Bill Clinton Says Hillary Didn't Want To Be VP

ABCnews.com:

Despite saying she would accept the offer to be vice president, Hillary Clinton never really wanted to be Barack Obama's running mate, her husband former President Bill Clinton told ABC's The View.

"Not really, she didn't," Clinton said in response to a question from host Barbara Walters about whether Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. wanted to join her one-time opponent on the Democratic ticket.

In June, soon after conceding the primary to Obama, Sen. Clinton told New York lawmakers that she would accept the veep slot if it was offered.

"I'm open to it,' she told other New York lawmakers at the time.

President Clinton told The View that had Obama chosen his wife instead of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden it would have been "the best politically," and that his wife would have likely taken the job though she didn't want it.

"It's a very personal decision who should be vice president. I like Sen. Biden a lot. I think he was a good choice. [Hillary Clinton] would have been the best politically at least in the short run because of her enormous support in the country," he said.

President Clinton said Sen. Clinton would have felt duty-bound to accept the offer, but that she enjoys being a senator.

That "enjoys being senator" line is BS. Bottom line, accepting a No. 2 gig, when you feel the No. 1 spot was "owed" to you in the first place, is something Hillary Clinton would've had a hard a time dealing with. And let's not forget about all the animosity that arose between the Clinton and Obama camps during the primaries. Granted, when you consider that she got more votes than he did and beat him pretty soundly in the latter stages of the primaries, at the very least Barack Obama owed Hillary Clinton the chance to turn down an offer for the VP position. But then, even if Hillary had listened to many in her base and accepted the spot, she would've been a reluctant cheerleader at best, campaigning for a man she feels she's more qualified than for president. But Barack didn't pick Hillary for VP because he got to see the venom-inducing, shark-like, Billary machine for 18 months and didn't want to deal with anymore. Understandably so, especially when you consider the risks of the polarizing effect Hillary's last name has on Americans being even more prevalent on a presidential campaign trail. However, when Barack loses come November, you can bet the house that the "should've picked Hillary" cries will be the loudest cheers for why he lost.