the kicker

VP Obedience Training (Oh, Behave!)

Yes, “What Does Hillary Want?” as everyone in the campaign press has been asking, as Clinton herself asked and (sort of?) answered last night, and as reads MSNBC’s chyron right now. But, if the answer to that question is “the VP slot,” then what Chris Matthews wants to know is: MATTHEWS: Will she agree to […]

June 4, 2008

Yes, “What Does Hillary Want?” as everyone in the campaign press has been asking, as Clinton herself asked and (sort of?) answered last night, and as reads MSNBC’s chyron right now. But, if the answer to that question is “the VP slot,” then what Chris Matthews wants to know is:

MATTHEWS: Will she agree to obey Barack Obama? Obey. Because that is the job description for vice president. You obey. You are laughing [Mika]. You think it’s absurd that Hillary Clinton would obey Barack Obama.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I’m thinking of Bill, too.

MATTHEWS. It’s a funny verb, obey, but it goes with the job. It’s not the silver medal…[S]ome of the media talk about the vice presidency as if were a second prize, a silver metal in the Olymipcs. It’s not that. It’s a junior partnership but very junior. You do what the president wants you to do every day of your life…[I]f she’s in the sidecar, where is [Bill]? Running alongside the motorcycle?

Twice last evening Matthews also wondered about this (Once saying, “Is she willing to say, I will not love, honor, but obey you…”). Marriage analogies always come with VP speculation from the campaign press. And I suppose if Matthews doesn’t speak now, before Obama unveils his intended, he’ll forever have to hold his peace?

Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.