Thus speak Teddy

Yesterday George Stephanopoulos opined about Hillary possibly positioning herself to get the Vice Presidential nomination, and today Teddy Kennedy all but ridiculed that notion.

Appearing on Bloomberg Television, Kennedy dismissed the possibility that the two could co-exist on the same ticket.  Money quote:

"Obama should choose a running mate who is in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people.  If we had real leadership — as we do with Barack Obama — in the No. 2 spot as well, it'd be enormously helpful.'

Ouch. Wow. Teddy's not pulling any punches.  Six months ago, the idea that a scion from the most prominent family in Democratic politics would so flagrantly dismiss Hillary Clinton as a suitable running mate would have been wholly unthinkable.   Heck, the idea that he would so harshly and publicly criticize her would have seemed wholly unthinkable.  It's just staggering to see how much road the Democrats have traveled over the past five months.  

Truth is, Teddy's right.  Forgetting the mountain of personal animus for a second, Obama's appeal strikes a discordant note with Clinton's.  He's change; she's experience.  She's old school politics; he's post partisan.  He's transparent; she's secretive.   He wants to change the trajectory of the country; she wants a third term.  

Yes they could pull the party together in some respects, but it would be an awkward coupling of two distinctly different philosophies, and in the end would only serve to undermine Obama's appeal.