MOLINE, Ill., Aug. 26, 2008
Clinton Knew She Was Unlikely VP Pick
Washington Post: Obama's Decision To Pass Her Over Remains Central To Ongoing Story Of Strained Relationship
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Big Dem Pitches Party Unity
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who supports Sen. Hillary Clinton, talks to Harry Smith about why her supporters should get behind Sen. Barack Obama instead of Sen. John McCain.
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Michelle Obama Kicks Off DNC
Michelle Obama kicked off the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The first lady hopeful's challenge was to speak to average Americans and Clinton supporters. Bill Plante reports.
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Dems Descend On Denver
Sen. Hillary Clinton and her supporters will play a key role in shaping the convention. Bill Plante reports and Harry Smith talks to Bob Scheiffer about the Democrats' attempt to unify the party.
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton talks with supporters before touring the New York State Fair in Geddes N.Y. on Friday, August 22, 2008. (AP)
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Photo Essay
Hillary Clinton
A look at a life and career full of firsts.
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Photo Essay
Assembling In Denver
The Mile-High City hosts the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
From Our Partner:
In a private meeting with Sen. Barack Obama after she conceded the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton made a request: that he consider her for his vice presidential running mate, but not put her through the charade of being vetted if he was not serious.
Obama told Clinton then it was unlikely he would choose her, people familiar with the conversation said. Obama did not want to lead her on and, after campaigning against her for more than a year, already had a sense that their pairing would not be the right fit.
As Clinton prepares for her address to the Democratic convention Tuesday night, Obama's decision to pass her over remains central to the ongoing story of their strained relationship. It has also contributed to what associates say has been a difficult emotional period for the former first lady in the two months since ending her bid. One adviser described her as outright "depressed" in July, while another said she was "moving forward" and a third said she has simply been trying to get through November before making decisions about where next to take her life.
Clinton has done second-guessing from time to time, they said, reexamining how certain elements of her primary campaign turned out so badly. She has returned to senatorial tasks such as attending the New York State Fair and digging into Congressional Budget Office reports. Twice this summer, she disappeared on vacation in New York -- once to the Hamptons and earlier this month to the Hudson Valley. Both trips went largely unreported, the media crush that followed her for more than a year having been allowed to fade away.
"It's back to business, just not as usual," Clinton told her staff members when she got back to work, using a phrase that has become something of a mantra for the vastly reduced team.
The question of how seriously Obama considered tapping Clinton for the ticket has become a source of unhappiness for both sides of late. Clinton was never asked for the official vetting paperwork when other potential running mates were. Obama never invited her to have a real conversation about potentially joining forces, although the two spent time together at several events.
Those revelations, coming as the two camps converged on Denver and Obama chose Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. to join him on the ticket, angered many Clinton supporters who felt she had at least earned the right to greater consideration after winning 18 million primary votes.
The arguments against Obama choosing Clinton were evident from the start: Her campaign, rife with internal struggles, bore no resemblance to his tightly run operation; the two had little personal chemistry; and hard feelings lingered after what had been a bruising primary.
Obama advisers said they did not want to raise expectations for Clinton knowing they would probably be dashed, especially after she asked not to be put through an artificial process.
They also said they had far more information about her than they did the other contenders after doing so much research during the campaign. "We spent an enormous amount of money and time and a full-time unit of people looking under every stone. It wasn't like we did not know anything about her," said one senior Obama adviser involved in the process. "And we thought her position on this was pretty reasonable."
At the same time, aides said, Obama did, in fact, consider whether he should revisit the idea of an Obama-Clinton tickt as he went through the selection process.
But in effect, he did not really consider Clinton for the No. 2 spot. Even toward the end of his decision-making process, as he was weighing alternatives and leaning toward Biden, Obama raised the idea of Clinton once more with the close circle of associates helping him make the decision -- but ultimately concluded that it was not the correct course. The campaign has declined repeatedly to delve into specifics about exactly what it was that Obama did not feel comfortable with.
People who spoke to both candidates offered slightly conflicting accounts of how their early closed-door conversations went -- and some acknowledged that the talks, held in private, may have been interpreted differently by two people who did not see eye-to-eye. Some Clinton allies said she was not as much actively seeking the No. 2 slot as conveying that she was open to it. And people on both sides said it was not clear how forcefully Obama let her know in private that she was not a front-runner, although in public, his reluctance was clear.
On Monday, Obama sought to minimize the issue. "I've tried not to have long discussions about short lists, long lists, but I've said publicly before and I will repeat again that, you know, Senator Clinton would have been on anybody's shortlist. And so I took her very seriously," Obama said in response to a question on the airport tarmac here, during his first question-and-answer session in weeks.
