"Hillary is Running: A Dispatch from the Saban Forum"

[applegrove]

Hillary is Running: A Dispatch from the Saban Forum
Posted by David Remnick at the New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/hillary-is-running-a-dispatch-from-the-saban-forum.html

"SNIP..............................................


Friday night, however, was on the record—and surprisingly revealing. Hillary Clinton was the main speaker. In a packed ballroom of the Willard Hotel, she was greeted with a standing ovation and then a short, adoring film, a video Festschrift testifying to her years as First Lady, senator, and, above all, Secretary of State. The film, an expensive-looking production, went to the trouble of collecting interviews with Israeli politicians—Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Tzipi Livni—and American colleagues, like John Kerry. Tony Blair, striking the moony futuristic note that was general in the hall, said, “I just have an instinct that the best is yet to come.”

The film was like an international endorsement four years in advance of the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. The tone was so reverential that it resembled the sort of film that the Central Committee of the Communist Party might have produced for Leonid Brezhnev’s retirement party if Leonid Brezhnev would only have retired and the Soviets had been in possession of advanced video technology. After it was over there was a separate video from the President. Looking straight into the camera, Obama kvelled at length: “You’ve been at my side at some of the most important moments of my Administration.”

When the videos were over (and as the evening moved on), there was much chatter about what Clinton would do after she steps down from the Cabinet next month—get a haircut; take a few weeks sleeping off jet lag at Canyon Ranch; read the polls and the political landscape; do good works; do good works for the good people of, say, Iowa—and so on. Everyone had a theory of which they were a hundred percent certain. There wasn’t much doubt about the ultimate direction. 2007-8 was but a memory and 2016 was within sight. She’s running.

“I am somewhat overwhelmed, but I’m obviously thinking I should sit down,” Clinton said as the videos concluded. “I prepared some remarks for tonight, but then I thought maybe we could just watch that video a few more times. And then the next time, I could count the hairstyles, which is one of my favorite pastimes.” An old joke with Hillary, but the crowd, tickled to be there, rosy with wine, roared.


.............................................SNIP"

[KoKo]

1. Wow...that's quite an article. So she is running in 2016 with accolades.

Just fininished with one campaign that's gone on since 06 in some ways and now the new one begins.

Hard to find the energy to even think about it.

[applegrove]

2. I really hope she wins. It would be wonderful to have 16 years of OBAMA and Hillary in a row.

I don't think republicans could tarnish her narrative. She's been a known quantity and very talented at whatever she tries. She would make a great President. But yes, like you say, back to Obama. Where we belong.

[JaneyVee]

3. The nomination is hers if she wants it. She is poised, experienced, and at the top of her game.

Plus has a 70% approval rating as Sec of State. It's hard to imagine a Dem primary with any candidate having a single bad thing to say about her that could take her down. They love her. The Dem primaries would be a swoon-fest.

[question everything]

4. beware of inevitability

This is what many said in 2008. You never know which new star will show up.

[antigop]

9. +1000. There WILL be a primary in 2016...not a coronation. n.t

[DonCoquixote]

5. in other words, a coronation

so she could have no worries about destroying the left once in office, and not even worry about Big Dawg supporting right wing ideas like the pipeline.

I could see her being a pres, but yes, she would have to earn my respect, by helpign undo the move to the right that she and her damn husband started.

[JaneyVee]

6. I'm just stating the obvious. It's probably not coincidence she's leaving next month.

[DonCoquixote]

30. yes, and

she will probably play as the centrist yet again, which will slap the faces of those who hoped to actually shift the center. of course, she could prove us wrong, and a few notes in the right direction (like ripping apart max baucus) could help. I am NOT counting on it.

[antigop]

12. what nonsense....check out her support for outsourcing of US jobs. n/t

[JaneyVee]

13. Again, I'm just stating the obvious.

[antigop]

14. no, it's NOT obvious. There WILL BE A PRIMARY in 2016, not a coronation. n/t

[JaneyVee]

16. Of course there will be a primary, my post said there will be.

Not sure what you're so upset about.

