The Future of Senator Clinton

What now?  Does she go on to be a Vice President?  A Cabinet Secretary?  To take on either of the aforementioned positions, would be to confine her to the term limits of the executive branch and the will of a President.

Naturally, people are stuck on the issue of this current election and her role in it.  Though I think that there is a bigger picture to look at here.

Senator Clinton may find that her legacy is best paved in the US Senate.  There she can serve for decades and author meaningful reform to healthcare and all of the other issues she championed in her campaign.  And she can continue the legacy of her predecessor, New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Clinton, who is already a giant among giants in the US Senate, doesn't need the Presidency to accomplish many of the things she is fighting for.  She has the ability to craft legislation which impacts education, housing, the elderly and the poor.  And without term limits, the Senate offers the benefit of longevity - which means she'll be around to see all of these things through. 

(Two in a series of three "The Future Of..." posts this week).

Comments

[Regina]

Whatever she wants to do. I am one of many behind anything she wants. I'll support it. And not what any Obama folks 'helpfully' suggest that she do. I want her to be president in 2016, after Obama's two terms.

[Heidi]

Agreed! Whatever she wants to do. We do not want the alternative - McCain - to win because we're divided.

No Hillary bashing please, for those who haven't been following the posts of the next blog. We've been working on unifying ourselves and I, for one, don't want anyone to ruin it.

Thank you.

[Joe]

> No Hillary bashing please, for those who haven't been following the posts of the next blog. We've been working on unifying ourselves and I, for one, don't want anyone to ruin it.

You have my support in that, too.

[GCG - Austin, TX]

What about Supreme Court? At least there she won't have to worry about fund raising or running campaigns or losing her seat because the tide has turned or something else. She would have far-reaching impact on the constitutionality of various things. Not as much direct impact, to be sure, since she would not be crafting legislation, but certainly lingering and perpetual impact until such time as SHE felt she could no longer serve.

[Joe]

I don't even want to post this, the site I'm about to mention makes me sick.

But there's been all this talk about how much the Obama & Hillary camps hate each other or how badly they've spoken of each other. It's nothing. This is how the Republicans feel about us both:

http://w3t.org/c/OFFENSIVE

I denounce _EVERYTHING_ said at that site.

Do NOT visit that site if you do not wish to be offended. It's pretty thoroughly offensive to everyone except those who are still Republicans.

It is 110% offensive in every respect. I used a URL shortener because even the name of the site is offensive. But it honestly is how the Republicans I once knew feel. You might want to take a shower after visiting that place, but I thought people ought to know. I think they need to know.

McCain is my senator. I have voted for him. But he's not the independent he cast himself as. Rather, he's spent the last several years embracing that side of the party and I've watched him do it. He's part of the negative campaign against Hillary that's been going on ever since Bill was president. They assumed she'd run and tried to stop her before she even started.

Obviously, they didn't make that site, but they did and have always spoken badly of Hillary. If they've changed their tune now, they're lying. When I was a Republican, I never heard even once nice thing said about her. Not even once.

[Regina]

The problem is, John McCain didn't make that site and he's the one who is going to successfully compete for some of Hillary's voters.

[Regina]

Also, if John McCain gets blamed for that web site, then Obama gets blamed for "Bros before Hos" t-shirts at his rallies. Neither one has anything to do with it.

[Heidi]

I know, and you know and Hillary even knows how much disdain John McCain has for her politically. He didn't have to create that site, but we all know his sentiments.

I don't even know if it's democrat v. republican anymore. I'm actually wondering if it's the DC establishment v. the gov't shake-up movement. Maybe Obama's attempting to bring more change than anyone in DC is comfortable with?

I don't know. I'm just at such a loss as to the great numbers of HRC supporters from her Web site going over to the McCain Web site. The original few McCain bloggers are saying things like, "Wow! I can't believe all the new supporters/defectors from the Clinton camp here. I've never seen so many bloggers". Meanwhile, the poor Hillary people are just looking for a new place to get together and call home.

Also, some are angry at Hillary now saying that because she announced she will be supporting Obama, they are unsubscribing from her Web site and are now fully donating members to John McCain. It's awful to see and I finally had to stop reading, but there were hundreds of posts.

If Hillary loses all of her supporters to McCain, I don't know if she'll have much to bargain with. I'm truly upset by all of this, folks. Sorry and thanks for listening.

[Regina]

> I don't even know if it's democrat v. republican anymore. I'm actually wondering if it's the DC establishment v. the gov't shake-up movement. Maybe Obama's attempting to bring more change than anyone in DC is comfortable with?

I don't think this is right. Both Obama and McCain have histories of being insiders with shady friends (Rezko, Keating 5, respectively) and also putting themselves forward as mavericks. Both are different than typical in a couple ways, but also quite typical politicians at the same time. I, for one, don't mind typical politicians. They know what they are doing.

[Regina]

Mr. Super, don't you have experience with Bill Richardson? I'm curious if you could tell us if he negotiated with Obama (and Clinton) before endorsing? The reporting suggested he did, including asking for appointed positions and possibly VP. I think it might be illuminating for those saying Clinton has no right to negotiate anything.

