There has been a bit of buzz around regarding Mike Bloomberg introducing Barak Obama today. There seems to be something appealing to people about a Obama/Bloomberg ticket. I think Jennifer Skalka at On Call gets it pretty much right about the chances of such a ticket, however.
What is most interesting is her final reason for why such a ticket is unlikely:
I'm not sure I'm as convinced as she is that this is a real possibility, given all of the enmity generated by the campaign. I'm also not quite as willing to ignore her second point about the need to pick someone with a geographic advantage. That being said, the world in which the Obama campaign has to woo back the Clinton supporters in a firestorm 3 month process sure is depressing. The easiest way to solve that problem would be a joint ticket. I'm just not sure what Clinton gets out of the deal. And can Obama continue to be the "change" candidate with a Clinton on the ticket?
What effect would this have on down-ticket races? In some ways you would see the good of uniting the party without the bad of needing to focus on specific states during the general election. At the same time, the worry that Clinton drives Republican turnout more than Obama or McCain would likely apply as much to her as VP as it would to her at the top of the ticket. But with six more months of working to unite the GOP and brandish his Conservative bonafides, McCain may have less of a problem doing that himself than was once thought.
What is most interesting is her final reason for why such a ticket is unlikely:
Reason 4: And finally, I think the longer this Dem fight continues, the more likely it is that Obama has no choice but to run with Hillary Clinton. Yes, I know this potentially violates my Reasons 2 and 3. And, yes, I know they're scratching each other's eyes out. I also know that she's provided the GOP with their talking points -- Obama isn't ready to be commander in chief or a steward of the economy. But, how are the dissatisfied masses of her supporters, after a possible floor fight, going to be placated? Ok, Obama/Clinton is no longer looking like The Dream Ticket -- even the folks at the Kodak Theatre debate might, these days, cringe at the suggestion. Call it The Misery Ticket. And let's get on with it.
I'm not sure I'm as convinced as she is that this is a real possibility, given all of the enmity generated by the campaign. I'm also not quite as willing to ignore her second point about the need to pick someone with a geographic advantage. That being said, the world in which the Obama campaign has to woo back the Clinton supporters in a firestorm 3 month process sure is depressing. The easiest way to solve that problem would be a joint ticket. I'm just not sure what Clinton gets out of the deal. And can Obama continue to be the "change" candidate with a Clinton on the ticket?
What effect would this have on down-ticket races? In some ways you would see the good of uniting the party without the bad of needing to focus on specific states during the general election. At the same time, the worry that Clinton drives Republican turnout more than Obama or McCain would likely apply as much to her as VP as it would to her at the top of the ticket. But with six more months of working to unite the GOP and brandish his Conservative bonafides, McCain may have less of a problem doing that himself than was once thought.
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