Can you picture Hillary Clinton enthusiastically campaigning for Barack Obama?

[RiverStone]

After all that has gone down over the last 16 months, I'm trying to picture what it would look like for Hillary to be out on the stump pounding the pavement for Barack.

While some debate the merits (or not) of having an Obama/Clinton ticket, I'm having a hard time even imagining what it would look like. Part of it stems from Hillary herself being inconsistent with Obama's message of change, and another part of it is I just can't create that image in my head.

Would she, could she do it with all her heart? Nothing disingenuous about it.

Obama has my vote regardless of who he picks (Hillary included), though at the moment - all I see is a political odd couple.

[GDAEx2]

1. Unequivocally and Flat Out

No

[ladjf]

2. It might be in Obama's best interest to distance himself from

Senator Clinton during the G.E. as she might cost him more votes that she could gain.

[TahitiNut]

3. Well, she is a facile liar. Then there are the drama lessons.

She could. Not in front of intelligent audiences, though. :shrug:

[rox63]

4. No

Any more questions?

[CakeGrrl]

5. I don't think there'll be a joint ticket, and that makes it even harder to imagine she'd be sincere

about supporting a fellow Democrat, as much as I think she wants the presidency.

It depends on what kind of political future she wants...does she want to remain a Democrat with influence? If so, she has to work to bring her supporters on board with the Democratic ticket as a whole instead of continuing to splinter them into these angry 'feminist outrage' and 'disenfranchisement' factions.

If she's planning to go Independent or pull a Lieberman, maybe she doesn't give a damn. Time will tell.

[Lerkfish]

6. My money is on pulling a lieberman, or a write-in campaign.

yup, that's what I think.

[TexasObserver]

7. She needs to endorse enthusiastically, then stay the hell out of the picture.

I can't imagine her actually campaigning for him, mainly because she's simply too self centered for that.

[TygrBright]

8. I CAN picture Hillary Clinton enthusiastically campaigning for Obama.

That's part of the problem. At this point, I can picture Hillary Clinton enthusiastically doing ANYTHING she thought would somehow advance the agenda she embraces.

Disclaimer: I share PARTS of that agenda with her. I have enormous respect for her intelligence, her competence, her grasp of issues and her ability to pull levers in The Machine.

The problem is that I'm up to and past my gag reflex with competence that appears inadequately undergirded by strong ethical principles.

I can picture Hillary Clinton enthusiastically doing just about ANYTHING... and that's the problem.

Would her "heart" be in it? Who knows? Who could tell? How could you tell?

If I see her ACT in some way that demonstrates clearly that she has learned from the experience of this primary campaign, and then ACT again in such a way that shows she's committed to change her operating style to reflect new priorities based on the understanding that the end does NOT justify the means, I may happily support her in some future electoral campaign.

Until then, not so much.

warily,
Bright

[RiverStone]

18. I have that gag reflex thing happening too

I find myself recoiling in anger when the Clinton's come up in conversation. Ultimately, I have a great amount of faith in Obama's decision making and if he believes Hillary is best for the ticket, our party, and the country - I'd settle for that.

It would take some getting used to, but then we would need to figure out a way to support Barack AND Hillary without whining about it. The focus from that second forward would be beating McSame.

I'd still be surprised if she is on the ticket, but lots of surprising shit has gone done this primary season.

[cliffordu]

9. Not in this lifetime. Keep her out of the Defense Department, too.

[BklynChick]

10. no she won't

[JVS]

11. Not really.

[Orsino]

12. Certainly.

She can talk about "obliterating" Iran without (IMO) really meaning it. She's perfectly capable of campaigning for a fellow Democrat without her heart in it.

[AzDar]

13. Just as passionately as she campaigned for Gore or Kerry.....

;-)

[Irishonly]

14. She May

The problem may be people rolling their eyes. People didn't buy a unified democratic party in 68 or 80. With all that has been said and done by both, will people think it's nothing but a ploy?

[AtomicKitten]

15. Enthusiastically? She's not that good an actress.

[theoldman]

16. Once Hillary and Obama cut a deal to give her a piece of the

pie, she will support him. In no way will Hillary just walk away from this election. She may not become Vice President but I guarantee you that she will have a job in Obama's government.

[atufal1c]

17. I don't think she can pull it off...

Every time she gets ready to say something, she'll start to muse about what might have been.

The presidential dream is over for Hillary.

There will be no 2012. No 2016.

It is over.

But she'll go through the motions and endorse Obama enoug that she'll hold on to her Senate seat.

Unrelated, but I have a secret, totally unfounded suspicion that the Clintons are going to divorce. That they already would have had she not been gearing up for this run. I'm probably wrong, but I believe it.

[progdog]

19. No.

n/t

[Major Hogwash]

20. It would depend on how much she drank that day on the campaign trail.

There have been more photo-ops of her drinking than I've ever seen of anyone who was running for President.

[Bensthename]

21. She will campaign while handing out Hillary 2012 bumper stickers at the same time.