Obama, Clinton, And The Fly On The Wall [View All]

[highplainsdem]

http://uspolitics.einnews.com/article.php?nid=520580

By Joe Rothstein, Editor
USPoliticstoday.com

(It was June 5, just after the last Democratic primaries confirmed Barack Obama's narrow presidential nomination victory over Hillary Clinton. Both candidates slipped away from their retinues and met privately at the Washington home of Senator Diane Feinstein. In my imagination, I was a fly on the wall at that meeting. Just the three of us: Clinton, Obama, and me soundlessly perched on a nearby wall. Here's what I “witnessed.”)

Obama: Hillary...Thanks for coming to see me like this on such short notice. But before we say a word, how about a hug?
Clinton: You probably need one as badly as I do.
(Big bear hug. The tension of the past months needs to be squeezed out. It shows in both of them. But both seem exhilarated by the experience ).
Obama: No sense being coy about this. You know that for the rest of this year, and probably beyond, you and I are joined at the hip, don't you?
Clinton: Obviously. If I had won the nomination there's no way I could have avoided putting you on the ticket. Now you're stuck with me.
Obama: I really have no other choice. But let me tell you, during the toughest days of the last few weeks I really warmed up to the idea.

-snip-

Obama As I say, you're the kind of pro I learned to love in Chicago politics. And I keep forgetting, you got your start in Illinois, didn't you?
Clinton: We're not so different, are we? We'll get along just fine together in the White House. So, how do you want to handle the announcement of an Obama-Clinton ticket?
Obama: Well, the first thing we do is cool it. Let passions die over the summer. We'll make it seem that you're no longer being considered. Then we'll schedule you for a prime time TV speech at the convention that simply blows people away---the way mine did four years ago. That starts a groundswell for you, and it's almost as if you're chosen by acclamation. I won't resist.
Clinton: I like it. If your people, or the Hillary-haters got wind of this too early they'd build a wall of opposition. Might even make it impossible for you to put me on the ticket. You'd make a lot of your own people mad.
Obama: Oh, a lot of my own people will be mad no matter how we do this. But the focus is on winning in November, not keeping everyone happy. I need you to win. That's the political reality.
Clinton: I agree. And if you don't win, it won't be my fault. I'll live to try this again four years from now.
Obama Yes. And I won't get in your way then.
Clinton So between now and the convention I'll just keep a low profile, stay out of trouble, and prep for a convention speech so electrifying it will pop the balloons before they drop.
Obama: That's it, my friend. And between now and then you'll be reading a lot of stuff about how I'd never dream of putting you on our “dream ticket.” Don't believe a word of it.

-snip-

The rest is at the link.

This page has a bio of Rothstein, who's been a political strategist as well as an editor.

http://www.ipdgroup.com/bios.php