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Clinton Supporter Angered By 'Other Women' Obama VP Talk

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July 31, 2008 9:52 AM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: A longtime friend of Sen. Hillary Clinton said it's "incomprehensible" that Sen. Barack Obama would choose another woman to be his vice-presidential candidate over Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Veepbeat_generic_blog "The selection of either one of those instead of Sen. Clinton I would find completely incomprehensible," said Lanny Davis of rumored Obama vice-presidential contenders Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Davis is a former special counsel to President Bill Clinton and a longtime friend of Sen. Hillary Clinton's dating back to their time at Yale Law School.

"If anyone thinks that picking a woman will simply placate Hillary Clinton's female supporters, I think that's very patronizing to women and i don't think that that either Gov. Sebelius or Sen. McCaskill would disagree," said Davis, who penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Thursday titled "Why Obama Should Pick Hillary."

Davis said he hasn't met either Sebelius or McCaskill and said he admires them, but Clinton is more qualified.

"She helps him more and she's more qualified," Davis said of Clinton, "Therefore, why would he pick two females, both who are very admirable public servants, why would you pick them over her?"

Davis, a longtime friend of Clinton, said he isn't speaking for Clinton and doesn't know if she truly wants to be vice-president. Though Davis said she recently called him when he was ill.

Davis said he hasn't given up on the "dream" of an Obama-Clinton ticket, though he said he has abandoned his early effort after Obama won the primary to get Clinton supporters to sign a petition urging Obama to pick Clinton as his running-mate.

However other Clinton supporters seem less confident in an Obama-Clinton ticket.

Two former Clinton campaign staffers who started the website VoteBoth.com to urge Obama to choose Clinton as his running-mate is shutting down under the assumption she's not on his short-list of vice-presidential candidates.

Obama's vice-presidential shortlist is being closely help by the campaign.

"We're not commenting about the nominee selection process," Obama spokesperson Bill Burton told ABC News.com.

Obama spent hours this week meeting with the co-chairs of his vice presidential committee search team Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy.

Likely Democratic vice-presidential contenders include Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Indiana Sen. Even Bayh, Sen. Joe Biden, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Sebelius, a two-term governor of a red state, and McCaskill, a first-time senator from a battleground state who is close to Obama.

McCaskill campaigned with Obama in Missouri Wednesday, but she has said she's not being vetted and sources close to her describe her role as a close personal advisor rather than a possible veep candidate. Meanwhile, Sebelius sidestepped questions Wednesday about whether she is being considered.

Obama may try to solidify his support among women voters thought key in November by picking a woman as his running-mate. 

Clinton, who lost her bid to be the Democratic Party's first woman presidential candidate, won 52 percent of Democratic women voters during the primaries. However Obama is leading McCain 54-39 percent in support from likely women voters, according to the latest ABC News poll.

But Davis argued Obama's poll numbers increase with Clinton as his running-mate, citing two June polls from Wall Street Journal/NBC and Fox/Opinion Dynamics.   

"Even they wouldn't contend, I believe, that they would be more helpful to Sen. Obama on the ticket than Hillary Clinton," Davis said of Sebelius and McCaskill.

ABC News' Matt Jaffe contributed to this report.

July 31, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (349)

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ALL CLINTON SUPPORTERS MUST UNITE TO DEFEAT this unqualified, presumptuous, pandering
false prophet pretend.
Hillary 12!! she is real change

Posted by: krist | Jul 31, 2008 10:01:56 AM

There isn't another female on the "short list".

It will be Bayh, Biden, or Kaine.

Posted by: Tamrya | Jul 31, 2008 10:02:47 AM

What gives Caroline Kennedy any credibility to be a co chair to vet VP candidates? Her claim to fame is based upon her parents legacy none of which she or her late brother ever really lived up to. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend would have been a better choice at least she has served in office of Lieutenant Governor for MD.

Obama is an ego maniac. He will not choose Hillary for that reason. Choosing any other woman is actually "tokenism".
Obama's campaign is consistently plagued with drama of the negative sort and just plain nonsense. Expect more of the same if he wins.

Posted by: Samantha | Jul 31, 2008 10:04:18 AM

Obama won't pick Hillary Clinton, because that would definitely get in the way of his huge ego.

Hillary and Bill Clinton would absolutely overshadow Obama, and Obama knows it; obviously Obama would look more unqualified, unexperienced than ever.

The arrogance of Obama will not permit him to chose the best VP; only one that makes him look good; that's what the guy's about--himself.

Posted by: NielPA | Jul 31, 2008 10:06:57 AM

Lanny Davis is an insulting embarrassment, so I don't know why you would quote him and suggest he has any credibility. Also, if a woman candidate were to be chosen I don't think it would be to "placate" Clinton's female supporters. That kind of statement is pretty insulting in itself. Where does Davis get that idea?

Posted by: mary | Jul 31, 2008 10:10:35 AM

Is the other girl the OBAMA GIRL

Posted by: rag top | Jul 31, 2008 10:10:56 AM

I doubt Obama would pick a female other than Hillary. But I would hope that he chooses someone with foreign policy experience.

