who would vote for Hillary, but how many people would crawl out of their deathbeds to vote against her? Nearly half the electorate, that's how many. Nothing can energize the Republican/conservative base more than having Hillary Clinton on the ticket-even in the second spot. In addition, a lot of Democrats have finally become disillusioned with her.

Then there is Bill. If Obama doesn't want Hillary hanging over his shoulder, what does he think about Bill hanging around the White House checking out the hired help?

In addition, Bill brings added baggage as a campaign issue. There are a lot of questions out there about money that Bill is earning from Middle East sources such as the United Arab Emirates.

There is also the issue of the ex-president's "social life" since leaving office. Rumors abound that Clinton is still...Clinton. Obama has enough problems on his hands with Jeremiah Wright, Michael Pfleger, Tony Rezko and Bill Ayers without having to take on the Clinton baggage. Even if Mr Clinton were leading a squeaky clean life, he has proven during the campaign that he cannot be controlled and cannot keep his mouth shut. He would be a constant headache for Obama.

Even former president Jimmy Carter says that an Obama-Clinton ticket would be the biggest mistake the Democrats could make. And when it comes to making mistakes, Jimmy Carter is an expert.

No, I think Obama will go through all the motions in giving consideration to Clinton, but will choose someone who won't overshadow him and won't undermine him. With Hillary and Bill in the picture, Obama will never feel comfortable as president. He shouldn't.

In my view, Obama would feel much more comfortable with, say, Maxine Waters on the ticket. Now there's a dream ticket.