The speculation was triggered by some political operatives and commentators when they observed that Barack, this early, has been acting like a presumptive – or presumptuous? – nominee of the Democratic Party for the US presidency, even before the race with Hillary for the nomination has come to an end, which is still several weeks from today.

Perhaps Obama – the would-be first black president – has good reasons for his presumption. After all, he has already won more votes than Hillary in the party primaries as well as in the number of super-delegates, party and elected officials who have the final say on who’ll be fielded by the party against John McCain, the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party.

Hillary, the would-be first woman president, and her husband former President Bill Clinton have not reacted to the notion. They have been very quiet, unlike the political pontificators in both Democratic and Republican circles and in print and broadcast media, who, incidentally have been proven wrong in past elections.

"Absurd!" some commented. "Don’t be too sure," others retorted, pointing out that an Obama-Clinton team would win because "it’s looking like a Democratic year."

Naturally, some Republicans laughed at the "bad idea." But the more serious ones among them did not take the concept of Obama and Clinton team lightly. And they may well be right. That "Unity Ticket," someone pointed out, would "instantly heal" the Democratic Party, obviously referring to the divisive campaign for nomination by the two Democratic senators of Illinois and New York, respectively.

"I think Hillary would be would be the strongest choice for VP," one political consultant said. "Hillary complements Obama by offering longer experience, women are the biggest complement of the democratic coalition who would raise an unbelievable amount of money for the general elections, she is ready for the campaign and would not make big mistakes and they will be 10-15 points ahead of McCain within a week."

More, two perceptive observers wrote that there are five reasons why Obama should offer Hillary the vice-presidential nomination – and why Clinton would take it. First, Clinton’s support among her most loyal partisans, women’s groups especially, is as intense as Obama’s among African-Americans and young people. Clinton could help Obama in getting the support of Catholics, Jews, Hispanics and blue-collar workers, while Obama could focus on growing his base and reaching out to independents and disaffected Republicans.

Second, it’s going to be a decisive character test for Obama’s ability to rise above personal sentiment (his dislike for Clinton) and whether he can transcend divisions and be a party unifier; third, Obama should realize that the Clintons have an independent power base and that it’s better to have Hillary under close watch in the White House than in the Senate.

Fourth, it’s an unbeatable merger of strengths, an almost unstoppable force. The ticket would align nearly all of the top Democratic Party operatives around the dame goal and would swamp Republicans with the most potent fundraising operation in history. And fifth, people may laugh at the vice presidency, but Clinton knows that as Veep she would have the highest odds of becoming president some day. As Vice President, she would work hard do well, and as President Obama could have confidence that she would be a smart and effective adviser.

To be sure, as a Democratic strategist noted, there are certainly a lot of obstacles to an Obama-Clinton "Unity Ticket." Such, as for instance, Hillary may not want to play second fiddle or offer sufficient assurance of loyalty and subordination to Obama. Or, she might not be able to subsume her ambitions and ideas for as many as eight years. Or, Obama may not like the idea of Hillary, who really thinks she should be president, as his vice president who may have the potential for way too much mischief that could undermine him as president. .But if such obstacles can somehow be overcome, then Obama should ask her to run with him, and she should accept the vice presidential nomination.

And another political observer, obviously a Hillary fan, pointed out that she would bring some tangible political assets to the Democratic ticket and there is simply no denying her personal and positive appeal to professional women and Latinos, with whom she has generated as much excitement as Obama has among younger voters and African-Americans.

Finally, as a professor of political science so vividly put it, "I am for the dream ticket… these are the two most talented politicians the Democrats have… both have genuine leadership abilities… This is the Democratic Party’s year. Why not take advantage of it by having the first African-American and the first woman as president and vice-president in our history?"