BLOG: State of Disunion
Dream ON
By Lauren Harrell, Behind the Scences, Blogs
April 22, 2008 | 6 p.m.
As the political divide between the two Democratic candidates continues to widen, some people are beginning to wonder how much more the party can take. With the race for the nomination possibly lasting until this summer, the mud-slinging is only increasing, causing more harm than good. Some people are suggesting that the solution might rest in changing from Obama vs. Clinton to Obama AND Clinton.
In the minds of many democrats, the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama duo would be unstoppable. Bringing all of their supporters together, their combined force could blow John McCain and his Republican posse out of the water.
With Obama’s inspiring speeches and Clinton’s years of experience, they would make the ultimate political dream team. However, as Freud will be the first to tell you, there is more to every dream than what meets the eye.
First, there still has to be a clear winner. They wouldn’t be running for co-presidents but president and vice president. One of them would still have to accept a position of inferiority to the other. There would be a huge difference between an Obama-Clinton ticket and a Clinton-Obama ticket. Although their goals are similar, differences in health care, education and foreign policy plans still exist.
Running together will do nothing to curtail the ongoing race for the nomination, and as the race continues, the fighting between the two candidates only persists. It is unwise enough to choose a running mate who already has a lot of dirt on them, especially if you’re the one who threw it. It will be hard to seriously consider that two people, who spent nearly a year defaming each other, could suddenly work together effectively.
At this point, Hillary Clinton campaigning with Barack Obama seems almost absurd. Of course, it might behoove Hillary to get a little of that “Obama magic” sprinkled onto her campaign if she ultimately wins the nomination. However, for Obama, having Clinton on his ticket might bring a lot of Republican hate that he can’t afford. Banking on his ability to unite, Obama is counting on a crossover vote that might dissolve at the thought of voting for a Clinton.
For everyone who thought they had found the solution to the impending democratic crisis, think again. After months of bickering and squabbling, the wounds inflicted by the campaigning are too deep to ignore. From the way it looks, both candidates will be better off finding a completely new running mate. If they’re smart, they’ll find someone who has a little bit of Teflon coating to spare because, after over a year of intense campaigning, neither of them is coming out completely unstained.
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