Earlier I wrote about the reasons I think neither Democrat nominee will have a chance to win the general election. My main thesis was this, that Obama will lose his fanatic supporters if he takes a stand on issues, and he will not be able to win the middle if he doesn't, and Hilary will not be able to win as the Obama supporters will sit it out if he doesn't get the nod. All of which leads me to ask the question: What if Hillary gets the nod and picks Obama as her VP?

Of course, I don't actually see it happening. Hillary is vindictive in the extreme, and unlikely to mend fences with a former rival. Nor does Obama really help her, as she has been crafting a more moderate image, and adding Obama will push her again to the left, which she has been trying to avoid. Lastly, Obama will steal her thunder, being far more popular than she is, and I doubt she would want to be shown up by her VP.

But if we assume that it happened, what would be the outcome?

Strangely, not much different from my original assessment. Even if Obama is on the ticket, I don't see his voters coming to the polls. They were invested, very deeply invested, in seeing Obama as president, I just don't think they can maintain that fever pitch over voting their man in as VP. Nor do I think it would motivate them to vote that Hillary is on the top of the ticket. Many Obama supporters are fervent in their Obama support precisely because they dislike Hillary, so even brining in Obama as a VP will not win over those votes.

In fact, if anything, offering Obama as VP may hurt Hillary's bottom line. As he has, a so far unrecognized, far left record, he will make Hillary appear to be more left wing than she desires. Also, his relatively strong anti-war tendencies will undercut Hillary's attempts to portray herself as a moderate hawk. So, bringing him in will serve only to destroy whatever inroads Hillary has made with the moderates.

Thus, while from time to time I see it proposed by well meaning liberals, I think that Hillary would be a fool to bring on Obama as her VP, should she be nominated. He would lose her the moderate image she has tried to craft, and at the same time he would  fail to bring with him the support he enjoyed during the campaign. In other words, with him she stands to lose everything, yet gains very, very little.

So, even matched up against a two-headed Clinton-Obama beast, I still see nothing but victory in the future for McCain.

CORRECTION 03/05/2008

I forgot this was "The Co-Presidency Take Two". So it would not be a two-headed Clinton-Obama beast, but a three-headed Clinton-Obama-Clinton beast, like Ghidorah.

UPDATED 03/05/2008

I wrote this during the day while my very liberal mother was off warping the minds of yet another generation. (By which I mean she was off working as an elementary school teacher.) However, speaking to her this evening while watching the news, she gave interesting confirmation of my thesis.

My mother is one of those buying into Obama's content-free campaign, though I think more because she despises Hillary than because of anything Obama is doing. She may like Obama for one of those many ill-defined reasons liberals "like" candidates, but she is not one of those who seem to have an absolute crush on the fellow.

Anyway, while were watching Jim Lehrer (her choice, not mine) she asked if I was happy that McCain won. I explained my half-hearted support for the fellow, and then she surprised me by confirming what I wrote above. "If she wins", my mother said about Hillary, "I think I'm voting for McCain."

Now, if a life-long member of the bleeding heart league like my mother is thinking of crossing over should Hillary win the nomination, I am even more certain that the woman has no chance of winning.

Of course, I don't think Obama has a chance either, but I don't have that sort of confirmation from a representative independent yet. Once I get that, I will be sure to let everyone know.

(If any relatives read this, that first line was a joke. I have quite a bit of confidence in my mother's teaching ability. After all, she has been doing it for forty years, she even taught me, so I know she is quite good at it. But face it, my opening line is much more amusing than an honest description would be.)

UPDATED (AGAIN) 03/05/2008

Once again, the Obamaniacs speak. This time, rather than a moderate Obama supporter like my mother, I got a comment from a full-fledged Obamaniac. See the comment here. From the anger directed at Hillary in the post, I am even more strongly convinced that Obama's wing of the party will never fall in behind Hillary.

It is an interesting development. The Democrats (post 1968) were strong precisely because of their "winning at all costs" policy. Unlike the Republican "circular firing squad", the Democrats always closed ranks, no matter how much they hated their nominee, and pulled together. But now, for the first time in at least four decades, if Hillary is nominated, we will see a divided Democrat Party.

As I said in an earlier post, it is turning out to be a much more interesting election than I expected.


UPDATED 03/06/2008

After yet another Obama supporter wrote criticizing Hillary Clinton for "going negative", I have to say that I have absolutely no doubt the Democrats will be a deeply divided party should Hillary win the nomination. There is no longer any doubt in my mind.