[Colt R.]

Regina,

It's not very fair to point out that Obama and McCain have histories of shady friends and not point out that Hillary also has a history of shady friends -- Rehman Jinnah, Norman Hsu, etc.

I don't think making statements such as that are helping the unification effort. /Everyone/ has shady friends, whether they know it or not.

[Blame]

Heidi

We will know the true impact once the next bunch of polls come out.

But chear up. They were not going to vote for Obama before, and still he was beating McCain in the polls. I can't see them getting worse.

Meanwhile I sugest you spend a little while relaxing. It helps me.

Far far away there is a land which has never seen a politician, or irate women, or sexist men. No imigration problem, no taxes, no national debt. All the cars are electric, and solar power is used for everything. And it is beautiful. Look and relax.

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA10214.jpg

[Joe]

> Also, if John McCain gets blamed for that web site, then Obama gets blamed for "Bros before Hos" t-shirts at his rallies. Neither one has anything to do with it.

True. But I know that one is representative of many party members I personally know. The other isn't...

The Republicans didn't start hating all Democrats and Hillary specifically this year or even last. They've been at it for over a decade.

[Heidi]

Thank you, Blame.

After the morning I've had, I'm in tears. I will try to calm down and look at the photojournal you posted.

I really thought either Hillary or Barack was a shoe in this year against McCain. Now, I'm terrified. I will try your relaxation techniques.

Thank you!

[Joe]

> The Republicans didn't start hating all Democrats and Hillary specifically this year or even last. They've been at it for over a decade.

That'll teach me to proofread. I meant that they've been after Hillary specifically for over a decade.

Obviously, they've hated all Democrats for far longer.

[Regina]

Joe, you are right. Some of the really crazy right-wingers have always hated Hillary Clinton. That's why when the same trash came out of the mouths of the Obama campaign over the last year it was do disheartening. Did you watch CNN? The Obama supporters and the Republicans laughed and joked about putting stakes in the heart of Hillary Clinton.

[Heidi]

"That's why when the same trash came out of the mouths of the Obama campaign over the last year it was do disheartening. Did you watch CNN? The Obama supporters and the Republicans laughed and joked about putting stakes in the heart of Hillary Clinton."

Regina,
I have never heard anyone on CNN or any Obama supporter talk about stakes in the heart and I watch daily because I'm a home all day with no life. I would have been extremely offended to have heard that, but I never have. Was this a Jeffrey Toobin comment?

Blame,
Call me dense - it's a beautiful picture, but it looks to me like Mars with a giant circuit board running across the bottom. What is it?

[Blame]

Heidi

That is exactly right. But you have to admit it is a long way from our troubles, and it is beautiful.

[Mr Super]

Regina - there was no deal made between Richardson and Obama. In fact, I'll give you this: Richardson himself says he never signed-off on the deal to send delegates to Obama in Iowa. And I can attest that no directive ever came from him for the campaign to do so.

[Heidi]

Wow, I was right? Yes, Blame, it is beautiful.

Thank you, Mr. Super, for squashing yet another rumor.

[Truth]

suekzoo: Um...to allow him to be present when she endorses on Saturday? So far, he's not invited.

And then what? It never stops. We already know the playbook. Keep asking more from Hillary until he wins, then claim the Clinton legacy is dead (again) or he loses and all of the sudden she is very relevant because she caused him to lose so she can run in 2012. Should she then apologize like so:
http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=83332

Was Obama & Clinton at Edwards rally to announce he is dropping out? Didn’t see that here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22913001/

But I did see this:
“Four in 10 Edwards supporters said their second choice in the race is Clinton, while a quarter prefer Obama, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo poll conducted late this month.”

The big problem with Regina talking about all these other runner ups using sway without being vilified is that they actually were not even that close. This was a flash finish whereas the others the winner lapped the runner-up … twice. So you’re right that this is different.

[Blame]

Some time ago I predicted that both the VP's would be female.

I just hope McCains chavanism overcomes whatever wisdom he might posess:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/the_vp_case_for_gov_sarah_pali.html

If McCain picks Sarah Palin it is going to be a hell of a blow.

Obama could still pick Sebelius but he looses a lot of credit for being second.

[Joe]

I can't watch much CNN because of the hours I'm at work. I have to get everything from the internet. Anyhow, whatever CNN said about that, I assure you Republicans have been talking about Clinton as if she were a vampire for about as long as I can remember (mind you, I grew up while Bill & Reagan were in office).

Whatever people have jumped on that bandwagon lately, I assure you it's been there for ages. Even if Hillary was poorly served by her advisers, I think it bears mention that the Republicans have been _expecting_ her to run for president for years.

That's why they started the whole "power hungry" bit. They wanted to kill her campaign before it started and it certainly seems to have hurt her. That's why she was considered "divisive" from the start. Because the Republicans have been saying nasty things about her for ages.

I don't think we can too easily discount the effect that had on perception of her. I don't think that people would've been talking about her in those terms if the Republicans hadn't been dissing her for years and years.

