Henry Clay

The prospect of Joe Biden joining Barack Obama’s ticket, which seems to have grown more real in recent days, raises an interesting possibility: another Biden presidential campaign.

Given how his campaign turned out this year, the idea of Biden ever seeking the White House again seems (and probably is) unlikely. But, at least in theory, a tour de force performance as the VP nominee – think Lloyd Bentsen in 1988 – could spark popular interest in a future Biden presidential campaign that was missing in this past one. If Obama were to lose, Biden (again, theoretically) might then have a shot at the 2012 nomination (much the way the ’92 nomination was essentially Bentsen’s for the taking after his ’88 performance).  read more »

Bill Safire remarked Sunday that the way to run against Hillary is to adopt "the same campaign they used against Henry Clay.... You remember. 'Clay can't win.'"

In case you don't remember, David Wissing explains, with a caveat:

"Now the one difference between Clay and Hillary is that Hillary actually has never lost a national election. Clay's reputation as some who 'couldn't win' was earned over his three defeats whereas the thought that Hillary 'can't win' is only a theory at the moment."

A theory, I'd add, that the New York State Republican Party is doing its best to discredit.  read more »

Kaus, meanwhile, notes the absurdity of the notion that Hillary would write a blog to hit at "Hillary's characterological inhospitability to the bloggerly virtues."