convention

As we warned yesterday, it’s silly rumor week when it comes to the VP speculation. From rumors about Obama naming his ‘mate in hours to McCain picking his location to unveil his choice, both campaigns spent last night shooting down reports about who, when, and where. However, the Obama camp was more emphatic about shooting down the New York Times report (which said that an announcement could come as soon as tomorrow) than the McCain camp was about the Politico story (which noted that the Arizona senator’s pick will come on August 29, the Friday after the Dem convention). By the way, there are three reasons why an August 29 VP announcement for McCain could be a problem: 1) it will come as nearly every political reporter — save those actually following McCain — is headed on a flight from Denver to the Twin Cities; 2) it occurs at the start of the Labor Day weekend, when many Americans are probably headed to the nearest beach or lake; and 3) it’s the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Still, the upsides of picking that day: 1) it immediately forces the national press corps to turn its attention away from Obama and to McCain; 2) it steps on McCain’s 72nd birthday a tad; and 3) it creates a little buzz going into the weekend of what could be one of those bad press weeks for the Republican Party, as many media outlets focus on all the Republicans NOT showing up to the convention and the Bush-Cheney opening night potential dud.

In “If Clark is the VP-choice, Here are Some Contrasts with McCain” (August 16, 2008), there was a list of contrasts to John McCain, each one of which could have been elaborated upon to fill an entire article. Some were military, others character, still others “civilian.” By all those accounts McCain pales in comparison to Clark.

It could have been added that Clark had several appointments that required Senate approval. McCain never did. Clark was approved by a voice vote of the Republican-controlled Senate to be Supreme Allied Commander Europe. John McCain was part of that Republican-controlled Senate.

But, the selection of Wesley Clark as Barack Obama’s VP running mate will have another consequence that the McCain camp could not survive.

Inevitably, inexorably, indubitably the military records of these two men will be opened, examined, sliced and diced and compared by the press. Enormous pressure will build on McCain to sign a release form that allows access to all his military records, a step he has never taken.

But Clinton isn’t one to be mollified by symbols alone. Very likely, she has demanded - and gotten - a voice into whom Obama ultimately chooses for a running mate. She wants to make sure he chooses someone who will also be her ally in the White House; someone who will champion her cause until a future time when she can again mount another bid for her former abode. It’s the only way she could conceivably become motivated to aggressively and enthusiastically back him.

Despite a recent CBS poll saying a majority of voters would like to see Clinton in the vice presidential slot, she’s smart enough to know it wouldn’t be the right move for her - and therefore won’t push it. The two are philosophically complete opposites and would find it hard to work together. There’s also no faster way to shut someone down than to make them a vice president, where they are prevented from overshadowing or bad-mouthing their boss. Clinton would want the independence to criticize Obama and even outshine him, should the opportunity arise.

Politically, it would also not make the most effective ticket. The public senses the tension between them and will consider them insincere whenever they praise one another.

Clinton supporters have tried to make this point in recent weeks, winning language in the party’s convention platform that acknowledged Mrs. Clinton’s history-making candidacy, and praising her as a smart, seasoned policy wonk who could add ballast to Mr. Obama’s message of hope and change.

Indeed, a recent New York Times/CBS News poll of convention delegates found that 28 percent preferred Mrs. Clinton for vice president — by far the largest bloc supporting a candidate. (More than a third offered no opinion; 6 in 10 of Clinton-pledged delegates wanted her, but only 3 percent of Obama delegates named her.)