Swami:
I'm e-mailing you while watching all this news coverage about Barack Obama winning the Democratic nomination. Since you claim to be able to see the future, who will win in November -- Barack Obama or John McCain?
Undecided Voter in America
Dear U.V.A.:
Your query is a non-starter because it fails to recognize one stubborn fact: Hillary Clinton. Can she win? Of course not -- everything from the math to the party's power structure is against her at this point. But can she be stopped? Once again, of course not. She is the Little Engine That Couldn't -- still chugging up the hill, even though the hill keeps growing and growing and growing and ...
Eventually, true enough, it will be Barack Obama against John McCain for all the marbles. But not before Clinton and her 18 million voters get their pound of flesh -- in this case, the vice-presidential nomination. Even with no money and no prospects, she's staying in right now simply to make it impossible for Obama to say "no" without committing electoral suicide.
So, nay, The Swami will not gaze into the crystal ball on who will take the oath as our 44th president on Jan. 20, 2009, until all the players are in place. For now, all the crystal ball can tell us is that ... hmmm ... on the Republican side, it will be McCain and ... whoever makes him look more appealing to the reddest Red Staters ... and on the Democratic side, well, who are we kidding here? Obama and Clinton -- a "when" not "if" proposition if ever there was one.
The crystal ball will be much clearer once both candidates have actually been nominated and have chosen their running mates...
I'm surprised that Hillary is even going for second banana now, her pride being what it is. Then again, have you ever known a Clinton without ulterior motives? Her one big problem, however, is Bill, also known as The Toilet Paper On Hillary's Shoe. And she's far too polarizing a figure - if Obama's smart, he'll go with somebody like Edwards, who no doubt would be far more palatable to the ABC (Anybody But Clinton) crowd.
McCain needs someone young and energetic. How else can he battle Obama's youthful exuberance?
It will be an interesting campaign, indeed.
Dear Swami,
Your crystal ball needs a bit of Windex. Hillary was stopped last Tuesday night by voters, party leaders and her own staffers. Whatever position in Obama's cabinet she may be offered will be carefully considered given the toxicity of our old friend Bill. But VP is not possible. Sad that she needed him to get as far as she got only to not get there because of him. But Obama did the impossible. He beat THEM! Now I think he can do anything. Even fix the disaster from the last 8 years. In fact, I can't imagine anyone else in the world up to such a monumental task. If my crystal ball is wrong, then God Bless what was once America.
Carnac