Senator Barack Obama is making it clear he is running for President of the United States and not Vice President. In a highly unusual move, Bill and Hillary Clinton are encouraging talk of a Clinton/Obama team, while in the same breath attack Obama’s readiness to be Commander-in-Chief.
So is Obama ready to be Commander-in-Chief or is he only ready to be Vice-President. One of the most important choices a presidential nominee makes is choosing a Vice-Presidential running mate. Someone that can step in and immediately become “Commander-in-Chief.” Presumably, a Vice-President takes over during a crisis of some sort. The death of a President or an illness. And he (or she) must be ready to step right into to some big shoes.
Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell spoke to Tim Russert on “Meet the Press” Sunday morning and addressed the subject.
Does Hillary Clinton believe Barack Obama is good enough to be a heartbeat away from the presidency but still a second-rate choice for commander-in-chief?
As Clinton’s campaign simultaneously questions Obama’s readiness to be commander-in-chief and enthusiastically promotes him as a vice-presidential choice should she win the nomination, a Clinton surrogate this morning made the unusual argument that Obama is “qualified” to be a heartbeat away from the presidency but still falls far short of Clinton’s readiness for the job.
Tim Russert, moderator for “Meet the Press,” bored in on the seeming inconsistency in questioning Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, a surrogate who appeared on behalf of the Clinton campaign.
But Obama isn’t nibbling on the Clinton bait.
Meanwhile Senator Obama has ruled out the possibility of running on a joint ticket with Senator Clinton.
“You won’t see me as a vice-presidential candidate – you know, I’m running for president,” he told a TV interviewer ahead of today’s votes.
“We have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton and have a higher popular vote and I think we can maintain our delegate count.”
The Clintons have been unable to knock Obama off of his perch and now they are approaching Obama with a weak combination of vinegar and honey. They have underestimated Obama for over a year now and still don’t get it. Obama is strong and tough and possesses all the qualities necessary in a great Commander-in-Chief. If Obama can tolerate all that the Clintons dish out, then he is tough enough and strong enough to lead this nation in a time of crisis.
The Clintons are playing a high risk game of politics that could result in the unraveling of not only Hillary Clinton’s national ambitions, but also of the Bill Clinton legacy. Bill Clinton has spent the last seven years touting the great “Clinton years” and successfully establishing a great legacy. But the resulting backlash from the “We’ll do anything and say anything to get back in the White House attitude,” will call into question the Clinton years. Reading on Walden Bookstore.
