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WASHINGTON: The notion of a Democratic “dream team” uniting to
face Republican White House contender John McCain has resurfaced
amid increasing calls for Hillary Clinton to abandon her
presidential bid.
But even though Clinton herself hinted at such a
possibility two months ago, her campaign now insists she has no
interest in being vice president and will fight until she beats
surging rival Barack Obama for the Democratic Party nod.
“I have not heard her evidence any interest in
such a ticket,” said Clinton campaign Spokesman Howard Wolfson
this week.
“We have not had any conversations with the
Obama campaign about such a ticket. And Senator Clinton has said
that it is premature to discuss such a ticket.”
A squadron of young political activists close to
the Clinton camp has also launched a campaign for a “dream
ticket” with the website voteboth.com, compiling news stories and
blogs about the possibility.
“Originally my goal was to have a place for
Clinton-Obama supporters [in that order] to organize,” said
founder Adam Parkhonenko.
“But over the last few weeks, I have talked
with Obama supporters who talk about a Obama-Clinton ticket. And
they’re right, too.”
A centrist Democratic Party leader, former
Congressman Harold Ford, this week urged unity and floated the idea
of a single ticket to heal the torn party.
“Does an Obama-Clinton ticket unite this party
and erase concerns that Barack Obama has to have when it comes to
attracting white middle-class, white working-class voters?” he
asked on MSNBC.
“Is Hillary Clinton the answer to that ticket?
It is a question he is going to have to answer and we in the party
are going to have to think seriously about as we seek to unite.”
But some analysts say the responsibility lies
with Obama to offer his rival the vice presidency, as John F.
Kennedy did in 1960 with rival Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan did
in 1980 with George H.W. Bush.
“It’s possible that despite all the ill-will
and bruised feelings, Senator Obama could very well decide that the
prudent course is to reunite the party in the most visible way
imaginable,” said analyst William Galston, a former aide to
President Bill Clinton now with the Brookings Institution.
“As difficult as it is to imagine in the heat
of this moment, we have seen this kind of political reconciliation
before,” he said. “If she does not accept, she will not be
forgiven by the party.”
Some political onlookers have dreamed for months
of a superstar joint ticket, even as the race grew increasingly
hostile.
-- AFP
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