Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | For the People, By the People: Hillary Back in Vogue?

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Hillary Back in Vogue?

By Bill F - Aug 8th, 2008 at 10:23 am EDT

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Tags: Clinton, Convention, hillary, Obama, veep, Veepstakes, VP

As the media continues to predict that Hillary as VP is as good as dead, I think we need to take a closer look. Many who know Obama say he loves to be in control and wants this VP thing to be as secret as possible. He wants us to know nothing until the day HE announces it. So Kaine, Bayh, Beiden -- not so big secrets. There's been more leaks about them then I can count. I think we're being set up for a surprise. Why? Picking Hillary without all this veepstakes circus insanity would look like she forced him into it. Instead, we've been shown that this was a painstaking process done Obama's way to find the person HE, and only he, wants. So, if he comes back to Hillary in the end, it was his decision -- not pressure from her and her supporters. Let's look at the evidence.

First, why the big to-do about the vetting team and them interviewing folks on capital hill? It's like they wanted us to see the process in, well, process. Why such a big deal? To make it look like Obama was doing a complete vetting process on several contenders -- not just giving it to Hillary.
Second, naming Patty S. Doyle as the veep's chief of staff. Why do that and risk pissing off Hillary supporters even more? Perhaps Doyle's demise with the Hillary camp was aimicable and she would like to work with her again. Perhaps ovatures toward Hillary staff by Obama isn't simply to smooth things over, but to put a Hillary-friendly team in place to deal with her.
Third, with all the hell being raised by Hillary supporters, why is everyone so confident that there will be unity after the convention? There genuinely seems to be no worries on the part of any of the parties involved here, despite talk of protests and putting her name in nomination.
Fourth, why, after two straight near-misses by the media due to timely leaks with Kaine and Bayh, has there been so much Clinton talk the past couple of days? Do you really think Bill Clinton is stupid enough to say Obama may not be ready to be president? Come on. More theatre.
Fifth, we now are being told that Obama will announce the veep the week prior to the convention. That would be the 18th to the 22nd. That week is supposed to be the media blitz -- all VP all the time. This gives the ticket two weeks of good press. Why in God's name would Obama put Hillary in Florida -- a state that could clinch the election for Barack -- on the 21st. Hillary campaigning in Florida will draw a ton of media, especially if she's not the pick and her supporters are being reminded by her appearance that she got "snubbed". He would be killing his own veep's media buzz...unless SHE IS THE VEEP. Perhaps they use that day in Florida to announce her -- that would be huge, especially in Florida. Give us that 27, and my map shows an even 270 without even winning Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, or Montana. Lights out.
Finally, we now know Wednesday night, just before the veep speaks, Bill Clinton will address the convention...possibly announcing the veep. This would be more salt in the Clinton wounds to force Bill to introduce the person that beat out his wife for veep. I don't see that as unifying...unless, once again, he is introducing his own wife. What a moment. The people will eat it up.

One blogger that I read, who claimed to have worked with and around Obama in the past, said she thought Barack was setting us up for a surprise. The only way, according to her, that Obama could keep this whole thing secret from the press would be to lead them astray as much as possible, then drop the bombshell, on his terms. Now, his staff has stated it will not be a surprise. But, with all the speculation about Hillary from "day one", that may be a smart-ass way to say -- no surprise, of course it's Hillary.

Surely, most will disagree, and even be angry at the thought, but I'm just speculating and laying out some evidence. I've done that before incorrectly, though, so why listen to me? Don't. I'm just saying. Either Obama has done a terrible job planning, and his campaign has orchastrated a veep rollout and convention that is going to really piss off the Hillary people, or he's picking her. Keep in mind, the polls show that Barack's slim (and getting slimmer) lead jumps to a 9 or 10 point lead with Hillary on the ticket, fueled by 87% support from Democrats as opposed to 79% by himself. So, as much as you all may say picking Hillary would upset his "base", the stats say something else. Bayh may bring Indiana and Michigan; Kaine may bring Virginia and even North Carolina, but Hillary brings Florida, Ohio, clinches Pennsyvania, and Arkansas -- a total of 74 electoral votes!

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