Conversation | 06/06/2008 6:26 pm

Liz Smith on Hillary: 'A Lot of Obama's Supporters Would Just Die if He Chose Her'

With Jane Wagner, Judith Martin, Liz Smith and Mary Wells

Editor’s Note: Sen. Clinton announced this week that she is going to give her support to Sen. Obama and give up the race. What happens to the vice presidency now? Who do you think Obama will choose? Do you think he, in order to unite the party, will choose Hillary as his running mate? These are the questions we posed to Liz, Mary, Judith and Jane.

LIZ: I just had lunch with one of Hillary’s backers, a person who is an aide to Hillary. And she says that she always encouraged her to try and get the vice-presidential slot if she couldn’t win the presidency. But now she feels that Obama probably won’t offer it, because they really don’t want her. They just want her to campaign for him, but they don’t want her to be vice president. Imagine the baggage she would have as the vice president – she and Bill. The vice president doesn’t have very much to do – just serves at the will of the president; presides over the Senate. And, while it’s the second most important job, it’s kind of a nothing job. It’s a strange thing.

MARY: But the current vice president has been very powerful.

JUDITH: You haven’t pointed out that it’s second in line to the presidency.

LIZ: That’s right. That’s the advantage.

JUDITH: I think she should go for a good job. She’s got a bargaining position, and the Supreme Court would be ideal for her. But when Sen. Obama gave his victory speech, it sounded suspiciously like he might offer her something terrible, like being head of H.H.S.[Dept. of Health and Human Services].

LIZ: This person, the one who’s her aide, doesn’t believe she would want to be in the cabinet.

JUDITH: I would think not, especially H.H.S., which is such a difficult position.

LIZ: Well, I think she’d make a dandy secretary of state. I can see her traveling around the world to restore the reputation of this country, at the will of her president. Or, she can remain the senator of New York and bide her time and see what happens. My friend believes that whatever her faults were in this campaign should be blamed on Mark Penn who refused to set up any kind of grassroots thing for her and didn’t use the Internet properly. So Obama took all of that away from them. Most of Hillary’s people now really blame this guy. And for all of her faults in the campaign, she remains a very dedicated and capable and driven kind of person. And we’ve got to remember — 18 million Americans wanted her for president.

Look at Hillary’s enormous support among these older, uneducated women in America, and how marginalized they are by everybody else – like they don’t count. And she really made them count. And I don’t think there’s any way they can vanquish her. I think she’ll come back in one way or another. And Obama’s not ignoring that. He’ll do something, I think. He’ll offer her something – maybe something she really wants.

JUDITH: The things on her list of what she wants were on the domestic side — not on the foreign affairs side. What would be more powerful than the Supreme Court?

LIZ: I don’t know, though. I feel, Judith, it’s too sort of sedentary for her.

JUDITH: Really?

MARY: Don’t you have to have some legal background?

JUDITH: You don’t have to have been a judge, no. You have to be a lawyer, which she is.

LIZ: She’s a good lawyer.

JUDITH: Yes, she’s a lawyer. And if she wants to advance those issues, which were all domestic issues, I would think that that would be the place. And it’s a much better job than being president, much less vice president.

LIZ: Well what do you think, Mary?

1157 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

“Very few anti-Obama references” Right…..I could go though and copy all the disgusting (and thinly—an not so thinly veiled racist) remarks about President Obama. But who cares. They lost and my at first concilatory efforts on the election night have been beaten away by the whiners…and now I’m glad she lost, which I wasn’t before. I don’t like to see people disappointed but in this case, she deserves it and so do her supporters.

By To the beach ~~~ on 06/09/2008 7:50 am

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Mugsy — Damn good post!!!!!

By Lady Gator on 06/09/2008 2:01 pm

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Amen to that countrywoman… I am a 50 yr old white woman who has been a strong Obama supporter but definitely NOT a Hillary hater. However, this website and it’s strong leaning toward Clinton and somewhat dismissive attitude toward Obama has been turning me off. The older feminist guard is cutting off their nose(s) to spite their face(s). Bitterness never gets anyone anywhere and it sees slights where there are none. Can’t we celebrate the new democratic candidate, who has been very gracious, and won because he was the better person for the moment, not due to some anti-woman conspiracy.

By DeBúrca obj on 06/10/2008 9:28 am

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We cannot have a Secretary of State who is delusional about “sniper fire” episodes when he/she returns from foreign travel — or who doesn’t tell Americans the TRUTH about his/her experiences/impressions, etc.

