In a two-day-old interview with ABC’s David Muir, I sensed a whiff of Hillary Clinton’s aversion to asking Elizabeth Warren to be her vp. A “granny ticket” with Warren would melt away a lot of the resentment that the Berniebots feel toward Hillary, and it would really raise the gender flag. It would constitute a huge “fuck you” to the establishment patriarchy and all those smarmy news guys asking “is the country ready for a two-woman presidential ticket?” (Read: We aren’t!)

ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

The chickenshit Clinton approach would be to pick a nice, safe, dull older male to be her vice-president so the bubbas can say to themselves “well, if she dies in office we’ll at least have a dude taking over and not, good God, another woman.” The bold approach would be to say “I’m in no way a revolutionary and I never will be, not with my Goldman Sachs payoffs and my secretive nature and allegiance to the corporate Democratic establishment attitudes personified by Debbie Wasserman Schultz, but this has been a year of revolutionary outcry and Elizabeth Warren, besides being a tough pol and an organized advocate, addresses that outcry…hell, she is that outcry…and I would be honored to have her join me.”

But “bold”, I fear, isn’t in Clinton, and it never will be. She’s flinty by nature but she doesn’t have half of Bernie Sanders‘ vision or conviction. She’s a guarded, measured, center-right incrementalist who voted for the Iraq War and who co-owns an expensive home in Chappaqua.

As indicated, I would be delighted if she picks Warren but my insect antennae vibes are telling me she won’t because of egoistic stubbornness — i.e., yes, she needs a tough pit bull to muss up Donald Trump‘s hair but on the other hand she doesn’t want to be overshadowed. Hillary has to be Super-Hillary. She has to live in the world she knew in the ’90s and early aughts — she doesn’t really get 2016, not really. She’s a policy wonk. She likes things to be traditional, proper, well-flanked. Her first political allegiance was to Barry Goldwater.

Remember how she said in ’08 that Casablanca was her favorite film? Really? She couldn’t even say High Noon (her husband’s favorite) or A Man For All Seasons or The Sand Pebbles? She’s really not that hip and never has been, and you know that she talked over the favorite all-time movie thing with a committee before deciding on Casablanca.

But Hillary does have to be the Big Honcho, and that means no patience with an ardent vp pushing for this or that. Shut up, Elizabeth. You’re my backup. Know your place. I am the cheese.

Read this 6.9 Daily Kos piece by “brooklynbadboy” about why Warren is clearly the best vp choice, etc.

Clinton/Muir transcript:

Muir: The last 24 hours, Senator Tester, a key Democratic leader, was asked about the idea of a Clinton-Warren ticket. Elizabeth Warren, of course. He answered, ‘Is the country ready for two women? I don’t know.’

Clinton: [Cackle laugh] Well, I’m not gonna get into vice presidential choices but I have the highest regard for Senator Warren.

Muir: Let’s put her name aside though. Do you think the country would be ready for two women?

Clinton: I think at some point. Maybe this time, maybe in the future. But we’re gonna be looking for the most qualified person to become president should something happen to me, if I’m fortunate enough to be the president.

Muir: Is Bernie Sanders? Would he be vice president? [HE: Idiotic question, David!]

Clinton: We’re gonna be looking at everybody who has something to contribute.