#26 Why in the Blazing Saddles is no one else

talking about Hillary Clinton as a possible Secretary of Health and Human Services in an Obama administration? It's THE MOST LOGICAL position for her: she tried (unsuccessfully) to get health care reform when Bill was president, but now, fourteen years later, there's so much more pressure on Congress to pass some form of universal health care. We know even better now that many people cannot afford private health care, and don't have it through their employment (if they even have employment in this "bush"-league-disaster of an economy). Congress, especially if it's a more heavily Democratic Congress, has to look more favorably on a Hillary-inspired plan.

And Why in the Blazing Saddles is anyone putting public or private pressure on Barack Obama to choose a VP running mate sooner rather than later? Time was, the VP candidate was chosen at the convention. There should be no hurry for the Democrats. Let John McCain choose his VP person, and then the Democrats can determine who would best counter McCain's choice and complement Obama on the ticket (hint: someone from Ohio, possibly Florida, or a southern state like Virginia).

Of course it would be idiocy for McCain to choose his VP candidate first. There's absolutely no need for him to do anything right now. The Republican convention occurs after the Democratic convention. If McCain does nothing, nothing at all, the Democrats will be forced to choose their VP candidate no later than their convention, after which time McCain can make his choice public in early September.

But the press apparently has nothing else to talk about in its news reports, so it hashes and rehashes garbage about what Hillary would or would not bring to the ticket, or who else might be a possibility.

Too bad there aren't other news stories out there. Like cyclones in Myanmar and earthquakes in China, and attacks on Western diplomats in Zimbabwe, and.... oh. wait.

Here's a news story to take VP choices off the top of the news: "US boycotts Beijing Olympics because of Chinese Leaders' Handling of Earthquake Victims' Parents." That'd do it. Ain't gonna happen, but it would top the hourly news reports. You can tell how upset I am at China's quality control, not just in pet food and toys exported to us, but in their own shoddy school construction.

Barack -- if you're reading this, two points of advice: (a) offer Hillary the position of Sec'y of HHS, not the VP slot; and (b) don't tip your hand; allow John McC to tip his first. He's an impulsive guy anyway, so he won't be able to wait and wait and wait until September to announce his VP choice.

And now, as promised:

Electoral Vote Projections (538 total) as of 6/5/08 --

I've made one significant change, moving Ohio from out-and-out tossup to questionably-leaning-Democratic because of the recent auto factory closure announced there. Economic conditions will probably (and unfortunately) deteriorate even further in the industrial midwest, and the likely result will be more people voting for change. To the extent that Obama represents change and can continue to label McCain as "four more years of bush," Ohio I believe is leaning toward Obama. And Michigan, already leaning Democratic, is likely leaning more so, also based on announced auto factory closures. Of course, Obama will need to appeal more to the blue-collar and woman base that Hillary was able to, but I think with her help and his own campaigning abilities, he will do so.

The results are below: I have the Democrats up to 260 electoral votes solid or leaning toward them AT THIS TIME in the campaign. These numbers have to be fluid, however, since an October or earlier surprise by the bush administration, orchestrated to help McCain, could seriously change the numbers.

Alabama 9 R
Alaska 3 R
Arizona 10 R
Arkansas 6 T (R?)
California 55 D
Colorado 9 T
Connecticut 7 T (because of Lieberman)
Delaware 3 D
DC 3 D
Florida 27 R (T? depending on D's VP)
Georgia 15 R
Hawaii 4 D
Idaho 4 R
Illinois 21 D
Indiana 11 R
Iowa 7 T
Kansas 6 R
Kentucky 8 R
Louisiana 9 R
Maine 4 D
Maryland 10 D
Massachusetts 12 D
Michigan 17 T (D? maybe even more strongly D because of auto factory closures)
Minnesota 10 T (depending on the R’s VP)
Mississippi 6 R
Missouri 11 T(R?)
Montana 3 T
Nebraska 5 R
Nevada 5 T
New Hampshire 4 D
New Jersey 15 D
New Mexico 5 T (D?) (depending on what Bill Richardson does)
New York 31 D
North Carolina 15 R
North Dakota 3 R
Ohio 20 T (D? because of auto factory closures there)
Oklahoma 7 R
Oregon 7 D
Pennsylvania 21 D (T?)
Rhode Island 4 D
South Carolina 8 R
South Dakota 3 R
Tennessee 11 R
Texas 34 R
Utah 5 R
Vermont 3 D
Virginia 13 R (T? depending on the D’s VP)
Washington 11 D
West Virginia 5 T (R?)
Wisconsin 10 D
Wyoming 3 R

175 R
62 T leaning toward R or R leaning toward T
- - -
237

197 D
63 T leaning toward D or D leaning toward T
- - -
260

41 T very much up for grabs

-- triton --