(CNN) — Even as Hillary Clinton's campaign attacked her rival, Barack Obama, for failing to "deliver on his promises," her husband, former President Bill Clinton said Saturday that a joint ticket pairing the two would be "almost unstoppable."
The former president referred to his wife's own comments that indicated a willingness to consider the prospect. "She said yesterday and she said the day after her big wins in Texas and Ohio and Rhode Island that she was very open to that and I think she answered explicitly 'Yes' yesterday," said Clinton during a Mississippi campaign appearance.
"I know that she has always been open to it, because she believes that if you can unite the energy and the new people that he's brought in and the people in these vast swaths of small town and rural America that she's carried overwhelmingly, if you had those two things together she thinks it'd be hard to beat."
He added that, in his view, Obama would win the "urban areas and the upscale voters" while Clinton claims "the traditional rural areas that we lost when President Reagan was president. If you put those two things together, you'd have an almost unstoppable force."
Hillary Clinton told a CBS interviewer earlier this week, shortly after she ended a string of 11 losses with wins in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island, that a joint ticket "may be where this is headed. But of course we have to decide who is on the top of ticket. I think the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me."
The New York senator has made the suggestion in other interviews, as have her campaign surrogates. On Friday, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell told the National Journal that it was important for the winner of the Democratic nomination to make the offer to the runner-up this year.
The Obama team has largely avoided making similar statements.
UPDATE: In an interview with CNN affiliate KTVQ in Billings, Montana, Obama called the notion "premature," saying he has won twice as many states as Clinton and a greater share of the popular vote, and he believes he can maintain a delegate lead.
"You won't see me as a vice presidential candidate, you know, I'm running for president," said Obama.
So let me get this straight. In the past week or so, starting with the berating "Shame on you" rant, Shrillary has compared Obama to Ken Starr and George W. Bush, reduced his entire political life to "one speech," openly favored John McCain over Obama, implicitly perpetuated the ridiculous Muslim rumor her campaign originally created, and essentially called Obama a liar. Now you want to join forces? Huh? My head is literally spinning. The Clintons are unquestionably smart people, but this makes no damn sense. Does she really think she can set out to destroy Obama, then jump on board and all will be forgotten? I guess in her shrewd, calculating, political robot mind, that's a typical machination. Since every single word that comes out of her mouth is designed solely for political gain with honesty only occasionally on board by sheer coincidence, such a deduction would be commonplace. But is she arrogant enough to think the American people are going to buy it? Since her core constituency is the uneducated demographic, I guess I can see how she might think so. However, the latest polls show that the Dems' lead over McCain in a general election preview has shrunken to a virtual tie. The party is being dragged down exactly as I was just saying the other day. Thanks a lot, Hill. Good show, old girl. What really baffles me is that in this combined ticket scenario, I'll bet she has the gall to believe she would be at the top of the ticket. Could she realize it's mathematically a near impossibility for her to win and be pandering now to ride Obama's coattails in the general election? No, that would be too logical. And I know what by man Barack The Vote would say to that: Negative. No Deal.Political quote of the week that literally made me laugh out loud when I heard it:
When asked by a reporter if one of Obama's advisors referring to her as a "monster" was comparable to her campaign equating Obama to Ken Starr, Shrillary answered that it was not. Her reasoning? Wait for it...
"Because one is an ad homonym attack and one is a historical reference."
I shit you not, she actually said that.
10 comments:
The Goreicle would be huge.
and truly "unstoppable."
I thought Obama's response today was great. He essentially said it's ridiculous for the person in second place to be talking about putting the person in first place on the ballot as vice president.
Yeah. He also questioned how you can spend three weeks saying someone isn't ready to be president and then say you'd love to have them as your vice-president. When questioned on that, Howard Wolfson said he's not ready now but he might be ready by the time the convention or general election rolls around. He was then asked how, in the months between now and then, did they presume Obama might magically become ready in their eyes and he had no answer. It also begs the question, you say he might be ready in time to take office as VP, wouldn't that mean he would also be ready in time to take office as President? I would also like to know what criteria they are waiting to be met in terms of this imaginary "Commander in Chief Test" they speak of. Is it a written exam? Multiple choice? Essay question? How many blue books should he buy, Hill? But hey, politics is perception, right? She presumes to be a teacher of sorts, qualified to give and grade this test she's created, and yet her foreign policy experience doesn't amount to a hill of beans. As evidenced today by the testimony of a man who won a Nobel Prize for negotiating peace in Northern Ireland, Hillary was little more than a cheerleader. Yes, she did go to China and berate them for abusing women, but what does that have to do with the infamous 3 AM phone call situation? Yes, she did go to Bosnia in '96...to put on a USO show with Sheryl Crow and Sinbad! (if you can't tell, i watched "Countdown" tonight) I wonder if she considers them to "pass the commander-in-chief test." Talk about your dream ticket! SINBAD/CROW '08!! Oh wait, they don't have that invaluable first lady experience. LAURA BUSH '08!!! When it comes down to it, the only 3AM phone call-calibur situation she's been remotely close to has been the Iraq War. What did she do? She followed the bamboozled herd of political cattle right into the quick sand. That's not unforgivable in and of itself, but the fact that even as the herd sinks lower and lower into the sand, she continues to Moo rather than admit she made a mistake. The Clinton Machine is undeterred by all forms of logic. It's really frustrating and what's even more frustrating is that hoards of voters who are not paying attention will still vote for her because she's a woman, because she's a "fighter," or simply because they know the name. This is not to discredit the intelligent, thoughtful, sincere Clinton supporters who favor her for valid reasons. It's just that, in the wake of this volcano of senseless political bile that has overflowed from her campaign in recent weeks, it becomes harder and harder to fathom how such people could exist.
I just read my own comment and I thought I should say something...
Not that anyone really gives a crap (I don't presume to be that self-important), but in the sense that blogs are somewhat like diaries, I think this is a valid thing to say...I realize how much my tone has changed since I first began talking about this campaign. I don't like it, but, given the madness, it's understandable, isn't it?
It's certainly beats apathy, thats for sure.
Although your attacks on Hilary are scurrilous, your passion is admirable and well written.
so understandable....yes.
I would curse you about your apathy line, Adam, but it's my nap time.
Or as Mitch Hedberg said; "I'm against picketing, but I'm not sure how to show it."
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