An Obama/Clinton ticket raises questions

June 23, 2008 —

The question still remains: Who do you want answering an urgent phone call at three in the morning? My best bet is that the answer does not involve both Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Though a CNN poll shows that 54 percent of voters would support the joint ticket, why anyone would consider them a dream team is beyond my reach. They seemed to passionately dislike one another, and although their feelings may have been sparked by competition, emotions have ignited beyond repair over the past few months.

The advertisements have started to remind me of those commercials that I hate; ones that say, "We have those sandwiches with even more meat than the other company, and we charge five dollars, too." If Clinton answered the phone a few years back, we'd be heading to Iraq, but if Obama answered, we may still be home. Their views are not this different now, but who is to say that a life-changing event like September 11 will not come along again, leaving the two divided when their partnership matters most?

Perhaps these two grown adults could come together and form the pair many hope they might make, but it's hard for me to imagine any such relationship.

Though adding Clinton to the ticket may provide Obama with access to her supporters along with experience, there would be more downfalls that would accompany these few positives than one would expect. Most importantly, Obama's campaign promises fresh faces and change, and if he put Clinton on the ticket, he would be providing the nation with the 1990s, not change. Speaking of the 90s, don't forget about Mr. Bill Clinton. Adding Hillary to the ticket would not only bring her strong personality to the White House; it would also give Bill the perfect opportunity to return. If Hillary is going to be Obama's VP, we may see WWIII erupt inside our very own governmental offices because, honestly, what are the chances that Obama and Clinton are really willing to step aside and let the hostility that has mounted between them escape? The possibility of these two strong personalities clashing in the White House makes fear flow through my veins. While an Obama-Clinton ticket may send masses of voters to the polls, these voters may not be in favor of the Democrats. It is a well known fact that the U.S. does not favor extreme change, and perhaps an African American-woman ticket would be far too much for the average American citizen to handle.

The present and near future may cause even more concerns. Currently, the Republicans are using Clinton's demeaning quotes about Obama's inexperience and inability to lead as part of their own campaign against Obama. How is it going to look if a competitor's own running mate is the one providing fuel in favor of the opposing side?

Despite their differences, both Obama and Clinton have done many great things; they have broken barriers and overcome opposition. Obama's U.S. presidential campaign is the biggest fundraiser in the history of elections with over $256 million raised, and he would be the first president to raise money from over one million donors. Despite the adversity he has overcome, there will be numerous tests to come his way to see if he can hack it as president, and joining with his former nemesis is not the best way to clinch another title.