Setting stage for Obama-Clinton ticket?
Paul Green is Director of the Institute for Politics and Arthur Rubloff Professor of Policy Issues at Roosevelt University Chicago and Schaumburg
The Democratic National Convention Committee, with approval of Barack Obama's campaign brain trust, has announced its speaking schedule for the four nights of the Denver convention. To long time observers (unfortunately that includes me) there is a major surprise in this lineup. On Tuesday night the prime time speaker will be Sen. Hillary Clinton. The fact that she is speaking is not an unexpected, rather it is the timing. Why?
In 1964 the Democrats held their convention in Atlantic City. It was less than a year following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the party, and much of the nation, was still in shock. Party leaders agreed that the convention should honor the martyred president with a film about him that would be introduced by his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. Senate candidate.
President Lyndon Johnson supported the JFK film, but with one important stipulation: the event could not take place until after LBJ's vice presidential choice was nominated (Hubert Humphrey). Johnson's thinking was simple - an emotional film about JFK introduced by his brother could stampede the convention into nominating Robert F. Kennedy for vice president, a move LBJ wanted to avoid at all costs. Thus, the John Kennedy film took place early on Thursday night. It created the expected surge of cheers and tears, but LBJ's scheduling prevented any Robert Kennedy vice-presidential move.
This month in Denver, the Obama campaign must be very sure of itself in scheduling Clinton the night before the VP nomination. Clearly, there is either a done deal with her or more likely the Obama people believe no matter what happens on Tuesday, they will still control the convention and the majority of delegates on Wednesday. Still one has to wonder - is a Tuesday night Clinton speech a concession to her huge number of delegates and a final move for unity after a brutal primary battle? Or - get ready - is it a carefully planned Machiavellian ploy to have her wow the convention and, with Obama's blessing, become the party's vice-presidential candidate?
If Obama does not make his VP choice known before Tuesday night of the convention, the latter scenario may not be so goofy. I bet LBJ would love the intrigue. As one ponders this far out scenario a final thought comes to mind. An Obama-Clinton ticket would create a media blitz that could last the entire campaign. The unleashing of these two proven warriors against Republican nominee John McCain and his running mate would be the equivalent of a battle between a major hurricane and a light drizzle.
No doubt an Obama-Clinton ticket seems far-fetched at best. Most likely Obama will make his VP choice just before the Denver convention and his hard-nosed organization will line up a majority of the delegates to withstand any possible Clinton VP move.
Nevertheless, as someone who has been to both major party conventions since 1984, an orchestrated Clinton vice-presidential nomination surge would top any political action I have witnessed at all my previous conventions - combined. And Niccolo Machiavelli would approve of this intrigue.