Obama-Mondale 2008

Eh, it's a fun albeit completely unlikely scenario given that Mondale was 80 in 2008, but on the off chance it happens I'd say a) he harms the ticket (because of his age and his reputation as both a has-been and a losing candidate), making for a closer race between Obama and McCain (one which Obama would still likely win given the fundamentals and the fact that running mates aren't that impactful) and b) would be dropped from the ticket in 2012 (because of age and I'm guessing health concerns).

Of course, that would then mean that Obama would have a different running mate in 2012 (probably someone other than Biden given he might not want to go from an 84 year old to a 70 year old - plus there's the fact that Obama's friendship with Biden might mean he's named Secretary of State instead of Clinton), which obviously has butterflies for 2016 and beyond.
 
he harms the ticket (because of his age and his reputation as both a has-been and a losing candidate)

Not to mention that he's known to be quite liberal, which works against balancing the ticket(even if Obama wasn't that liberal, "black guy with an African name and a Muslim dad" sure as hell pushes the same buttons), AND his previous vice-presidency was in an administration now associated with hostages, Russians in Afghanistan, and line-ups for gas.
 
Eh, it's a fun albeit completely unlikely scenario given that Mondale was 80 in 2008, but on the off chance it happens I'd say a) he harms the ticket (because of his age and his reputation as both a has-been and a losing candidate), making for a closer race between Obama and McCain (one which Obama would still likely win given the fundamentals and the fact that running mates aren't that impactful) and b) would be dropped from the ticket in 2012 (because of age and I'm guessing health concerns).

Of course, that would then mean that Obama would have a different running mate in 2012 (probably someone other than Biden given he might not want to go from an 84 year old to a 70 year old - plus there's the fact that Obama's friendship with Biden might mean he's named Secretary of State instead of Clinton), which obviously has butterflies for 2016 and beyond.

I'd guess Vilsack would be Obama's second term VP. He's from a swing state and was the only cabinet member OTL to serve all 8 years, which makes me think Obama liked him in particular.

Here Mondale would have been in the Senate for 6 years as Deputy President Pro Tempore and likely builds a fresher name for himself. I guess one could also note that he was ambassador to Japan in the 90s. For all the fear of Obama as trying to radically change America (as some conservatives accused) picking Mondale sort of balances that.

If Clinton doesn't get State that's a conundrum for her. Reid made it clear that she wasn't going to get much special treatment with regards to ignoring her lack of seniority. I think Clinton either goes for Mayor of NYC in 2009 (should Bloomberg not run somehow... maybe she works to make sure the two-term limit stays) or for Governor of NY in 2010. Mayor in 2009 could perhaps transition to UN Ambassador in Obama's second term.
 
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If Clinton doesn't get State that's a conundrum for her. Reid made it clear that she wasn't going to get much special treatment with regards to ignoring her lack of seniority. I think Clinton either goes for Mayor of NYC in 2009 (should Bloomberg not run somehow... maybe she works to make sure the two-term limit stays) or for Governor of NY in 2010. Mayor in 2009 could perhaps transition to UN Ambassador in Obama's second term.
Personally I’ve always thought that if Clinton didn’t get State she would’ve retired from the Senate in 2012 and been set up nicely for 2016.
 
I'd guess Vilsack would be Obama's second term VP. He's from a swing state and was the only cabinet member OTL to serve all 8 years, which makes me think Obama liked him in particular.

Well, he was the Secretary for Agriculture. Just as easily could have been coincidence/being beneath notice.
 
What if Walter Mondale had won reelection in 2002 and in 2008 Obama had picked him for his running mate?

By the time of the convention, Mondale would presumably have announced whether he was running for re-election for the Senate. If he was, Obama would not want to put the seat at risk (an open seat is almost always less safe than one where the incumbent is running, even if the incumbent is 80). If he had retired, people would assume that it was because of age, and that would make him a curious choice for the vice-presidency. (After all, one of the implied criticisms of McCain was that he was too old--do you really want your ticket to have someone who makes McCain look young?)

Of course age is only one of many reasons the idea is so absurd. (1) "Loser" image in national politics (not really affected by strength in Minnesota). (2) Adds nothing to the ticket, appealing only to somewhat-liberal Democrats who would vote for Obama anyway, and turns off younger voters for whom Obama represented a new kind of politics. Every plausible vice-presidential choice had some advantage. The idea behind Biden was to appeal to working-class and especially Catholic white voters in states like Pennsylvania (Biden's native state) who had largely supported HRC in the 2008 primaries. Evan Bayh would appeal to centrists and help the ticket in Indiana. Tim Kaine would help in Virginia. Bill Richardson would help with Hispanics, Kathleen Sebelius in farm states and with women. The choice of Mondale would make no sense even if he were younger.

Yes, I know that Biden and Sanders are in their late seventies and running for president in 2020. But first of all, lots of things are plausible in 2020 that weren't in 2008. Second, both Biden and Sanders have distinctive qualities Mondale would not (one was VP under a relatively recent presidency admired by most Democrats--not one in the distant past most Democrats had either forgotten or wanted to forget; the other is the embodiment of a distinctive political position). Third, strange as it seems, it is probably easier for someone who is 80 or nearly 80 to be chosen as president than as vice-president! The VP-candidate after all is chosen by the presidential candidate--and the latter may be more in the grip of conventional political wisdom than the voters themselves are...
 
Operative term being low-key

They're involved in Food Stamps, School Lunches, Agriculture Subsidies, Trade Missions, Rural Development (Utilities and infrastructure), agricultural science, food inspection, loans, some foreign aid, and a bunch of other things.

It's one of the most important cabinet spots.
 

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Personally I’ve always thought that if Clinton didn’t get State she would’ve retired from the Senate in 2012 and been set up nicely for 2016.

Well - It's one less piece for her resume, and she's not in the photo watching Bin Laden get killed, but she's also nowhere near Benghazi. She can be quiet or free trade skeptic without needing to be SecState for a pro-Free Trade administration. So it seems she would would be ditching more liabilities than assets.
 
Well - It's one less piece for her resume, and she's not in the photo watching Bin Laden get killed, but she's also nowhere near Benghazi. She can be quiet or free trade skeptic without needing to be SecState for a pro-Free Trade administration. So it seems she would would be ditching more liabilities than assets.
And, this keeps her hands off of the preliminary stages of the Iran nuclear deal too.
 
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