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" politicians, so Obama must be very sure that things will not get out of control if he chooses to offer them prominent formal roles on his team.
There are many other good choices for Vice President. Governor Bill Richardson, an Hispanic, could help consolidate Obama's appeal to Hispanics and also provide foreign policy experience.
Choosing a different Clinton supporter woman for the vice presidency, could avoid some risks and still appeal to the Clinton base of support, without having to accept her negatives. It seems that the great majority of Hillary supporters would tend to vote for Obama, but how could he increase positive excitement and passion, without turning off major sections of society? Obama himself does that, so it would be natural for him to seek a running mate with a similar approach to solving problems and inspiring public service.
Obama would be well served by carefully choosing his inner team to reflect his own strengths and orientation. He needs to develop a stable of capable and articulate leaders to bring forth the change that he envisions. Whether Barack could feel comfortable with their strong personalities being formally part of his administration is what he must decide. The Clintons will inevitably be involved whether formally or informally. The best way to harness their energy and capabilities in the service of our country is what Senator Obama must consider.