While the Republican primary field is obviously wide open, it struck me that the Democratic Party's potential aspirants really are already down to two: Obviously the president will be one of them - and if things aren't going so well for him by the spring of 2011, his only plausible challenger would be Hillary Clinton.
She made a recent obligatory denial of interest in running for president, but such denials are not taken seriously. After all, both the current president and the previous Democratic president flatly denied any intention of running, yet cheerfully turned up to take their oaths of office promptly thereafter.
And, while only God knows what will happen to America in the next year-and-a-half (and He hasn't told me), it is not implausible that by 2012 the Democratic Party may see Hillary Clinton's nomination as their best chance for keeping the White House.
Of course, if the economy comes booming back, unemployment is cut in half and there are no foreign policy disasters, Mr. Obama will surely get an unopposed nomination and probably his re-election. But if current estimates are right that unemployment may still be close to double digits at the end of next year - and particularly if foreign affairs goes badly - Hillary just might be the one.
It seems odd that a failed foreign policy might be the basis for a president's secretary of state to replace him on the presidential ticket - but it is beginning to set up that way.
Of course, as secretary of state, Mrs. Clinton cannot plausibly be assigned any responsibility for a bad economy and high unemployment. Nor, perhaps ironically, would her fingerprints be on a stunningly unpopular health care plan that: (1) increases the national debt by trillions, (2) increases the cost of health care premiums for the middle class, (3) increases taxes on the middle class, while also (4) reducing the benefits to the middle class.
Nor, curiously, is she likely to be seen as responsible for the Obama administration's foreign policy. It has repeatedly been reported in major newspapers that she is one of the most marginalized secretaries of state in modern times. The White House has made little effort to disabuse the press and the public of that view. She was not even included in the president's Moscow Summit. She is seen as the good soldier and team player with little voice in policy.
Let's stop here for a moment. That part about the Moscow Summit is inaccurate-- Hillary broke her elbow right before she was scheduled to leave for Russia. We have discussed the marginalization meme on this forum a number of times. However, while Hillary has often insisted that she isn't being marginalized, 0 has not backed her up on it.
The worse things get in foreign affairs - and those dark clouds are getting darker and closer - the better Hillary Clinton's foreign policy will look compared to Mr. Obama's. Even now, her Gallup poll job approval rating of 62 percent beats her president's number by about 10 percent.
In the 2012 Democratic Party primary, we may once again hear Hillary's advertisement that asked who do we want answering the red phone at 3 a.m.?
Excellent article Jen. Hillary played her cards right by getting out of the senate, saving her from blame for the stimulus, the health care fiasco, and the other screw ups of O and the Dem congress. The so-called marginalization (whether real or not) has been widely reported by MSM - no doubt with the intention slamming Hill, since they all have severe cases of CDS. And then there's O - who hasn't really given her much support, and has appointed all manner of czars to take over numerous functions in the WH.
If this author's theory plays out and Hill becomes the nom in 2012, MSM and Obama and pals - the two entities who have been the most unfair and insulting to Hillary - will have helped accomplish this. Now, that would be poetic justice.
I honestly believe that if O is still doing as badly as he is now, he will find a reason not to run - unless, he's absolutely sure his thugs, his Dem cronies, and his Chicago cronies can steal another election for him.
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
While the Republican primary field is obviously wide open, it struck me that the Democratic Party's potential aspirants really are already down to two: Obviously the president will be one of them - and if things aren't going so well for him by the spring of 2011, his only plausible challenger would be Hillary Clinton...
My observation is that Obama's behavior/performance is getting worse and worse, and is finally getting noticed by the American people at large. Yay!
"However, while Hillary has often insisted that she isn't being marginalized, 0 has not backed her up on it."
What a d!c&.
"In the 2012 Democratic Party primary, we may once again hear Hillary's advertisement that asked who do we want answering the red phone at 3 a.m.?"
Someone who obviously hates America and everything she stands for, or Hillary, o-usurper's polar opposite?
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Barack/Barry: If you're NOT LEGIT, then you MUST QUIT!!
One thing I find curiouser and curiouser is the amount of time Hillary has been spending outside of the USA. Sure, the Secretary of State is supposed to travel. That's part of the job and of course Hillary is going to go the extra mile-- literally-- because she's a work horse. Still, I don't recall any of the previous SOS's taking anywhere near this many trips to so many different countries over such a brief time span. I'm not saying I know what this means, it's just one unusual piece of this puzzle that I have noticed.
Who knows? Maybe Hillary said to Bill, "If Obama gets elected President I am leaving the country." And so she did-- over and over and over again.
lol - I wish the rest of us had that luxury. lol
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony