Clintons promote dream team, but with Hillary No.1
By David Nason in New York
March 10, 2008 12:00am
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Obama wins Wyoming, the least populous state
But Clinton camp wants to appear on top
US presidential election: Follow it with us
BARACK Obama had little time to bask in his win in the Wyoming Democratic caucuses yesterday.
Almost as soon as the victory was announced - allowing him to in part bounce back from a horror week in which he lost the Ohio and Texas primaries to Hillary Clinton - his celebration was overshadowed by Team Clinton's continued emphasis on the possibility of Senator Obama becoming her running mate in the November election.
The "dream ticket" strategy is aimed at persuading Democrats unable to decide between the two history-making candidates that by voting for Senator Clinton they can also get Senator Obama.
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It's also being put up as a compromise plan for the so-called Democrat "super delegates" whose votes will decide who gets the presidential nomination if the primary process is unable to throw up a nominee prior to the party's national conference in Denver in August.
With just 12 pledged delegates up for grabs, Wyoming was more a skirmish than a battle. But after Senator Clinton's campaign-saving victories last week, Senator Obama needed a strong win to put his presidential bid back on course.
Wyoming's Democrats answered the call, giving Senator Obama 61 per cent of the vote to Senator Clinton's 38 per cent. Senator Obama will get at least seven of the 18 delegates on offer and Senator Clinton at least four.
Six delegates will go to Denver unpledged. Senator Obama has now won 13 caucuses to Senator Clinton's three. He has made himself the favoured Democrat in the old West with the Wyoming victory following previous wins in the western states of Idaho, Utah and Colorado.
But as the Wyoming results were coming through, former president Bill Clinton told a rally in Mississippi that his wife was "very open" to having Senator Obama as her running mate in November's election. He said a Clinton-Obama ticket would be "almost unstoppable".
Mr Clinton's remarks followed the two occasions last week when Senator Clinton raised the dream-ticket option. At a town hall rally in Mississippi, on Friday, Senator Clinton said: "I've had people say, 'Well, I wish I could vote for both of you'. Well, that might be possible some day. But first I need your vote on Tuesday."
In response, Senator Obama said: "You won't see me as a vice-presidential candidate. I am running for president."
He cited his campaign's higher popular vote, higher delegate count and greater number of states and said he was focused on "winning this nomination and changing the country".
Senator Obama was last week forced to accept the resignation of his key foreign policy adviser, Samantha Powers, who told a Scottish newspaper Senator Clinton was a "monster" who was "stooping to anything".
The Irish academic also suggested Senator Obama might not be able to fulfil his planned Iraq withdrawal strategy.
The next major primary takes place in Pennsylvania in late April.
Please almighty one, let there be green!