[antigop]

18. your words: "The nomination is hers if she wants it." --- no, it's not. nt

[krawhitham]

29. When is the last time an 8 year VP lost the nomination?

Joe will run and inherit Obama ground game

[krispos42]

7. Clinton/Obama 2016?

Hmmm...

[tkmorris]

11. Obama can't be VP, as I understand it

Being ineligible to be President also means you cannot serve as the VP, at least that's how I've always understood it. Now that I think about it though I am not sure why that should be.

[krispos42]

15. I checked the Amendment

Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

I read it as if Hillary left office (sick/dead/disgraced), Obama could be President again. But he could not run for re-election when Hillary's original term was up.


Alternately, Obama could simply be passed over and remain Veep as the Speaker of the House becomes the President. He could refuse to take the Presidential oath, and the line of succession would make the Speaker President.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

21. It Was My Understanding......

.......that a two-term President couldn't occupy an elected office in which there was even the possibility that he might once again become President. I have nothing to back that up, but I remember hearing it a few years ago when people were suggesting that Bill Clinton be a VP consideration.

[randome]

8. This is gossip. Nothing substantial.

[antigop]

10. it's B.S.....she did NOT say she was running.. it's just propaganda trying to shove the

inevitability meme down our throats.

[TheKentuckian]

17. I hope she doesn't run and if she does then I hope she is bounced again.

I really wish you folks would chill with the neolibs, it is going to break us.

[antigop]

19. +1000. n/t

[snooper2]

20. Since President Obama is a better president than Hillary Clinton would have been..

Why would we want less than we already have now in 2016?

It's like going from a 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP to a 2012 Kia Optima- Doesn't - Make - Sense-

[applegrove]

23. At the level they both work at, the integrity and empathy they

feel, we are lucky to have both of them in the party let alone running for President. And they'll bring something different to the Presidency. Obama no drama but a steady hand on the economy despite obstruction from the right. To do the things that need doing (like health care and soon to be immigration reform). If Clinton wins she may have the options of coming up with new programs/ideas as the economy will no doubt be doing better. I was saying on this forum two months ago how lucky we are to have both Clintons and both Obamas in the democratic party in the decades to come. Such gravitas vs. the sad, empty party the GOP is.

[snooper2]

24. can we talk about it in June of 2014?

[applegrove]

25. Yeah. You're right. Let the fiscal cliff put the nail in the coffin of

the GOP's relationship with the middle class. Obama is more popular than ever. Boehner looks like he is going to let the tax cuts expire on the middle class.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

22. Hillary Will Be 69 In 2016

That would make her the second-oldest President in history. In fact, there have only been 2 people elected President who were over the age of 65, and one of them died within months of assuming office. Voters are wary of this possibility. I think voters will also remember (with a great deal of help from the right-wing noise machine) that Hillary quit as Secretary of State after only one term, complaining about how tired she felt. And she's going to be 4 years older in 2016. Sorry, but I just don't see it.

I think it's time for our Party to be identifying new blood, anyway. We caught lightning in a bottle with Obama. Let's find the next Obama and stop trying to solve the problems of the future with names from the past.

Although, I must admit that it would be interesting to see another Clinton v. Bush, assuming the Republicans really do run Jeb Bush (and seeing as how they have no imagination whatsoever, I assume they will).

[Whisp]

26. She might be running to the couch for a nap.

All this talk of her being tired all the time sure doesn't help her.

That's good.

[thelordofhell]

27. Clinton/Clark 2016

[mulsh]

28. All that is missing is for Hillary to actually state she intends to run for another office.

Aside from that yeah, sure, speculation based on nothing more than wishes mixed with admiration sure is fun.
Unfortunately Ms. Clinton has stated fairly clearly and consistently that she intends to withdraw from public life when she resigns as Secretary of State.

BTW if she does run in 2016 I'll vote for her.

[Drunken Irishman]

31. Whomever wins, I hope they appoint Obama to the Supreme Court.

[Douglas Carpenter]

32. Just how long will we all have to wait before Democrats run a progressive? It has been 40 years.

Have we not already waited long enough? If 2016 is too soon for a progressive nominee when we have already waited more than a generation - Just when will we be ready?

[HiPointDem]

33. No more right-centrists. No more clintons, no more bushes, no more interconnected

political dynasties.