Barack Obama needs to find a way to get Hillary Clinton out of the race, but do it nicely.
What does Hillary want? Whatever it is, Barack Obama should just say yes. Unless she wants to be his running mate. Then he definitely should say no.
Obama has to say no nicely, of course, to let her save face and, more important, not to drive away her supporters. But he also has to say no firmly enough that she realizes there is no room for negotiation. Clinton's blowout win in West Virginia yesterday puts an exclamation point on the dilemma Obama faces. He has the nomination nearly sewn up, but her refusal to quit could disrupt his plan to claim victory next week.
As the results proved again, her hold on older women and white, working-class voters illustrates his weakness. Obama's inability to appeal to those groups is the biggest threat to his chance against John McCain in November.
But offering Clinton his vice presidential slot isn't the answer. She would undercut the essence of his message - a break from the partisan polarization Clinton embodies.
And Clinton, despite her appeal, probably doesn't put a single state in the Democratic column Obama couldn't win without her. Gov. Ted Strickland of the swing state of Ohio, a Clinton supporter, is probably a better choice as a running mate. Indeed, Clinton's high negatives could actually hurt Obama in some states.
Even if they were to win together, an Obama-Clinton-Clinton administration would be a three-ring circus. Obama would be double-teamed and maybe double-crossed by Bill and Hillary, both of whom would be looking to get back to the Oval Office. Competing power centers would be a permanent condition in everything from foreign policy to health care.
Still, with Clinton racking up wins, pressure is building for her to get a tangible reward for herhistoric race. Her campaign is $20million in debt, but help in paying it off probably isn't all she wants. The long-shot chance that her colleagues would make her Senate majority leader became an even longer shot when Harry Reid made it clear he intends to keep the job.
All of which means there is a good chance she really wants to be on the ticket. Some insiders acknowledge as much, though that could be a ploy to keep Obama guessing or a bargaining chip.
Either way, Obama needs help, which is why I suggest he turn to humorist Garrison Keillor. In one of his folksy radio skits, Keillor deciphers the unwritten rules of an encounter in Lake Wobegon that resembles Obama's Clinton problem. I've taken the liberty of inserting their names.
Say Obama is sitting on his front porch one summer evening when a neighbor named Clinton walks by and strikes up a conversation. The rules of the dance, according to Keillor, require Obama to invite Clinton to sit and have a glass of cold lemonade, even though that's the last thing he wants. But the good news is that the same etiquette that compels Obama's offer requires neighbor Clinton to decline, though she really would like that lemonade. The rules require her to say she has to get home and feed the cat or walk the dog.
Obama offers, Clinton says no and everybody saves face by playing his part to perfection.
Ah, but there's a potential catch in the real world. Suppose Clinton breaks the rules and says yes. Then Obama is stuck with her. Yikes!
