OPINION:
Yes, she has a mammoth marketing machine, a carefully crafted resume and sparkling approval ratings. But is Hillary Rodham Clinton really going to run for president? One school of thought says she’s simply holding a place in line for a Democratic dream team to come, thereby engaging the public with some good political theater. The party still has about 18 months before they have to trot out a pair of official White House contenders. And there is certainly room for more: A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll of Democrats recently revealed that only a quarter of them felt that Mrs. Clinton should run for the White House “unopposed.” The majority want to see a mix of candidates, while 13 percent said she should not run at all.
The list of potential Democratic presidential hopefuls now includes Maryland Govs. Martin O’Malley of Maryland, Andrew Cuomo of New York, Deval L. Patrick of Massachusetts, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and quite possibly Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kirstin E. Gillibrand of New York.
Meanwhile, some cite specific reasons why Mrs. Clinton should bow out of the race. Tom Bevan, executive editor of Real Clear Politics, says she is “just not that good at campaigning” and wonders if the former secretary of state, who turns 67 in October, really wants to get into White House pandemonium at her age. Mr. Bevin also notes that ’it ain’t gonna be a coronation” now that unexpected Clinton critics have surfaced, adding that President Obama ultimately will leave much unfinished business for whoever follows.
“America was mesmerized by Obama’s call for change in 2008. It was one of the narratives that propelled him over Hillary in the first place. Eight years later, Obama has failed to deliver much of what he promised on uniting the country and changing business as usual in Washington,” Mr. Bevan says. “As a result, an even stronger populist, anti-establishment, anti-incumbent fervor is coursing through the electorate. That does not bode well for Hillary Clinton, who embodies the elite establishment - and the past.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.