What I dont see is why an Obama supporter would want him to take the Veep position.
For sure, there is the obvious: you're next in line for succession. But it's not much of a guarantee.
I mean, what are the scenarios?
[b] 1)[/b] Hillary is elected, but either through her own faults or through circumstances beyond her reach (global economic crisis, what not) becomes impopular in her first term. Unless she completely flames out though*, she'll still get to stand for reelection and loses.
Precedents: Bush Sr., Carter, Hoover.
Consequence: Obama is left to wait till 2016, with one negative association down.
[b] 2) [/b]Hillary is elected, and remains popular. She is reelected, and Obama remains in the waiting room till 2016; but by then people feel it is time for a change and pass him over for the opposing party.
Precedents: Clinton, Eisenhower ... and hopefully Bush Jr.
Consequence: Obama only gets his next chance in 2020.
[b] 3) [/b]Hillary is elected, and remains popular. She is reelected, and Obama remains in the waiting room till 2016; with the governing Democrats still popular and/or the Republicans in disarray, Obama is elected as her successor.
Precedents: Reagan, Roosevelt.
Consequence: Obama in '16
So that's, like, a chance of one in three that Obama actually does get to inherit the Presidency as Veep - and even then probably only in 2016*.
In the meantime, he'd be left figuratively twiddling his thumbs in a more or less ceremonial position with little power - Cheney is very much the exception of the rule, after all, and Hillary is not exactly likely to follow GWB's example in ceding so much power to the Veep.
Doesnt seem like a position that would suit him - he's a doer, a negotiator, a man who wants to get things done.
No, if and when Hillary is nominated and then would go on to win the Presidential elections, Obama I think would be much better served in a powerful position where he actually gets to wield authority, negotiate legislation, build coalitions.
He'd be perfect in Harry Reid's job, but I suppose he's not eligible for that because he won't be in the Senate. High administration post then, Justice or Education or Health (Hillary wont give him the State Dept, and I dont see him at the Pentagon somehow..).
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* Variation 1b) would have her burning out so starkly that she wouldnt even stand for reelection. The only precedents in the last 80 years would be LBJ and Truman, but both were effectively in a second term already, and only in LBJ's case did the Veep get to run instead (and he lost).
