# Let's discuss Obama quitting. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 8, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418 "2008-04-08T03:09:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aptronym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@aptronym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aptronym)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/1 "2008-04-08T03:09:26Z")
Okay, for starters, I’m a big Obama fan, and I’d vote McCain over Clinton, so I’m serious when I’m just asking “what if”. What if **Obama** quit this race, accepted Clinton’s offer of the Vice-Presidency, and planned to run again in 2016? For one thing, nobody could question his motives. You wouldn’t get that “they forced us to quit” distaste that many Clinton supporters might carry over to the general election in November. This would probably unite the whole Democratic Party in a way that none of (a) Obama winning by force, (b) Clinton winning by force, or © Clinton quitting could. Obama would get a tremendous amount of “walk the talk” points that would ice his nomination in 2016 and probably be forever known as “the uniter”. And Democrats might have the White House locked for 16 years. Is there a case to be made for it? ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/2 "2008-04-08T03:10:48Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/3 "2008-04-08T03:12:57Z")
You’d have a pretty large number of Obama supporters feeling let down, either by him or by the whole process, and I’m not sure how they would bounce back. Some would be really mad: “I went out and canvassed and donated [$XXX] and he quits _while he’s winning_?” Any talk about what this would mean in 2016 is hopelessly premature. I’ve seen people try to play the “they could hold the White House for 16 years” game before, but it’s absurd. Obama and his VP choice could do the same, in theory. It’s too soon to predict most of what’ll happen in 2008 and almost anything that will happen in 2010. 2016? Forget it. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/4 "2008-04-08T03:23:18Z")
[QUOTE=aptronym] Okay, for starters, I’m a big Obama fan, and I’d vote McCain over Clinton, so I’m serious when I’m just asking “what if”. What if **Obama** quit this race, accepted Clinton’s offer of the Vice-Presidency, and planned to run again in 2016? [/QUOTE] There would be a significant portion of the populace who think it was forced in a backroom deal of some kind. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/5 "2008-04-08T03:28:43Z")
Wow – I’ve encountered a lot of silly ideas during this campaign, but, sorry to be so blunt, this is the silliest yet. You might as well ask the leading runner in the Boston Marathon to quit within sight of Copley Square because he could always try to win the race a few years from now. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/6 "2008-04-08T03:46:09Z")
Preposterous idea. And I’m a Hillary supporter. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/7 "2008-04-08T04:03:09Z")
That makes absolutely no sense. Why would the frontrunner quit? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/8 "2008-04-08T04:05:22Z")
[QUOTE=aptronym] Let’s discuss Obama quitting. [/QUOTE] Let’s not, and say we did. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/9 "2008-04-08T04:40:01Z")
To take this seriously… I would be highly disappointed, and would not really care about Obama in 2016. He can’t replicate all of the things that make his candidacy great. It’s not about him, so much as it is about the moment. It’s important that he win now, in my opinion, instead of in 8 years because we need to fix the country now. We’re really on the edge of serious problems that need some serious attention. A half-hearted at solving the looming energy problems simply won’t do it. So this would be different from a Hillary superdelegate coup because it wouldn’t be her fault. I suppose I’d vote for her reluctantly, although i wouldn’t need to given my current location. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/10 "2008-04-08T11:18:51Z")
It would be seen as a bizarre decision, and would almost certainly be held against him if he decided to run again. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/11 "2008-04-08T12:31:41Z")
I would feel betrayed if Obama quit now since there is no logical reason for him to accept less than the top of the ticket. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM5obt1EuHo) is an illustration of Hillary’s logic in dangling the veep spot for Obama. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/12 "2008-04-08T12:35:28Z")
The only comparable instance I can think of would be Perot’s dropping out of the 1992 race in mid-July (when he was virtually in a 3-way tie with Bush and Clinton), and re-entering the race at the beginning of October. While he still got 19% of the vote that November, he never attained his previous levels of support. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/13 "2008-04-08T12:37:22Z")
[QUOTE=aptronym] For one thing, nobody could question his motives. [/quote] Really? I would question his motives. What’s all this talk about him being the candidate of change, and then he embraces the candidate of the status quo? > [@](#): > > You wouldn’t get that “they forced us to quit” distaste that many Clinton supporters might carry over to the general election in November. This would probably unite the whole Democratic Party in a way that none of (a) Obama winning by force, (b) Clinton winning by force, or (c) Clinton quitting could. Really? I can think of lots of people who would think this was a dirty, back-room trick by the Clintons. Terrible idea. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/14 "2008-04-08T12:49:48Z")
Who are you??? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/15 "2008-04-08T13:09:17Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] Who are you??? [/QUOTE] **John** ’s never been a knee-jerk commenter of any sort. (I assume this was directed at him.) ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/16 "2008-04-08T13:12:26Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] **John** ’s never been a knee-jerk commenter of any sort. (I assume this was directed at him.) [/QUOTE] No it was directed at the **OP** not John. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/17 "2008-04-08T13:13:35Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] Who are you??? [/QUOTE] If that’s directed at me, I thought you were aware that I’ve been an Obama supporter for some time. But even if I weren’t, I’d still think the thesis in the OP is a terrible idea. BTW, I hope this doesn’t turn into a pile-on towards the OP. Nothing wrong with asking these “what if” questions, so I hope he/she doesn’t take any of the replies personally. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/18 "2008-04-08T13:23:40Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] If that’s directed at me, I thought you were aware that I’ve been an Obama supporter for some time. But even if I weren’t, I’d still think the thesis in the OP is a terrible idea. BTW, I hope this doesn’t turn into a pile-on towards the OP. Nothing wrong with asking these “what if” questions, so I hope he/she doesn’t take any of the replies personally. [/QUOTE] Of course it wasn’t directed at you. I was wondering about the OP. No ill will either to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/19 "2008-04-08T13:41:51Z")
It would make better sense to discuss Hillary quitting, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418/20 "2008-04-08T14:00:48Z")
It would be ridiculous, it won’t happen and would not enhance his political future, the opposite I expect as has been noted previously. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-discuss-obama-quitting/444418.md?page=2)