Asked whether Clinton had been specifically on his shortlist, Obama replied: "I think you can draw that conclusion."
But if Obama thought about reconsidering Clinton, he did not share that with her, and some of her associates said she never had a chance to make the case for how she could help him win. Obama expressed "no interest," had "no meetings, no conversations, no requests for information, no real consideration whatsoever," said a Clinton loyalist who talked with her throughout the process.
And so Clinton, aware that she was essentially out of the running, did not dwell on pursuing the vice presidency. She turned to helping Obama campaign where she could, making public appearances on his behalf and raising money for him -- before arriving in Denver, where she turned to the mammoth task of persuading her most intransigent supporters to back her former rival.
Obama advisers privately said what the presumptive nominee said aloud: that they were satisfied with her efforts and grateful that she was helping push back against Sen. John McCain, who has been trying to drive a wedge between the warring camps. McCain is running an advertisement, titled "Passed Over," criticizing Obama for not picking Clinton. On Monday, she countered with: "I'm Hillary Clinton, and I do not approve that message."
Clinton aides said she is genuine in her desire to see Obama elected, and not simply because she is a committed partisan. She has looked for opportunities to help Obama "both because she wants a Democrat in the White House and because she does not want to be blamed if we don't have one," one confidante said. "She wants to go above and beyond to ensure that if it doesn't happen, nobody points the finger at her."
Clinton is also managing her return to the public eye carefully: She has not done any in-depth interviews and has barely discussed the primaries. That is a stark contrast to her husband, who had angry words about the primaries as recently as July, when he conducted interviews during an annual trip to Africa. Some in Sen. Clinton's circle said they learned that the former president had begun speaking about politics publicly again only by reading about it in the newspaper, suggesting that the two Clinton operations have drifted apart, back to the state they werein before her presidential bid.
Obama predicted on Monday that Sen. Clinton will deliver "a rousing speech" on Tuesday night. The address has been crafted by a trio of her speechwriters and is expected to "echo the themes of the campaign," primarily the economic hardships of average Americans. It is not only a coda to her presidential campaign but also a preview of what may lie ahead, as Clinton, in the words of one ally, "finds her niche."
Clinton has begun thinking about how to harness the support she earned this year and is weighing how to be not only a leader of women but also a populist voice, advisers said. She is likely to write another book. She will stay in the Senate, where she won reelection in 2006, unless another, better opportunity should arise. But there are no signs thus far that she is thinking about the jobs others have mentioned Obama might consider her for, such as a Supreme Court justice.
"She's emerged from this campaign as an even more powerful force, and she's going to map out a strategy where she can make a difference in people's lives," said Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), a staunch Clinton advocate during the primaries. McGovern, who traveled with Clinton in the final days of the race, said he had spoken with Clinton on a couple of occasions since then and marveled at her resilience.
"In the aftermath of the election, she has been incredible. I'm not sure I'd have the ability to just pick up all the pieces and go on," he said. "But I think in a way this campaign has been an education for her. She's come to appreciate that for a lot of people in this country life is tough and they're looking for a champion, looking for a voice. And people are counting on her and expecting big things from her even if she's not going to be the nominee."
By Anne E. Kornblut
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
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See all 595 CommentsHillary had a health care plan more comprehensive than Obama''s, not less. If McCain was a man of the people, why would he TAX health care benefits?
Hillary sought to end the occupation of Iraq -- just like Obama does. McCain wants to continue it. Why wouldn''t he have a sane plan to end the war in Iraq and re-focus on Afghanistan?
Hillary, like Obama, supports the Employee Free Choice Act. Why wouldn''t McCain want to give labor a fighting chance by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act?
Hillary supports MIDDLE CLASS tax reform and cuts. So does Obama. Why wouldn''t McCain want to end Trickle Up in the form of the tax cuts for the middle class instead of making tax cuts permanent for the wealthy?
Hillary and Obama support NAFTA reform. McCain does not.
Hillary and Obama support energy reforms that mean something. Why doesn''t McCain have an energy policy that funds real change away from carbon-based fuels as opposed to a "voluntary" plan -- IE, no plan at all?
In short, Obama and Hillary are virtually identical in their goals for the US. McCain is opposed to Hillary''s and Obama''s plans in every way.
We won''t even get into the pro-life/pro-choice divide.
RCP Average
Obama
45.7
McCain
44.0
Obama +1.7
UP since last night.
