Obama refuses to accept second place
Despite the fact that interviewer David Letterman noted that a Clinton/Obama ticket would be powerful at the ballot box, Barack Obama seemed to be saying that he would refuse a Vice Presidential candidacy if he failed to get the Presidential Candidacy.
I can’t help but be a little disappointed in Obama. Vice Presidency, although surely less glamorous, still affords significant influence as a bridge between the executive and legislative branches. Some Vice Presidents have effected great change, as being Vice President of the United States means being President of the Senate.
As a voter and citizen I’ll still support him because I think the social, diplomatic, and administrational change an Obama White House could have on the USA would be a very good thing. But on a personal level, this revelation about his possibly less than valiant doesn’t sit well.
But politicians play politics! Se la vie!
April 10th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I think it was shrewd politicalese. To concede at this point that he would take the second slot puts the idea in peoples minds that he’d be willing to take the second slot. At this juncture it is essential for him to project absolute confidence in his ability to win the nomination. He did leave himself an out with this statement:
‘Letterman persisted, asking whether the senator might reconsider if it came to a point where the campaigns of the two front-runners were ripping their party apart.
Obama replied: “I think it is possible that in that kind of situation, we might have to have a brokered convention and, Dave, we might turn to you.”‘
April 10th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Like I said, I’ll keep supporting the man, it just unnerves me a little that he’s not the knight in shining armor I used to think him. Oh well, I was asking for that rug to be pulled out from under me, wasn’t I?