The Young Turks

I'd really love to see an Obama McCain ticket, problem is, it just ain't gonna happen. Hell, I'd probably enjoy an Osama McCain ticket as well, though I don't know how much they'd get done, always bickerin' with each other over global jihad and what color to paint the West Wing. Zany. But I think an Edwards Obama ticket or an Obama Edwards ticket has about just as much chance. OK, I'm no Vegas odds bookie but I'd put it somewhere between Touchdown Jesus and Elvis having a reunion concert with the Beatles at halftime of a Packers Colts Superbowl while Chelsea and Hill nude Jell-O wrestle on a giant float of Nixon's head, all whilst the Colt's cheerleaders expose their nipples tap dancing the star spangled banner. Probably worse than 14/1. Better than a snowflake's chance in hell but not quite as likely as a 2008 recession.

Sure it looks great on paper, but so did the 2006 Bears, the '86 Redsox and Bay of Pigs invasion plan. As my freshman year Bible Studies teacher, Br. Roepkie,  used to say to me, that's why pencils have erasers. Shaky, as we kids used to call him, was full of pithy maxims for every occasion. Such as, if your head is stuck up your ass, well pull it out. Pull it out, by all means, pull it out.

Sorry, it is just that this is the exact reason I think people hate pollsters and pols. They were talking about Howard Dean at this point in 2004. Now, everyone knows Hillary Clinton is done for. Just like Dewey Wins!

For all the great messages of hope offered and all the uplifting spirit going on right now that are inspiring a whole new generation of activists, which is great, the hard cold truth is that candidates often make very calculated choices. Reagan, a Washington outsider, chose Bush, former head of the C.I.A. with all sorts of insider connections as his running mate. Similarly Clinton, an Arkansas governor chose Gore, who grew up in Washington as the son of a Senator before serving himself, as his running mate.

True Kerry chose Edwards, and Edwards appeal in some Southern states could help Obama in a general, but Kerry needed Edwards favorite son status more, and look, they lost anyway, so that point is moot.

On the other hand, people say something can't be done until it is done. And if Bloomberg and who knows, Nader and Huckabee (assuming he doesn't win his party's nomination) and Ron Paul all make indie bids (possible but not very probable) it really could be a year of historic change in which all the traditional rules and the conventional wisdom gets chucked out the window.

Call me cynical but I just haven't gotten swept up in all the emotion yet, and I think it is too soon to write off Hillary no matter what all the professionals and pundits say.

by tiggerporn on 01/08/2008 02:07:38 AM EST

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