Posted by: erin | Jul 31, 2008 10:12:10 AM

It's McCains choice-I respect that
It's Obamas choice-I respest that
GET A GRIP!

Posted by: watching | Jul 31, 2008 10:13:05 AM

Jennifer Parks and Lanny Davis have tons of nerve.
During the campaigning, their view seemed to be, "we want a woman stand up for us." So now, you're telling us that you lied. It wasn't about breaking barriers. It was about your buddy Hillary, getting the nomination. Why don't you just speak plainly instead of handing the public this nobler than thou attitude.
"I haven't met either one, but Hillary is more qualified." How do you base that line of BS?
I'm not convinced that Obama believes this crap you're spewing. I'm sure he's selecting some one who can better the cause, not your personal agenda. . . . .
You seem no better than the Republicans when it suits you!

Posted by: DAVID NH | Jul 31, 2008 10:13:27 AM

I wish the Clintons and their EVIL minions would just go away. I despise them.

Posted by: lowell bethel | Jul 31, 2008 10:14:38 AM

Obviously, Obama is intimadated by the Clintons popularity, he only has his "guarded" speeches to back him up; no substance, Obama is truly a cut-out of Madison Avenue, props and all.

Posted by: NielPA | Jul 31, 2008 10:15:40 AM

You pick a VP to: Win a State or Region and/or Provide a Positive, without any * negatives and/or Back you up in an Area of Weakness such as Forign Policy, Fiscal, or Experience.

The key is that negative area. Absolutely no major negatives allowed. The exception is a current VP that is on the Ticket for Re-Election with a current President.

Does Hillary Qualify ? NO !

Posted by: BretC | Jul 31, 2008 10:15:57 AM

so Hillary Clinton is the only woman that Davis has respect for....how demeaning is that? women unite against this character

Posted by: S.B.Anthony | Jul 31, 2008 10:16:17 AM

Obama can't stand women in power.
He'll pick another white guy, while he still pretends to be part of the African American community

Posted by: trettione | Jul 31, 2008 10:16:34 AM

If Mr Obama picks Ms Clinton then he will lose. We don't want to see, hear, or even look at another Clinton anywhere near the White House. Enough is enough. This is not a dictatorship of the Clintons.

Posted by: lowell bethel | Jul 31, 2008 10:17:22 AM

Boy oh boy! You people are something else! If, as self-professed democrats, you vote for McCain (or stay home on election day), you and everyone else in this country will pay a very dear price for your anger. As for me, I vote the straight democratic ticket. There are too many vitally important issues at stake and it is very true that McCain will be a third Bush term. Look at the shape the country is in, folks. To say we're in terrible trouble all across the board is not overstating things. McCain will not be able to get us out of the deep pit we're in, economically, militarily, ecologically, and any other "ly" you can think of. His campaign is a mess and he inspires zero confidence that he can run this country.

Posted by: counting crows | Jul 31, 2008 10:18:15 AM

The comments by NielPA, Samantha, Tamrya, and Krist appear to have been written by the same angry, bitter, and delusional faux-feminist (In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if all the comments were written by Lanny Davis).

I will say, however, that were our positions reversed... had Mrs. Clinton won the nomination, I would feel similarly. I could never bring myself to vote for John McCain, but equally there is absolutely no way I would vote for Mrs. Clinton.

There's enough going on in my life, however, that I have no time to accumulate such reservoirs of bile to spew forth at every opportunity. By this time I would simply have shrugged my shoulders and decided not to vote in the presidential contest.

Posted by: Larry McD | Jul 31, 2008 10:19:34 AM

When the Clinton go away so will Obama's chances of being president. I bet you are voting for Obama right Lowell? Just like you voted for Clinton during the 1990's. And we all know that that is ANCIENT history? Did you despise the Clintons then? With voters like you, Obama has a lot to look forward to when he retires.

Turncoats...gotta love em.

Posted by: Samantha | Jul 31, 2008 10:20:16 AM

Did everyone see Barack Obama rally the support of Europe to help America in our fight terrorism? Is there any other person, of either party who could get Europe to come out in a pro-America, U.S. waving rally like the one we saw in Berlin.

While John McCain was riding around in a golf cart offering his small minded sniping attacks on Obama, Barack Obama was avoiding any direct criticism of his rival or the Republican administration. He only talked about America and our relationship with Europe.

When I think of John McCain, I think of his opposition to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This woman discovered incontrovertible proof near the time of her retirement that she had been systematically discriminated against by her male superiors. She proved it in court, only to have it overturned by a right wing dominated Supreme Court.

How could they, or John McCain, demand that Lilly Ledbetter file in court within a 180 days of being hired, when she didn‘t know and could not have known the facts that prove she was discriminated against?

Posted by: John's conscience | Jul 31, 2008 10:21:17 AM

Hillary and her ilk just don't know how to lose gracefully....Her and her huusband are shams and have been all their lives..The tragedy so many people buy into this...

Posted by: indy_voter | Jul 31, 2008 10:21:39 AM

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