Dartblog

…for Republicans that is.

This morning on the Early Show, Hillary Clinton suggested for the first time the possibility of a “dream ticket” involving both her and Barack Obama. While I agree with Clinton’s contention that it would be a dream ticket, I think it would be a dream ticket for Republicans rather than Democrats. John McCain secured the nomination last night with four wins and will prove a formidable force in the general election. Against Hillary Clinton, he will be the foreign policy candidate, the candidate of experience, the candidate of bipartisanship, the moderate, all positions which Clinton took in the primaries. Against Barack Obama, he will appear even more qualified and what he lacks for in charisma he will certainly make up for in experience and leadership qualities. Against the two of them, John McCain would be incredible. I think the mere presence of Hillary on the ticket, would energize the Republican base. In addition, McCain does well with the independents who have catapulted Obama’s campaign to the top and whose support will be sought by both sides in the general election.

Yesterday was a great moment for the Clinton campaign. Losing only Vermont demonstrated that her appeal within the party is still strong. With big wins in Texas and Ohio in particular, Clinton regained a bit of the momentum she lost in the past few weeks as Barack Obama won contest after contest. Due to the critical role that Ohio played in the 2004 contest, Clinton’s win is important for her campaign. In suggesting the dream ticket, Clinton indicated that the Ohio win suggests that she deserves the right to be at the top of the ticket. We shall have to see if the Democrat Party agrees.

With the delegates as close as they are—1449 for Clinton and 1555 for Obama—the competition wages on. While many readers may be skeptical of Clinton’s ability to secure the nomination, I believe that John McCain’s presence as the nominee may alter the race considerably. In the end, the fact that Obama has had no significant achievement in his years as a United States Senator can only hurt him. I’m simply delighted by the course of this election. I posted many weeks ago that I thought the Democratic contest could continue up to the convention. So far it seems that I was right and the year is proving to be far more exciting than even I had hoped.