According to the Wall Street Journal, advisers close to Sen. Barack Obama are saying that the presumptive Democratic nominee is unlikely to ask defeated Sen. Hillary Clinton to run on his ticket.

If this is true, I think it’s a very wise decision. Although sources close to Clinton maintain she is interested in the job, the New York senator did herself no favors yesterday in refusing to acknowledge Obama’s historic achievement, and her stalling tactics are an unnecessary distraction from the party unity that Obama will have to solidify if he is to win in November.

Apart from last night’s fireworks however, Clinton is a dangerous choice for vice president as her very name is likely to discourage traditionally conservative independents from siding with Obama. Although she would undoubtedly advance Obama’s appeal among women and blue collar voters, there are many other prominent Democrats that could offer similar rewards without the needless risks. In the coming days and weeks, watch for Obama’s search committee to focus on men and women with political experience, populist credentials and, perhaps most importantly, a last name less inflammatory than “Clinton.”