By Renata on 06/07/2008 9:46 am

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I’m just back from the Texas Democratic Convention only to find attacks on Senator Clinton rampant and vile here. I’ve heard both Chelsea Clinton, representing her mother ,and Senator Clinton endorse Senator Obama, pledge to steadfastly campaign for Senator Obama and to encourage her supporters to do the same. I will support the Democratic ticket, beginning yesterday. I have an OBABA button, for crying out loud. This website is not the mainline media, but rather a diverse group of women inviting diversity to bring their own best thoughts. Senator Obama is now the Democratic nominee for POTUS; your candidate won, Renata. Now would be the time for us to begin bringing people together because I’ve encountered throngs of folks who do not plan to vote for Democrats because of the rhetoric of people like you, people who have more time to talk about individuals than you do to reason about issues. This is going to be a tough campaign. Dismiss anyone or any region at your own peril. Yes, I do know Preidents Bush live in Texas….it’s a big state with more than enough stereotypes (and stereos, for that matter. Renata, you worry about how to get the votes of shop owners in Chinatown, CEOs of hedgefunds in Manhattan, Medicaid patients in Binghamton and LDS members in Utah , and let President-elect Obama worry about Senator Clinton (except, of course, she runs for senator again; then we know each individual is entitled to one vote). Peace and grace

By beth willis on 06/08/2008 7:45 pm

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That would be OBAMA…………….nevermind

By beth willis on 06/08/2008 7:48 pm

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hI bETH. what I don’t know is quite a lot. BUT I had certainly been feeling that Senator Clinton could see the end coming. and while she had an admirable show of support. her efforts to discredit the campaign of Obamahas culminated in the division that so many respondents on this site express. I just feel that Mrs. Clintons Saturday news cycle endorsement was low ball. She endorsed. YES, but???? Any way . It’s politics and she has major cred! So there we are. And Peace and grace back to you!

By immoddesta godessa on 06/09/2008 2:39 am

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Godessa…..and who ever heard of a primary candidate that lost ‘suspending’ her campaign, instead of conceding, or dropping out? She’s an atty and parses everything. And to think I wasted my time working to get those people elected, and going to anti-impeachment rallies. What a total waste of money, effort and time.

By To the beach ~~~ on 06/09/2008 7:55 am

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Thank you for your reply, immoddesta. I understand your position, but at this point the Democratic Party must move on toward election in the fall. I grew up in a segregated environment, never went to school with children of color. After college I entered into more diverse worlds and with that, knowledge and understanding. After years and miles away we are back in Texas, which has great potential to go Blue, but sometimes people “don’t know what they don’t know.” Every scenario needs to be put on the table so that POTUS Obama is prepared. My experience in Austin was that there is just the beginning of sifting through the closing of Clinton’s campaign and our endorsement of Obama. Let people change at their own pace. Thank you Peace and grace

By beth willis on 06/09/2008 9:58 am

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We need to reform the nomination process- so messy and not really representational.That popular vote tally is far too close for anyone to claim a mandate or a nomination. Dems who forget Gore won the popular vote ..oophs right, let’s forget about the past. Admittedly, BHO did an amazing job organizing the caucases. And using the internet.His only other real campaign was against that guy whose ex-wife busted him on the porno dates he insisted she accompany him on,yeah that was a tough campaign- didn’t HRC campaign for Obama and fly him to see the Katrina disaster on her dime, first hand… sorry the past, I know. Dance with the gal who brought you anyone? Ah yes, Jimmy Carter -a good,smart and decent man- someone who promised change too and was elected as a Washington outsider and was clueless, once he got to DC, on how to pass effective legislation. (Even with a Democratic congress he couldn’t get much done). Oh sorry, guess I don’t know how to use a crystal ball and start anew without recognizing mistakes from the past. All this talk about change, is all very well and eloquence is, goodness knows, delightful, after Bush, but not if you are naive about how the system works. Please don’t say he will surround himself with more experienced people then talk about change too. And unity? How many Red states have you been in lately? ( See I’m inching my way up to the present.) As to being able to opt out of health care- how many big city emergency rooms has BHO been in lately? It is not pretty. In his future it will be filled with people who ‘opted out’ of his health care plan and bought a flat screen TV instead of paying for their health care and guess who is going to pay that bill? In exchange for 18 million votes, HRC should be given free rein to create a real health care system in this country- Health care Czarina- by either President Obama or McCain. Note to Renata who keeps SHOUTING- if you were in NYC during 9 11 and downtown you might realize that the vote to go to war was one year later - real N Yorkers were still traumatized- and as susceptible to Bush’s lies as say Colin Powell or HRC. (BTW Do you really want the UN to tell a US president when they can or can’t go to war)? HRC race to lose? What white or black man would ever have been called ”Shrewish’ or have the color of their jacket commented on by another candidate? Iron my shirt?? Call me a sore loser but don’t call me after Mc bush is elected, I will have voted for Obama thru clenched teeth. In the future it will take co presidents to manage on the global stage and dig us out of the hole the last 8 years has put the world in- now that’s change I could believe in.

