Why HRC supporters shouldn't want her to be VP

A message to Hillary Clinton and more importantly her supporters.

The numerous discussion about an Obama-Clinton ticket are ultimately puzzling to me.  I say this not because I am an Obama supporter, but because I don't see any real value to Hillary Clinton being Vice President.  I know many of her supporters would like her to be, and even Clinton has said she wants it, but ultimately IMHO it makes no real political sense for her to do so.

Let's back track a moment and let me give you at least a couple of reasons why she would want to be on the ticket.  First, if something were to happen to Obama, she would become President.  Second, she would go down in history as the first woman to be Vice President.

Besides those obvious benefits, how does she benefit politically from this office?  IMHO, she really doesn't. Some could argue she'd have more power as Vice-President, but that is neither guaranteed nor is it necessarily true.  Vice President is often a stepping stone for lesser known candidates to gain the spotlight for an eventual Presidential bid.  However, Clinton does not need such help.  She already has name recognition and there is only one thing that prevented her from being the first woman President in the US: Obama.

Secondly, being Vice-President would present more intractable party problems that would eclipse the acrimony of this race if she chose to run against Obama in 2012, or if he lost, she decided to run in 2012.  If she were to run for President in 2016, she would be faced with the same age related problems as McCain, in that she would be in her 70's when she ran.  

Complain about ageism all you want, but people's concerns about a candidate dying in office are not completely ageist but practical.  American President is the single highest stress job in the world and every President comes out of it looking and feeling a lot older than when they went in.  Even 'W' appears to have aged considerably more than his 8 years, even though he has been the most vacationed President in history.

Vice President's also fulfill the role of party bulldog and contribute somewhat to the running of government.  Granted, Cheney has had significant power as Vice-President, and the stock of the Vice-President has been on the rise in the last 20 years.  

That said, it is highly unlikely that Obama would be willing to cede to Clinton as much power as Bush cedes to Cheney.  Historically the Vice President has typically held very little power. Cheney and Gore are the exceptions, not the rule.

Personally, I agree with Feinman.  I don't think she really wants to be Vice President.  I believe so for one reason only: power.  If more power is what Clinton really wants, I can recommend 4 positions that would likely give her more power and personal satisfaction than a turn as Vice President.

1 - Secretary of Health and Human services.  Though many may dismiss HHS as a powerful position, I would argue that is a short-sighted view of the power of a Cabinet position at this time in history, especially given the importance of the Health care debate over the next four years.  Cabinet Secretary's can make a significant imprint on the Departments they manage.  If health care legislation does pass under President Obama, she would be responsible for implementing the legislation, a significantly more important role in its infancy than many realize.

2 - Supreme Court nominee.  Nothing needs to be said about the power she would wield here, and at a minimum, Justice Stevens will retire during the next Presidential term regardless of who it is.  If Obama is President it is likely that Ginsberg will also retire, given her age and persistent health problems.  In fact, I would not be surprised to see as many as 3 Supreme Court retirements under an Obama Presidency.  The biggest issue is Clinton's viability as a Supreme Court nominee.  Personally, I think she has the intelligence and fortitude to be a good Supreme Court justice.

3 - Majority leader -  though this is not a given, she may be able to wrangle the Majority leader position as a concession for supporting Obama and taking a pass on the VP position.  As Majority leader she would wield considerable power in the Senate regarding what legislation is presented before Congress and the shape of that legislation.  If she wants to see Universal Health care pass in the form she desires, this is her best shot to see it happen.

4 - Governor of New York.  As Governor, she would be the first woman governor of the second most powerful state in the union.  She would also manage the second largest state economy and its requisite budget.  Furthermore, as Governor she would be able to set the legislative agenda in New York and be able to wield incredible influence over the New York Democratic party.

Now obviously these points are debatable, but they cannot be dismissed out of hand when Clinton is considering her options.  Some may not care and will focus merely on the fact that they think Clinton deserves it. I think she could responsibly use the power these offices offer to be a positive force in the Democratic party and ultimately achieve her long term goals in a constructive and meaningful way.  What are your thoughts?