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Plouffe Book: Bill Sunk Hillary’s V.P. Chances
October 29, 2009 7:00 AM
David Plouffe seems to confirm what a lot of us suspected during last summer's VP deliberations: that Barack Obama wouldn't pick Hillary Clinton because he couldn't figure out how to make a former President named Bill part of his White House family
ABC News' Teddy Davis has more:
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe writes in his forthcoming book about the 2008 race that the future president was “clearly thinking more seriously” about picking Hillary Clinton as his running mate than Plouffe or advisor David Axelrod realized.
Plouffe’s book suggests, however, that former President Bill Clinton sunk Hillary’s chances.
“I still think Hillary has a lot of what I am looking for in a VP,” Obama is quoted as telling Plouffe and Axelrod during a meeting on the VP selection process. “Smarts, discipline, steadfastness.”
Obama then adds, however: “I think Bill may be too big a complication. If I picked her, my concern is that there would be more than two of us in the relationship.”
Thanks to The Bill Factor, Hillary, who was on the final list of six possible running mates, did not make the final list of three.
The book confirms, as reported at the time, that the three finalists were: Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D), and eventual choice Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.
Plouffe’s book, “The Audacity to Win,” is set to be published on Nov. 3.
TIME is running a lengthy excerpt in Friday’s magazine. It can be previewed HERE.
October 29, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (81)
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He wanted: "Smarts, discipline and steadfastness." So how come he picked Joe Biden?
Posted by: Patrick Hadley | Oct 29, 2009 7:31:05 AM
The VP could be my Down's syndrome son for all he does.
My son is happy, a good hand shaker, goes to bed early, is always polite.
A perfect VP for Obama
Posted by: Doggone | Oct 29, 2009 7:33:56 AM
Hillary would have been a great choice. I skipped to the poles as it was to vote for Obama, I probably would have ran had Hillary been on the ticket.
Posted by: smb | Oct 29, 2009 7:36:03 AM
Ok who cares. We have a Party Puppet in Office another Party Puppet in the VP Role. The only difference if it had been Ms Clinton as VP would be choice of Restrooms
Posted by: rick | Oct 29, 2009 7:52:44 AM
And Obama and his "team" want us to believe this load of crap? The only reason he chose Biden is because Biden's as dumb as a stump and wouldn't be a threat to Obama's intelligence or ego. That plus there was nobody left in Chicago he could choose that wasn't corrupt. I'm not a Hillary fan by any stretch of the imagination, but if she was elected, she wouldn't have went around the world apologizing for this country, and wouldn't have gotten the "Olympic" door slammed in her face. Anyway, I'm quite sure she would have accomplished a hell of a lot more than this clown has. The only thing Obama has accomplished in nine months that Hillary couldn't, is be awarded the Nobel prize for whatever it was they GAVE it to Obama for.
Posted by: Machod | Oct 29, 2009 7:55:23 AM
Safe to say Bill sunk Hillary's chance of being president, too.
Posted by: Matt | Oct 29, 2009 8:12:46 AM
It's history now. Obama has put a team of strong minds together showing his maturity and leadership. He and they will all tell you Obama is president and we serve at his will.
As it should be in America
Posted by: trueAmerican | Oct 29, 2009 8:14:55 AM
08 gave us nothing but bad choices for President and Vice President. Hillary would have just taken Biden’s place as bad choice. Let’s hope 2012 will bring something better.
Posted by: oonogil | Oct 29, 2009 8:15:13 AM
About an hour ago the AP released a story about how the administration grossly over estimated the number of jobs the stimulus
created and ABC is running this fluffy crap. I checked the entire site and its no where to be found on ABC.
Posted by: hkdakota | Oct 29, 2009 8:20:19 AM
Doggone
People with Down’s syndrome are usually loving, gentle people who wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone. That wouldn’t fit in with our government.
Posted by: oonogil | Oct 29, 2009 8:20:31 AM
2000 and 2004 gave us Misery and poor choices.... oops, in 2000, we didn't have a choice.......the courts decided who won the race. America Spoke Loud and Clear in 2008.
Posted by: sara | Oct 29, 2009 8:21:40 AM
dont forget obama controls the media.
where is his birth certificate?
Its interesting he floats tim kaine as a possible VP at this point in time if nothing else to tell virginia right before next week's vote.
the media has coddled him the entire time. it represents quite a biased view of news. I feel like i'm back living in communist russia where the news was completely controlled by the state.
Posted by: Roman | Oct 29, 2009 8:22:40 AM
are you talking about Ms. Palin's Son????
