After much deep thought and analysis of the top three democratic candidates running for president, I've come up with a multitude of scenarios of how each candidate could end up winning the nomination. The 'Brokered Convention' was a hot topic in my thought process--but I wonder how much of it is objective thought versus my deep down political junkie desire to see a brokered convention. Then I thought about how Hillary is 'moving to the right'. I don't think she is. Edwards and Obama are moving to the left. Why?
The answer is simple--Hillary has the nomination locked up. The other candidates know that. I feel that there could have been a deal, perhaps with Edwards first then with Obama as he soared in popularity in the early part of 2007.
My conspiracy unravels like this: For Clinton to win in the general, she cannot be seen as too liberal or too anti-war. But how can she win the Dem nomination without being those two things? By Edwards and Obama running so far left that it makes Hillary seem like the Centrist candidate. Edwards calls for mandated UHC, and troop withdrawals, and an economic populism that would be tough to see in the general election. Barak plays to the young, optimistic liberals and idealogues--which would be hard to spread over the entire population in the general. What do we get? Hillary seeming to be above the fray of liberal politics, all the while being a liberal herself. Its brilliant.
But what would Edwards/Obama get in return? A VP nod? Both candidates would grab that chance, regardless of what you think. Edwards would cuz he has nothing to lose, its his last chance. Barak would too.