May 15, 2008 Obama-Hillary Dream Team Sounds More Like A Nightmare By Robert J. Guttman Forget the so-called dream team scenario. It will not work. There are hundreds of very capable vice-presidential candidates waiting to be picked who are not named Hillary Clinton. Senator Clinton has shown she is tenacious and persistent. She has shown she has spunk but enough already. Let’s move on. The contest is over if one plays by the established rules. The only way this will linger on is if the Clinton camp—as they seem to be doing—keep changing the rules of the game. It is getting absurd. There was an old television program called the Mary Tyler Moore Show and one famous episode had the new writer for the Minneapolis tv station discussing her job before a crusty and cynical old station manager named Lou Grant. Lou says to Mary “ You’ve got spunk”. Mary replies, “ Why thank you Lou.” And Lou bellows “I hate spunk.” A lot of us feel that way now. Senator Clinton has the spunk and tenacity to carry her campaign forward—money is another matter—but many Democrats are quite frankly tired and weary of hearing her talk about always working for us and for never giving up and for always saying she won Michigan and Florida and a host of other comments she always brings up in her talks. Many loyal Democrats –like John Edwards—say gracious things about the senator from New York but after the final primaries on June 3rd—it is time to keep the spunk but leave the spot light and be a loyal soldier and help to elect Obama and his running mate as our next president and vice-president. The whole primary process has been good for bringing out more voters and it is fine to battle over the issues. But, in the end, one has to face the music and face up to reality and bow out of the race in a gracious manner. That time is only a few weeks away. Senator Clinton, stop talking about everything except delegates because the rules of the game say the person with 2,025 delegates wins the nomination. Quit saying that the winner needs more because of Michigan and Florida or whatever else pops into her mind. The country is in a cycle of change. Voters are calling out for change. Change is in the air with hopes that this election will be pivotal and the country can pursue another course after eight years of the current administration’s policies.
Having a Clinton on the ticket would not sound like change was at hand. Change does not come from the people protecting the status quo or even worse trying to go back in time to protect and defend her husband’s presidency in the 1990s. Looking for real change Obama should not pick Senator Clinton. Break the mold. Don’t choose the person who finished second for political reasons. Reach out to someone new and bring in someone with a positive approval rating who does not play fast and loose with the facts. And, looking at our history since 1980 until now there has been a Bush or a Clinton on the national ticket—for twenty-eight years. With two terms of Obama that would make a Bush or Clinton in the White House as president or vice-president for thirty-six years. In a country of well over 300 million people we do not need to look for two political families to populate the White House forever. It is time for a real change. Senator Obama and Senator Clinton may sound like a dream team to some people but to this writer it sounds more like a nightmare. Robert J. Guttman
Founder and Director, CPFR
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