Hillary hints that she may choose Bill Richardson for VP

From Newsmax.com:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton tossed an intriguing teaser into Saturday night's Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum: Bill Richardson as vice president?

When the New Mexico governor referenced Bill Clinton's old job as governor of Arkansas, he said to Clinton, "Don't you think governors make good presidents?" according to the New York Daily News.

Clinton's answer -- "Well, Bill, I think they also make good vice presidents" -- left Richardson briefly speechless.

Speculation about Richardson as VP has been fueled by his refusal to criticize Clinton, and his willingness to defend her.

If you'll recall from our post on possible Vice President selections for Hillary, we noted that Bill Richardson is the only democratic candidate with experience in the executive branch. As much as we'd love to see the possibility of a Hillary & Bill dynamic duo, we also think the White House could use some fresh blood in the office. Richardson also offers a vast amount of experience with foreign relations as the former Secretary of Energy. Plus, it's no secret that Bill Richardson has been the only candidate with enough integrity to not attack Hillary Clinton during the debates and press releases. He has shown that he knows better than to do that, and I don't see him as someone who would get in the way of Hillary's proposals while in office. Let's face it, Hillary and Bill can take care of the White House just fine on their own. Whoever the Vice President happens to be, we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that they are anything more than a fill-in for a required position. The real reason Hillary should choose Bill Richardson? The Latino vote. In this day and age, alienating this important demographic is political suicide. The naming of Bill Richardson for VP along with her plans on immigration reform will by the winning combination for capturing the hearts and votes of Latinos across the nation.

Who Would Make A Good Vice President for Hillary

As it's becoming more and more evident that Hillary Clinton will win the nominee and ultimately become elected President of the United States, a subject that we're starting to focus on more is who will be the Vice President alongside Hillary. It's pretty likely that she will choose from one of the democratic candidates currently running for president.

Here's what we have to choose from:

Senator Joe Biden
Senator Christopher Dodd
Former Senator John Edwards
Senator Barack Obama
Governor Bill Richardson

There are also a few fringe candidates running like Dennis Kucinich, but the serious contenders narrow down to this group here.

At first glance, one of the things that pops out right away is the fact that there are 4 Senators and one governor, Bill Richardson. One benefit that Bill Richardson has is that he has experience working in the executive branch of New Mexico. The problem is, he is used to dealing with problems mostly pertaining to that of New Mexico and may not have a clear view of the problems we face as a nation. Another downside is his lack of name recognition and popularity. He may not alienate any Hillary supporters, but he isn't likely to bring in any new ones either. Quite frankly, Bill Richardson running as Hillary's vice president with either have a neutral or negative impact. That simply isn't good enough for Vote for Hillary Online.

Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd also have the problems with popularity and name recognition. Make no mistake, these candidates have their loyal followers, but we're talking about mainstream America here. Chris Dodd is even viewed as a fringe candidate to some. Again, these two candidates will either have a neutral or negative impact on Hillary's campaign and presidency. Not good enough.

We are left with the well known front runners: Barack Obama and John Edwards. I want to point out a very simple contrast between these two: John Edwards is far to the left and does not shy away from his beliefs, and Barack Obama tries to pander more down the middle to appeal to a wider audience. John Edwards threatens to take away health care packages from legislators if health care isn't made available to all of the American people, and Barack Obama shies away from conflict - he wants a new brand of politics that calls for people to come together. Both have their pros and cons. John Edwards gets respect for looking out for America's lower class and sticking to his guns about his stances, but he also runs the risk of alienating the middle and upper class. Barack goes for all inclusive friendly approach, yet often comes across as a wobbler because he never takes a tough stand on anything.

While Vote for Hillary Online's ideologies more closely resemble that of John Edwards, we feel that some of his rhetoric may not be easily swallowed by the general public. Not to mention the obvious: There has never been a woman president or vice president, and there has also never been an African American president or vice president. We feel that the symbolic implications of having both of these things accomplished at one time would make this election much more powerful.

There is one other option though that we will start exploring in the days to come: Bill Clinton as vice president. Think it's not possible because the 22nd Amendment blocks a person from being elected president twice, while the 12th Amendment states the vice president must be someone who's eligible to be President? Think again.