Don't do it, Hill

Another boomlet of speculation has arisen that Vice President Joe Biden would be replaced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in President Obama's re-election run in 2012.  This one was fueled by Bob Woodward's remark the other day that "it's definitely on the table."  This has everyone scrambling to say it ain't so.

Of course it's so.  Could there be a more obvious subject of speculation than that a popular Secretary of State might replace an aging Vice President in a re-election campaign?  Whether it might actually happen is something else again, and would depend primarily on what makes sense, politically, in the run-up to 2012, and whether or not Hillary would even be interested.

Let's hope not.  Some of her supporters say that being vice president would give her a leg up on 2016.  The thing is, however, that Hillary Clinton needs no "leg up."  She has the 2016 nomination if she wants it.

If she accepted such an invite, what if President Obama lost?  Would she get partial blame for the loss?  Or, let's say they won.  Why be that close to the administration, especially when people will likely be ready to move on in 2016? 

Comments

[Hypatia]

The nomination in 2016 isn’t necessarily Hillary’s for the asking – that’s what everyone thought last time and we saw how that turned out. She will be challenged if she goes for it.

If by some chance Obama dumps Biden and chooses a younger VP, and the second term doesn’t turn out so badly, that VP could present some serious problems for the heiress apparent.

I doubt Obama will ever offer the veepship to HRC no matter how bad things get, so it’s all moot. But if he offers it she should take it, if only to prevent anyone more politically viable than Biden getting it. There is no guarantee that the people will be ready to "move on" if things are going better and a sitting vice president is usually the true presumptive nominee unless it's a Cheney or Biden.

[John Petty]

Next time, Hillary would have the African-American vote. That would cinch it.

[Hypatia]

I'm further convinced by HRC's non-denial denials. She will take it if offered, and she should.