In the annals of great Chris Matthews moments, this interview with former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. is one of my favorites -- it's swami time!
MATTHEWS: Do you think Hillary Rodham Clinton has the soul of a vice president? Do you think she would really feel right about that job? She was first lady, a supporting person to the president for eight years through all the turmoil of that.
Do you think she really wants to be on the ticket that wins, wants to serve as VP for four or eight years under a young president?
FORD: I take Senator Clinton at her word. She is deeply committed to this country, believing that the last seven, eight years of leadership in the White House has been difficult, at best, if not disastrous on certain fronts for the country, and is committed to being a part of a team to straighten that out and to fix that. I can’t answer that for her.
As we jump a step or two ahead here, I think this is a scenario that we in the party, and Barack and Hillary and their campaigns and their teams, ought to begin contemplating. I wouldn’t be surprised, if I were advising the Obama campaign tonight—I’ll say it again, tomorrow morning they ought to find as many super delegates outside of the Pelosi and Reid and Gore, but in the category right beneath him, who are willing to endorse him and to call for this campaign to play itself out in orderly way, but to be clear that the one with the most pledged delegates and the popular votes—it looks as if that will be Barack on both fronts—is going to be the nominee.
I think we have to begin to think seriously about a healing process in this party. Frankly, an Obama/Clinton ticket might address huge concerns that both sides have about personal differences and animosity, and frankly, some of the concerns that some in the party have about Barack’s ability to attract white working class voters, particularly white men going into the fall election.
What does it mean to have the "soul" of a vice president? And what does Harold Ford know about Hillary Clinton's soul?
Ford's response is almost as bad. As Matthew Yglesias points out, it's bizarre to suggest that adding Hillary Clinton to the ticket will help Obama with working class whites in the general election.
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