Sunday, June 8, 2008

Forging an alliance: A wise move?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7442302.stm

With Hilary Clinton officially out of the Presidential race, Obama should be more than relieved and fully focus on his fight against McCain. Or is he?

As we all know, Obama has to select a running mate for his election campaign and the burning question that is on our minds: will he choose Hilary Clinton? Sun Tzu mentioned in Art of War that one should never ever forge an alliance; unless you read the mind of your neighbours. While gaining powerful allies is indeed a boon, one must be wary of 'allies' with ulterior motives. If you cannot fully grasp the thoughts of your neighbours, than perhaps it is wiser to keep your distance away from them.

However, in Obama's case, rejecting Hilary could be tantamount to casting her 18 million supporters aside. Hilary won 8 of the last 15 nomination contests, capturing a vital portion of the voters - blue-collar whites, older women, and Latinos. She also managed to gain hold of the swing states which voted in favour of the Republicans back in 2004. Besides, being a rather inexperienced Senator, his chances may be greatly boosted if he has Hilary, a politics veteran, by his side.

On the other hand, if Obama chose Hilary to be his VP, he may risk being overshadowed by the Clintons if the Democrats win. With the influence and charisma of the Clintons, Obama may be reduced to a mere "shadow President", with the main power in the hands of the Clintons. This may also give Hilary a chance to consolidate her forces to run for the election again once Obama's term is over. Since Hilary is a much more experienced politician, Obama is unlikely to stand a chance if an internal power struggle really breaks out.

My advice to Obama: Think carefully before making the decision, because it may be the last that you'll ever make.

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