More "Dream Team" musings

Well, it does look like it’s a done deal for Obama. So now it’s the team question. Jim Webb looked awfully good in his Letterman appearance. There are others, too – lots of strong candidates.

And then there’s the Dream Team. Charles Osgood on CBS radio this morning reminded us that, technically, it’s the delegates to the convention, and not the Presidential candidate, who pick the Vice President. Imagine the groundswell at the convention that will emerge for Clinton. It will dwarf the demonstrations that almost forced JFK onto the Democratic ticket as the VP candidate in 1956. That’s an example, though, of how it could happen, and Hillary’s support will be even stronger than JFK’s was at that point in his career. The fact that it could happen would suggest Obama should tread lightly before naming someone else as his preferred candidate before then.

There are those in the blogosphere hoping Obama does not pick Clinton, because she with Bill would be too much of an independent force that might work at cross purposes with him. I hope he doesn’t listen to that kind of stuff. It would hardly look good to appear afraid of having a strong woman as a running mate – or of having any running mate that’s a strong political force. Start by forgetting election considerations: who would make the most qualified candidate, and that’s pretty much a hands down decision. Of course, does she want to be the candidate, or perhaps more to the point, is she willing to do it if the party wants her to? If yes, it doesn’t hurt that she’s a tough campaigner in her own right, and starts with a natural advantage among working class people, especially in Appalachia, who themselves are sticking to basics and remembering what the Clinton years were like for them.

Webb would be effective in many of those ways, too, and he adds his military hero credentials to counter McCain’s. He would be a strong and likeable campaigner, too, with good connection to the rank-and-file. But besides losing a Senate seat that is less likely to go Democratic again than Hillary’s, he doesn’t have quite the name recognition and pre-built enthusiasm behind her. He wouldn’t have the negatives, either, but I think those will continue to soften, as, in fact, her late performances in the primaries already seem to suggest has been happening.