by Robert C. Sage

Created on: June 09, 2008

Certainly, presumptive nominee Barack Obama should make reasonable efforts to involve Senator Hillary Clinton in the general election campaign and his administration, if elected. Diehard Hillary supporters advocate her choice as the vice presidential nominee, however that could result in potential confusion once in office, regarding who is actually in charge, given the history of Bill and Hillary already having occupied the White House. If Barack does not choose her for VP, he should consider offering her a position in his cabinet, such as Attorney General or Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. Or he could plan to appoint her to the Supreme Court, when an opening comes.

Clearly, Hillary has substantial support within the Democratic Party, as shown by her receiving over 17 million votes during the primaries. She has some supporters who threaten to oppose Obama if Clinton is not on the ticket. However, if he chose her for that reason, it could represent coercion. Thus, Obama needs to avoid appearing to be weak at the same time as showing leadership. Hillary has high negative ratings among Republicans and some independents, which could nullify any positive effect she could have for the ticket. Obama is already vulnerable among some constituencies, such as lower income people, Hispanics and older women. Obama would be well served by focusing on broadening his ticket's appeal, not limiting it.

One option for Hillary is to remain in the Senate and to continue impacting legislation from Congress. She has been active in her first term and she could continue in that regard. However, would she have more impact on the country's direction from Congress or from inside an Obama Administration? That is a question for Barack and Hillary to answer. She could be a powerful ally for Obama in any of many possible roles, so careful thought is needed. He does not want to alienate her, so he is being careful and deliberate in his actions and statements.

If Obama gives the Clintons senior roles in his administration, he should expect that they would have their own ideas and might act accordingly. Whether or not Hillary and Bill could accept that the ultimate decisions on policy matters must come from Obama is the fundamental issue. Otherwise, inclusion of the Clintons in his inner circle could require an embarrassing removal later on. Ordinarily, politicians understand who has the right to set policy and under what circumstances. However, the Clintons are not "run of the mill"

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>