Sorry, neo-trolls. This is the national Poll of Polls. And it''s going UP for Obama since last night.
Plus the swing states are swinging into the Democratic column.
Read it and weep.
Then go get a FOX cookie.
MMMmmMMMMM! Cookies!
How does it feel to side with red-neck mentality ?
How does it feel to be on the side of anti-abortion and know that your Republican president had the chance to change the laws in the first four years of his administration, before the Democrats took over
Congress and the Senate ?
How does it feel to pay for four dollar gas ?
How does it feel to support a war with the lives of our young men that did not need to be fought ?
How does it feel to now vote For John Mc Cain when we have it from his own lips that he voted 90% of the time with George Bush ? I assume he was voting with his heart and best judgment.
John Mc Cain graduated 845 in a class of 849 from the U.S. Naval Academy. It doesn''t seem as though he learned very much.
Posted by BajaJohn1
I doubt it. She (and hubby Bill) would have been a huge distraction for Obama to deal with. Who needs that headache?
After all, would you want to be working with someone who stated publicly that they thought THE ENEMY in the opposite party would be better able to handle the job than you???? And that ENEMY is 74 years old and doesn''t know how to find his way "home(s)" at night???
I''d be a bit ticked off too. At least Biden didn''t "endorse" McCain like ditzy Clinton did and because of the fanatics who believed everything Clinton said, they are ready to vote for that 74 year old geriatric, even if it means 4 more years of George Bush, no universal healthcare (except for the rich), more war, a return of the draft, a bankrupt economy, a return to the Cold War, and an extinct middle-class.
Way to go, "Wild Bill" and "Bullets over Bosnia" Hiliary!!!!!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!
sig heil, 74 YEARS OLD!!!!!!, McCain!!!!
she had too much baggage
Destroy the neo-cons.
We don''t need a guy who voted with Bush ninety five % of the time.
Yes, NINETY FIVE PERCENT of the time.
That is PATHETIC.
CAN BARACK HELP A BROTHER OUT? Great Bumper Sticker.
Just like Obamas brother, the Stupid Americans voting for this false character will be thrown under the bus also.
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Posted by Misspp at 03:21 PM : Aug 26, 2008
The theory that nobama is intelligent was washed away when he chose a VP candidate who won 80,000 primary votes over the one with 18,000,000 votes.
Yep, Barry is one sharp cookie, NOT!
Posted by jenny1233 at 03:06 PM : Aug 26, 2008
__________________
Unfortunately, in like manner, there is a name they have for a person who graduates simarily from a medical school. He/she is called "doctor".
Just because McCain killed the VC from 20,000 feet by dropping bombs on them doesn''t mean he has foreign diplomatic experience. Just because he spent 5 years in a VC prison as a POW doesn''t mean he has foreign diplomatic experience. These are the dreams of the GOP. What the reality of his situation is is that he has experience crashing $1 M jets, dropping bombs, and dealiong with being a POW, nothing more, nothing less.
If he gets elected, I don''t think Obama will make her ''health czar'' or put her on his cabinet, she will be more valuable in the Senate helping push his health care bill through.
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Posted by docpeter at 03:29 PM : Aug 26, 2008
And McCain''s 50+ years of serving his country gets my vote!
That is PATHETIC.
CAN BARACK HELP A BROTHER OUT? Great Bumper Sticker.
Just like Obamas brother, the Stupid Americans voting for this false character will be thrown under the bus also.
And McCain''''s 50+ years of serving his country gets my vote!
Posted by mbcsmith at 03:31 PM : Aug 26, 2008
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Not mine, sorry he and all the RNC lost my support when they entered us into Iraq with lies, actually they were losing me and my $$ when they sent Colin Powell to the UN with weak info supporting the need to go to war.
Everyone knows that if Obama had selected Hillary and Bill, the Republicans would have had a field day with the pick. Whitewater, Flowers, Lewinski and Foster just to name a few subjects, would all be on the surface. Lets be REAL! And speaking of kitchen tables, she hit Obama with every table leg along with the kitchen sink during the primaries. "Shame on you Barack". How soon we forget. These comments are now McCain ads! Please. She wanted to win at all costs. Well the cost was the election. Tonight''s speech, as well as tomorrows with former President Clinton is payment for 18 million votes that have been held for ransom. Let them have their moment and officially move on.
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Posted by mbcsmith"
Serving our country? He was no volunteer. While he was "serving" our country the GOP lead Congress voted several times to give themselves cost of living increases while saying those on minimum wage didn''t deserve it. In fact, those people on minimum wage have been subsidizing them.