Posted by: sara | Oct 29, 2009 8:22:59 AM
You ran to the "poles"? What did Polish people have to do with the election? At least Hillary wouldn't have had the delusions that Obama does, changing his stories about how he was put to the ticket six or seven times, lying about his own life story, lying that his wife was killed by a drunk driver -- I guess just having her die in a car accident wasn't tragic enough. Amazing that Hillary could be LESS of a liar than someone, but it was so. I wish she had won. I'd definitely have picked her over McCain.
Posted by: WIlliam | Oct 29, 2009 8:26:07 AM
Hillary would have been better but they really feared her, she might still challeng this bunch of screwballs that want to tax everthing and take away from the elderly.
Posted by: earl | Oct 29, 2009 8:26:20 AM
It's amazing that so much emphasis is placed on the VP candidate when they have such a negligible role (unless something happens to the president). Even knowing this I'm as guilty of it as anyone else. McCain lost my support when he chose a vaccuous tart as his running mate, and Obama would have lost me even faster if he chose that loveless shrew Hillary.
Posted by: Chris | Oct 29, 2009 8:28:07 AM
LOL...damn the Prez shoud has "clout".. "Controls the Media"...can become President in our Country without being a Nationalized citizen... And if you've ever really lived in Russia, YOU Would KNOW the Difference, now wouldn't you! Nobody's buying your stupid rationale and Lies...and it's sad when someone doesn't want to know the truth....poor things.
Posted by: sara | Oct 29, 2009 8:28:16 AM
Likely it would not have mattered who was chosen as VP; Soros, Emanuel, Axlerod seem to be running this show. Obama is little more than a talented reader.
As one who believes in the original values of our nation - independence, personal responsibility, faith, and prosperity - I, along with millions of other citizens, can't wait for the opportunity to send this group of big government slave masters back to obscurity!
Posted by: Debbie | Oct 29, 2009 8:31:02 AM
ANY VP selection would have been better than the one McCain selected (i.e. Palin). How could McCain's choice get any worse?? He didn't vette her, her entire family is disfunctional, immoral and corrupt (except maybe Trig), claim a moral high ground they can't even stand on, and on and on. I'm so glad an intelligent person is in the White House now.
Posted by: George | Oct 29, 2009 8:33:21 AM
Who would want to be Pres in this day and age? Bush was the first to get a real taste of internet info, and now Obama is getting hit with it too. I don't think anyone will be immune to this in the future, and if they are, I don't want to vote for them.
Posted by: smugrg | Oct 29, 2009 8:34:51 AM
a strong team was built to stop the financial collapse of our country, 2 Viet Nam like Wars, Unemployment and the worst economy since the Great Depression....the economy is improving, one war is ending, and another is being re-assessed for it's worthiness of our money and BLOOD..(human lives) regulation of our financail system will help stop the Robbing and Stealing...and the Communist-like treatment of it's country's citizens. The country's real Heros are our Servicemen, and they will be compensated....and their Medical care will be funded! The economy grew 3.5% this quarter....thanks Mr. President
Posted by: sara | Oct 29, 2009 8:37:10 AM
Some people are always taking about "Chicago politicans"....Mr. Obama was Never part of none of that...he's totally from a newer generation of politicians....and didn't really have any connected political friends....His supporters came from the community and based on the good he had done there...I met Mr. Obama in 1991, a skinny kid, fresh I thought from college.. with the same swagger, and the wide smile he has now, asking questions, listening and really geniune concerned.....at this time he was making sure that the Justice system, in that County was abiding by the Federal Laws on overcrowding and sleeping on floors....yes, there are innocents in jail, and their constitutional rights has to be honored until proven differnt.. Matter of fact the establishment didn't like him.... how I know I was born and raised in Chicago....and all corruption was reported by OUR Local News, or even Investigated by them....More than I can say about those good 'ole boys down south...kin folks works for the entire State in key positions, and the local news better not coma "stoopint". I live in Georgia now, and can't believe there's no Corruption going on....Pleeeeeeeeeze
Posted by: sara | Oct 29, 2009 8:47:55 AM
trueAmerican: "Obama is president and we serve at his will.
As it should be in America"
Really? We serve HIS will? That's what it means to be an American? Sorry, not in my country. Tell me, did you serve Bush's will too? I doubt it. As sara said, "Try thinking".
Posted by: oLD gUY | Oct 29, 2009 8:50:34 AM
sara: are you talking about Ms. Palin's Son????
You really can't let go of the hate, can you?
Posted by: oLD gUY | Oct 29, 2009 8:52:05 AM
YO! trueamerican: I do not SERVE the president. He is supposed to SERVE US!
Posted by: eleebee | Oct 29, 2009 8:52:24 AM
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