Prominent Republicans are beginning to whisper about a possible Obama-Clinton ticket in 2012. Until now, I never seriously considered it a viable option. But I’m starting to change my mind.
This, of course, isn’t a new idea. It has had several lives. About a year ago, for example, Bob Woodward made news when he declared the option was “on the table.”
There are many, many reasons for this not to happen — not the least of which is that (unless Biden were to step down for health reasons, etc.) — it might be perceived as a tantamount admission of panic. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And Obama may be getting desperate. Maybe he should be in panic mode?
At this point, someone always makes the argument that running mates don’t matter. But a better analysis is that running mates usually don’t matter. 1960 was an exception — and 2012 might be, as well. And Hillary is special; she could instantly fix some of Obama’s biggest problems.
Obama’s biggest obstacle may be the enthusiasm gap on the left. 2008 was an historic election. It generated much excitement, resulting in high voter turnout. But Obama is now the incumbent; he has disappointed a lot of liberals. Meanwhile, Republican voters are enthusiastic and motivated.
But what if 2012 were also an historic election for liberals?
An Obama-Clinton ticket would instantly inject a level of excitement — and historic significance into the race.
There’s also the practical matter that Hillary might have a stronger cultural appeal than Obama, in blue collar battleground states like Ohio (which she won in 2008).
This is, of course, still speculation. But some senior Republicans are taking this possibility very seriously. And even I am starting to believe it could happen.