ChrisWeigant.com

How Obama Could Wrap It Up

[ Posted Thursday, February 7th, 2008 – 14:34 UTC ]

Barack Obama has victory within his grasp. All it would take is one masterstroke of political tactics, and the race would be all but over.

To accomplish this seemingly-impossible feat, all he would have to do is, first, immediately agree to a debate within the next week. The debate begins. The moderator asks some inane first question to Barack. Instead of answering it (no matter what he has been asked), Obama instead looks directly into the camera and says the following:


Instead of answering that, I would like instead to address the people in the Democratic Party for a moment.

Our party is now pretty equally divided between myself and Senator Clinton. The race is about tied. We are obviously the two strongest candidates this party has to offer to win the White House in 2008. We both have our relative strengths, and much of the electorate is genuinely conflicted over who to select in the voting booth. Some say this is fracturing our party, but I don't believe that is true. The Republican Party is divided because of antipathy among their different factions for their various candidates -- but I'm proud to say that our party is conflicted over who is the best between two very good choices.

So I would like to take this opportunity to offer Senator Clinton the Vice Presidential spot on the Democratic ticket, should I be nominated for President. Should she be nominated, and should she offer the same to me, I am publicly saying I would accept that as well. I think both of us should get behind the idea of a 'dream ticket' right here on this stage. I challenge my opponent to do the same.

Instant pandemonium! Among loud cheers from the crowd, the moderator finally sputters, "How do you respond, Senator Clinton?"

This paints Hillary into a very dicey corner. The only way out of it for her would be to immediately accept. But I don't believe she would do so.

I think the Clinton camp already has reams of spreadsheets showing exactly how many votes in which states are added for each possible VP nominee, and I don't think she'd dismiss all that triangulation in favor of what she would consider a "rash move." I see her giving a signature laugh (to buy a few seconds to think about it), and then giving some equivocating answer: "Well, I am not running for VP, I still think I'm going to win." If pressed by either Obama or the moderator, I still see her giving some version of: "It's way too early, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

I guarantee one thing, though. This would be the 15 seconds of this debate that everyone would see on the news that night. And I predict that it would mean the rest of the primaries would be a cakewalk for Obama.

There is a huge number of Democratic voters who are seriously conflicted over which candidate to vote for. True, there are staunch Hillary supporters, and a vocal Barack base as well. But there are also a whole lot of Democrats in the middle -- seeing good things and bad about both candidates -- who are so up-in-the-air that they're waiting until the last minute (there in the voting booth) to make up their minds. Given the promise from one of the candidates that a vote for him would also wind up being a vote for her as well, I would be willing to bet that it would turn this tide toward Obama.

Even if Hillary realized what was happening and later did come out for the "dream ticket" scenario (whether Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton), this would still end up helping Obama, since he thought of it first and showed leadership by proposing it on live television. Clinton (supposedly ready to lead on "day one") would be seen as not being able to make snap decisions, instead relying on cautious (and poll-driven) decision-making. Obama has been making the case for a while that he would decide things right the first time around (see: Iraq), and this would just reinforce that image.

This is also why it needs to happen during a live debate. Although the same tactic may have a more limited effect if rolled out in an Obama stump speech, it would be most effective during a debate -- when there is absolutely no time for the candidate to talk to her advisors about what to do.

Of course, because it is almost a tie race, and because this is a tactic (or, to be blunt, a "gimmick"), it could actually be used by either side at this point. Hillary has already had one "gotcha" moment in a debate, calling on Obama to support her Senate legislation. Obama, to his credit, immediately did so. This would mean Hillary would run a greater risk of the whole thing backfiring on her, and getting stuck with Obama as a running mate when she probably would have picked someone else, given a free choice.

But try as I might, I just don't see her attempting something this risky. I think the chances are much higher that Obama would be the one to make such a bold move.

And I think it would guarantee him star billing on that "dream ticket."

 

Cross-posted at The Huffington Post

 

-- Chris Weigant

 

6 Comments on “How Obama Could Wrap It Up”

  1. [1] 
    fstanley wrote:

    I think I could go with Clinton/Obama but as you say I don't really see it happening.

    I would love to see this "gimmick' in a debate though - what fun!

    ...Stan

  2. [2] 
    Michale wrote:

    I am all for this as well.. As long as there is a split screen to show Obama's offer on one side and Clinton's face on the other.. The expression on her face would be priceless!!

    Let's hope there is not a white background behind Clinton. If there was, I bet she would all but disappear... :D

    Michale.....

  3. [3] 
    akadjian wrote:

    Interesting idea. It would definitely put Hillary in a very awkward spot. And I agree with you that I think Barack is much closer to a "tipping point" than the current results show. He has overcome a huge national Clinton lead and is bordering on changing the story around one of Hillary's supposed greatest strengths: her experience.

    The thing that is keeping her in this is that she is staying on the offensive. Like you mentioned, Chris, she proposed legislation and asked Barack to follow. She is the one calling for a debate and trying to pull Barack along.

    The one thing that I think would tip the scales is one solid offensive move from Obama. It's almost as if the nation is waiting for it, waiting for him to prove that he has the "experience" to win. If he took the offensive and engaged her (keep in mind, he walks a tightrope - I don't think he should go negative), but if he could show the public an example of how he can lead, I think it puts him over the top.

    - Dave

  4. [4] 
    Michale wrote:

    It just occurred to me, however, that there is one pitfall for Obama to having Hillary as his VP...

    He would require a MUCH larger Secret Service detail.. :^/

    Michale.....

  5. [5] 
    spermwhale wrote:

    I see in my absence of the last month, Michael's personal attacks, devicevness, and mean spiritness, has increased exponentially.
    He still doesn't get it. A) With all of the special prosecutors, white waters, etc. Hilary is only guilty of being an engaging aggressive woman. (Mindset right-wingers can not stand)B) Large secret service detail? Is a code word for anti-Hillary and anti-black?

    Ya never know with this guy!
    -Spermwhale returns

  6. [6] 
    Michale wrote:

    Wow!! And here I thought I have actually MELLOW'ed with age!!! :D Go figger..

    For someone who enjoys calling every statement Bush has made a lie, you sure are giving Hillary a free ride.

    Do you know how many people associated with the Clintons DIED during the first Clinton administration?? WAY above the number that would have by coincidence or circumstances...

    How can you reconcile Hillary's claim with being the "Change" candidate when she is constantly bringing in people from the first Clinton massacre....er... administration??? Ms Williams, who cleaned out Vince Foster's office while his body was still warm from his alleged suicide??? And so on and so on...

    Hillary doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting the nomination fairly and squarely... And, if Obama has ANY sense in his head, he will distance himself from the Clintons as fast as possible...

    As for my "large Secret Service Detail" comment, it was merely a rational and logical assessment of the chances of Obama being met with foul play if he was standing in the Clinton's way in their re-ascension to the throne..

    Michale.....

    Michale.....

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