Democratic détente should decide VP drama

At long last the Democratic Party has its presumptive nominee, Sen. Barack Obama from Illinois. The epic 16-month battle between Obama and his last standing opponent, long time front runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York was hard fought with each raising record numbers of money while accumulating more votes than any other primary candidates in history.

Both Obama and Clinton formed loyal and impassioned bases of support, roughly splitting the Democratic Party down the middle. Still, the intensity of the fight, which grew exponentially right up to the end at times distracted one from appreciating just how truly special and historic this race was.

I’ve never been more proud to be a Democrat than I am this year. For the party of Jefferson, Roosevelt and Kennedy has put forth for nomination the first African American to top the ticket of a major party for the presidency of the United States. What’s more, the presumptive nominee only emerged after the final two primaries in June having bested the first viable woman candidate to run for president.

Now I was a Hillary Clinton supporter. I thought she was the better, more experienced candidate. But I don’t have a single problem with Obama and will gladly support him this fall.

I thought Clinton’s concession speech June 7 was inspired. It was a graceful exit complete with a full throated endorsement of Obama and a valedictory address to her supporters—specifically her female supporters—who helped shatter the glass ceiling which held the question: could a woman really be president? Clinton may have fallen short, but she has blazed a trail for women to come and for that alone has earned her place in history.

There’s another thing Clinton will be remembered for and that’s making Barack Obama a better candidate. His Trinity Church associations’ aside, Obama really did enjoy a free ride from the mainstream media who couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment they were covering. Conversely, they held Clinton to a double standard and magnified every flaw, every gaffe through the cacophonous 24-hour news cycle. But even if the media weren’t asking Obama the hard policy questions, Clinton did and he became a stronger, more seasoned candidate because of it.

Several months ago when Clinton was riding high in the polls I suggested that she pick Obama as her running made—that history demanded this of her. Well, let’s just turn that right on it’s head. Barack Obama should choose Hillary Clinton as his Vice President not just for history’s sake and all that it would represent, but because he really needs her. She brings gravitas and experience and having won approximately the same number of votes, she’s earned it. Clinton would also have an easier time delivering the millions of women who supported her to Obama if she were on the ticket and help him with the blue collar Reagan Democrats. These are both key demographics she handily carried over Obama.

Still, I have heard the reports that Obama and Clinton don’t like each other that much. If that’s really the case they need to get over it. Presidential tickets have long been formed from fierce rivalries. Luckily the candidates themselves haven’t said anything too offensive about the other. That job was left to their underlings who managed to outrage their counterparts on an almost daily basis. I suppose that’s why this race was so intense—there were parallel histories being made that meant equally as much to both sides. Hence, bringing these two candidates together and uniting the party just makes sense to me.

You know I have absolutely no sense of how this presidential election will turn out. Barack Obama could lose in a close race to Sen. John McCain or he could win in the biggest landslide in history. All I do know is this is the most important election in my lifetime and as a gay man who still believes in the promise of America I want to pull the lever for a team who helped make this race the most exciting and significant in history.

Obama – Clinton 2008. Get used to it.

You can email Colin Murphy at colin_murphy@sbcglobal.net.