[Truth]

Joe, Why did Obama supporters pick up on the Bush-lite statement so quickly? Are they just that ignorant?

[Regina]

Mr. Super, thanks for answering my question. I wasn't really thinking about the Iowa thing--I was thinking about the courting process. Didn't Obama call and court Richardson? As Clinton did too? Also, if there was no Iowa deal between Obama and Richardson, how likely was it that was put out by the Obama campaign? Who would have an interest in putting out this false deal if not Richardson or Obama? My friend was at a caucus in Des Moines and the Obama people explicitly told the Richardson people, who were not viable, to come over to their side because of the deal.

[Joe]

You mean on McCain, Truth? That would be because he's changed radically in recent times. I should know, he's my Senator.

Now I can't even figure out where he stands half the time: where he stood before, or the ideas he's saying now?

You might have a point that you can't do as badly as Bush, but you never know.

McCain suddenly has a much harsher stand on immigration, even though he's rubbed folks here the wrong way for a long time by supporting reform.

McCain denounced Hagee & co. back in 2000 for their influence on the Republican party and this year he sought their endorsement.

He said in 2003 that we'd be "welcomed as liberators" in Iraq.

Once he was against torture, then he supported it.

At first he was for telecom immunity for spying on Americans without warrant or oversight (there's a perfectly good FISA court for this). Then he was sorta against it and wanted to hold hearings. And then he clarified that he'd go ahead with it anyhow.

But what he tells you depends on where and when you ask him. If you told some people around here that he'd been replaced by a pod person, they'd have to think about it for a minute before they thought you were crazy...

How long have you known him as a politician? I thought I knew what he stood for when I voted for him, but every time I listen to him now, he's contradicting something he always used to say.

[Regina]

I will just update my last post. It was of course just one precinct in Des Moines, so the anecdote might be exceptional.

[suekzoo]

"Why did Obama supporters pick up on the Bush-lite statement so quickly?"

Truth, certainly you can recognize that a lot of Obama supporters, and really even some Democrats without a strong preference for either candidate (there are quite a few who would be happy with either one) were really put off by some of the "Republican" references that came from the Clintons. Two examples:

-if the Dems awarded delegates the way the Repubs do, the nomination would have been over with a Clinton win.

-the endorsements of McCain as capable of CIC on day one, and Obama having just a speech.

In the minds of quite a few, those two things sounded like an alignment of the Clintons with the Republicans and with McCain. Often times, other people then go off on tangents because an idea was planted surreptitiously, and even maybe innocently. But, it's always a danger to open doors like that, because you can never know when, or IF, someone who is a competitor won't come through it and use it against you.

[Mr Super]

Regina: clarification - there was a deal in Iowa, but it didn't involve the candidate himself. That's really all that I can say about it.

[suekzoo]

I would just like to say that Hillary Clinton is an extraordinary woman. She is exceptionally intelligent, articulate, and I truly believe that she cares very deeply about our country. I think no matter what role she ends up playing, whether that is VP or making a career in the Senate, or something else, she will go down in history as a someone we can all be proud of. I expect that she is going to play a big role in shaping policy within the Democratic party for many years yet, and we will all be the better for it.

I also want to note that I know she hoed a long hard row, and was unfairly chastised and mocked in the press many time. I had many moments of sympathy for her, and can't even begin to tell you how many emails I wrote to MSNBC, CNN, and various writers in the print press and blogs to call them out on nasty and inappropriate treatment.

As a 50-year-old female who has worked my professional career in male dominated work environments, I have experienced sexism up close and personally. It's very difficult and very painful. I also see it as a whole different animal than racism, really. In a lot of ways, I think it's easier to address racism because there isn't the element of sexuality that exists between men and women that can easily add an inescapable element of tension. Somehow, though, it's really time for our nation to address this problem. We have to uncover the roots of this beast, because if we don't, we can't progress.

Thanks for listening.

[Regina]

Thanks Mr. Super! I think we broke news here. Sounds like someone on the Obama and Richardson staffs were in cahoots in Iowa before Jan. 3.

[Truth]

suekzoo,
Funny thing about your examples of Hillary "aligning with Republicans" is it came almost an entire year AFTER Obama used Bush/Cheney-lite. Funny how little things like timelines can mess up your point.

[Joe]

Well, the worst Hillary did that I saw in terms of aligning with the Republicans was abstaining on the vote against warrantless wiretapping. But I attribute that more to election year politics than anything, and so I don't hold it against her.

It's McCain I feel is the Bush 3rd term (4th, really, if you consider him a less competent version of Bush Sr.). Hillary is NOTHING like him, so maybe I lost what we were talking about at some point.

[Truth]

We were talking about the future of Hillary Clinton. In short, she has none. The vilification went too far and Pandora's Box can't be resealed.

[Joe]

I wouldn't call being the Senator of New York no future. You don't lose that in a primary race. And I believe I posted links that make it looks like she's used that 'leverage' everyone's going on about for the noble goals of moving Obama towards her position on health care.

Maybe it's too early to say, but it's encouraging. I don't think she'll quit fighting for it when she's never been the type to just give up.