Reaching for the towel
What a difference a week makes. Since Sen.Hillary Clinton lost big in the North Carolina primary and won only narrowly in Indiana-possibly aided there by Rush Limbaugh's ditto-heads, who want to mess with Obama--the public mood has turned decisively against her.
Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina is the latest to say it might be time for her to throw in the towel. It is as if the nation collectively woke up last Wednesday and said, "enough of this." Clinton is in a tough spot financially, having loaned her own campaign $11 million and owing another $14 million or so in unpaid bills from the cost of campaigning.
According to an article from Bloomberg News, a little-known provision in the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law bars a candidate who drops out before the convention from continuing to raise money to retire his or her personal loans to the campaign. They can raise money to pay off campaign debts to printing companies, airlines, and the like, but not money they loaned themselves. Why? Beats me.
The latest rumor is that Clinton is in talks with Obama over his campaign agreeing to pay off most of that if she drops out of the race now. Both sides are denying it, which probably means it is true.
The other issue out there is whether Obama would agree to have Hillary as his running mate. I don't think this is going to happen, and not only because Michelle Obama supposedly can't stand Hillary. Columnist Robert Novak first reported that story. Obama himself issued a non-denial denial, saying only that his wife "does not talk to Bob Novak on a regular basis." I don't think this is going to happen.
I remember back in 1976, when Ronald Reagan was challenging President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination for President at the Republican convention. A rumor started making the rounds that Ford might agree to go back to being vice president--under Reagan. One television commentator--I can't remember now which one--speculated this might be the "dream ticket." Commentator James J. Kilpatrick (he of 'Point/Counterpoint' on '60 Minutes,' and the satirical, "Jane, you ignorant slut" on Saturday Night Live) huffed in response that it would in fact be "the nightmare ticket." For a variety of reasons.
And that's pretty much my thinking on an Obama/Clinton ticket. They would never get along or trust each other. Vice presidents who aren't enthusiastic partners (see, Lloyd Bentsen, Michael Dukakis' running mate in 1988) can be a drag on the ticket. And what about Bill?