Tad Devine, Sanders' top campaign strategist, floated a trial balloon about Sanders being Clinton's Vice Presidential candidate. As the path to winning the nomination narrows, it will come up. It came up with Obama and Clinton in 2008.
I was having a sort-of discussion with a Sanders supporter on Facebook last night, because he hates Hillary Clinton. He's quite liberal and her career has given him a lot to dislike. Putting Sanders on the ticket can help assuage those angry (young) voters who - I'm going to just be that Old Man Shouting At Clouds - are a bit naive about politics and a bit spoiled into thinking that earnestness matters. Having a Clinton-Sanders ticket would energize those who have responded to his message and Sanders' integrity gives Clinton a seal of approval. Plus, there is no way the GOP House impeaches Clinton to make Sanders president.
The downside is a bit more esoteric. Clinton is 68, Sanders is 74. Bringing Sanders on to the ticket is a dead end. Maybe she reaches out and taps a next generation of leaders for cabinet posts. Maybe Chris Murphy becomes Secretary of State. Maybe Kristin Gillibrand becomes Secretary of the Treasury.
But a ticket that old - while it might paradoxically rally some young voters - is not a pathway to the future.
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