By peachy truit on 06/08/2008 4:08 pm

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Peachy- “it will take co presidents to manage on the global stage and dig us out of the hole the last 8 years has put the world in- now that’s change I could believe in.” Yes, maybe something like the Swiss style of government. We have the same one person at the head with 300 M people.

By To the beach ~~~ on 06/08/2008 9:21 pm

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I think Hillary would be great on the Supreme Court. And she wouldn’t have to give it up in eight years. She could fight for all the things she’s been fighting for. If Obama is elected, there will probably be several resignations, and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t appoint her. She’s certainly qualified.

By Babette dYveine on 06/08/2008 7:32 pm

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Alias, how many men who have compaigned for the presidency came into office with this world experience you speak of? Did our current President have all of this experience you speak of? No he did not. Neither did Clinton. Bush senior had a degree of experience dealing with the world. Let’s see… business partners with big oil companies from Arab lands (we’re at war with one of those countries, right? ) direct contact with the Pentagon and CIA. And what about the statesman Regan, he had none. But all were elected for one reason or another. I say this because journalist and people like yourself speak of one having a lack of experience. Unless you are running for a second term in office no one has the experience of an outgoing President. As a minority woman who has grown up in white america to see a black President of the U.S. would create a change here at home that the average white person just DOES NOT GET. OR SHOULD I SAY DOES NOT WANT TO HAPPEN. The change is not just race relations. The change is broad. Let’s talk media: Here we have our first truly elected black presidential candidate running for office. And we have our first woman (of course white) running for the same office. HC has received and still receives more attention from the media than the now winner of this race. Why is that? How many stories truthfully have there been on Obama since he was the declared winner compared to HC? Tomorrow when she steps down it will be televised I bet on live television. How many 2nd place people get this kind of attention? Where is the exclusive on Obama? The media will shit in their pants if they have to have a black subject as a lead story multiple times a week. How many stories do we hear about that relate to minorities which become the lead story? Very few if none. This to me will be a pleasure to watch…the media doing stories on a black man. Oh how the American media hates black and minority related stories. Where HC is involved, I pray to God that she gets a seat on the Supreme Court…that way she will be removed as being the lead story. Wishful thinking. Her agruments from the Supreme Court will be televised live. She is the type woman I do not wish my daughter to say, Mommy I want to be like her. What about the gas break she squeeked about? Haven’t heard a word since Obama and other Republicans shut her up. Do you really think she’s working on that for you or me or our neighbors…hell no. And healthcare…she was right there in the White House. Today a Senator representing one of the most powerful states in the land…still no universal healthcare. She says whatever poor folk want and need to hear. And if she leaves the party you should truly question her motives because if you wish to unify you do not do it by vacating. My gut, she will leave the party and destroy the fastest growing party to date…the independent party. But with all do respect… maybe we should all agree that we perceive things differently. That perception is based on how and where we were raised and where we are today in life. One more thing…Obama is in a club most only wish to become a member of while HC was born to the same club that is still relatively new to Obama. She knows nothing of a struggle, living in a housing project ( I am referring to where/how Obama was raised) while being raised by a single parent. Who is the elitist…she is. It is just the truth. I’m sorry here is another thought…did you vote for Bill Clinton for the second term or did you vote Republican? The 17/18 million people who voted for her I wonder how many voted for her husband? Is this the same group of people who refused to not vote for Al Gore because of his affiliation to Bill Clinton. Or are these 17/18 million voters who now love The Clintons a mixture of poor, frustrated, out of work Republicans and Democrats who refuse to vote for a black man. You cannot forget what The Clintons faced while Bill Clinton was president. America hated that man and anyone within a 5 mile radius of him. But now it’s okay that he returns to office. If HC became President guess who’ll always be around for dinner? Yeah you forgot…WJC. Just a few thoughts.

By Taylor Hall on 06/06/2008 1:07 pm

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“As a minority woman who has grown up in white america to see a black President of the U.S. would create a change here at home that the average white person … ” The average white person. The average white person? Who or what in the world is that? Before you answer I suggest that you also tell us who or what the average black person is. I’d suggest you look in the mirror - your bias is showing.

By E . on 06/06/2008 1:30 pm

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Elizabeth - you bias isn’t showing? According to the US Census Bureau, the average white person Christian, lives in a city or suburb, has a household income of about $49,000 a year, and can expect to live an average of 78 years. By contrast, the average black person is also Christian, but hass a household income of just $30,000 a year, and can only expect to live 70 years.

By Lorraine Bates on 06/06/2008 2:30 pm