IF she was the VP McCain would be running the same ad but it would have 10 times the sting-
After all of that George Wallace cracker politics and slash and burn Obama would be mental to let the Clintons close to the cookie jar...
The O%u2019Mans words annoyed us PUMAS
But what made us mad
Are the things he often told us
and the dreams he claims he had.
He dreamed one night
He was president of all the USA
That Hillary should shut her mouth
She had no more to say.
Could it be that I was born for higher things than you?
The highest post in government
A country house or two?
The words of that imposter
Are the network%u2019s biggest yawn
And all those witty speeches
Just a load of corn.
The message that he tries to send
We PUMAS do not get
But one thing that we%u2019re sure about
It%u2019s all a bunch of s***.
Party Unity My A**
We will see who the whiners are after Obama looses.
If he''s so worked up about veterans why does he voted against their benefits and then take his disability pension when other vets are homeless in the streets?
Must need a new Life Alert in each of his houses...
Vote McCain- Man of he year in 1945
How does it feel to be on the side of anti-abortion and know that your Republican president had the chance to change the laws in the first four years of his administration, before the Democrats took over
Congress and the Senate ?
How does it feel to pay for four dollar gas ?
How does it feel to support a war with the lives of our young men that did not need to be fought ?
How does it feel to now vote For John Mc Cain when we have it from his own lips that he voted 90% of the time with George Bush ? I assume he was voting with his heart and best judgment.
John Mc Cain graduated 845 in a class of 849 from the U.S. Naval Academy. It doesn''t seem as though he learned very much.
Thank you for your posts. Those who think people who are against Obama are never racists can see otherwise. Overt racism is sometimes much better than the covert stuff.
First he threw his brother under the bus, Then he threw his racist preacher under the bus, Next - Obama will throw America under the bus.
So ax yourself this question brothers and sisters - CAN BARACK HELP A BROTHER OUT?
Aside from lousy poetry, can you think of a single ACTUAL reason to support McCain over Obama?
Some way to honor the woman you say you respect -- try to destroy everything for which she stands.
Grow up.
Better yet, just switch to the G.O. Pee, if you''re not there already.
Your power-whining makes me sick.
But you''re no racist, right Mr. Christian tiddsanbeer?
"a man be VOTED AS PRESIDENT by the content of his character, not the color of his skin"
A good portion of Hillary supporters are women who are pro-choice. Several U.S. Supreme justices will probably retire during the 4 years that McCain would be in office. Most likely the ones to retire will be the left leaning ones as they are the oldest. McCain has already aligned himself with the Christian Conservatives with his Saddleback statement of supporting Roberts and Alito. The Christians Conservatives have ONE GOAL...load the U.S. Supreme Court with people who will do their will. You think it is only 4 years. Those of you who are Hillary supporters who have lost your connection with reality, will one day realize what YOU LOST. Even if Hillary wins in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court decisions that McCain will make will last for 20 to 30 more years. It''s not too late for you. Yet.
We will see who the whiners are after Obama looses. "Posted by PUMA2012
Shill alert!
There are a lot of the poseurs around, acting all hurt.
Truth is, quite a few are Rush Limpbough dittoheads trying to cause trouble.
Any Hillary supporter who votes for McCain over Obama is stupid or crazy. It''s that simple.
Hillary opposes everything McCain stands for. McCain would be just a continuation of the Bushit.
And any real Dem knows that.
lol "--Posted by tiddsanbeer
I smell a redneck cracker here, rusty pickup with NRA sticker, lives in a trailer park, first had s*x with his sister when he was 13.
John Mccain for president!
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Posted by Exxon300 at 03:46 PM : Aug 26, 2008
+ report abuse
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if your following the presidential race based on what some rapper wrote about..yes you dont have anything to worry about..BUT IN REALITY..obama being president..you..yes you would have a LOT TO WORRY ABOUT..you are being decieved.
Millions of little girls are looking at this and drawing conclusions about what kind of opportunities exist for them. We want our daughters to be inspired by the image of a woman seeking the highest office, even if, as adults we have a jaded view of the image.
Tonight belongs to Hillary and her supporters but it also belongs to everyone wo wants a better future for America''s daughters and we all should take a chill for a day and a night and all enjoy the greater meaning exemplified by her campaign.
You don''t have to be a supporter to do that.
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Posted by BajaJohn1 at 03:49 PM : Aug 26, 2008
+ report abuse
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state ONE GOOD REASON..why obama is a good president..
Posted by BlameGovt
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If only darkies would obey you white supremacists, then you could go home and act like men with your wives.
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