Clinton Update......

[sophist]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/03/hillary/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding discussions about and interviewing potential campaign staff for a White House bid in 2008, sources say.

Clinton, a Democratic senator for New York and former first lady, was re-elected to a six-year term in the Senate in a landslide last month.

"She said before the election that after the election she would be considering a presidential run," said Howard Wolfson, a senior Clinton adviser. "Part of that process is seeking the advice and counsel of her colleagues in New York."

Wolfson said the senator has been holding private conversations with New York Democrats concerning a White House bid.

Another source close to Clinton told CNN she has begun interviewing potential campaign staff.

One New York Democrat, who asked to not be named, said he was recently called by a senior Clinton team member. While it was not flatly said that Clinton had decided to run for president, "it was pretty clear," the source said.

On Sunday, Clinton met New York's governor-elect, Eliot Spitzer, The Associated Press reported.

"We just had a great, wide-ranging meeting on so many issues that affect the city, the state and the country," AP quoted Clinton as saying as she left the meeting at Spitzer's home in Manhattan.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer, Clinton's Democratic colleague, told AP he would be meeting with Clinton in the next week.

"She wants to sit down and talk next week, which we're going to do. It could be about legislation. I have no idea what it's about, and until we sit down and talk that's all I'm going to say about it," AP quoted Schumer as saying. "I think she'd make a very good president but let's wait and see. Everyone's sort of jumping the gun."

A CNN poll taken two weeks ago showed the New York senator favored by 33 percent of people asked who they were "most likely to support for the Democratic nomination for president in the year 2008."

Clinton was ranked first among 10 potential Democratic candidates. Second place for "likely" support was a statistical tie among Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (15 percent); former Vice President Al Gore (14 percent), who ran for president in 2000; and John Edwards (14 percent), John Kerry's running mate in 2004.

Last week, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced he would seek the Democratic nomination. Indiana Democrat Sen. Evan Bayh announced Sunday he is considering running for the White House.

CNN's Mark Preston, Scott Spoerry and Candy Crowley contributed to this report.

Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Guyute]

She will run, she may get the Democratic nod, she will lost the election.  The country is on the fence as to whether it is ready for a woman president. What they aren't ready for is Hillary.  The coasts love her, the rest of the country hates her.

[antelope19]

Can the democratic party really handle losing AGAIN!!!!  Which is what would happen, IMO.  Especially the way this country has been handled the last few years?  I think it would be devastating to that party if they nominated Hillary.

[mattstick]

If and when Americans choose Jeb Bush over Hilary Clinton Americans will have proved that they have nobody to blame but themselves.

[antelope19]

If and when Americans choose Jeb Bush over Hilary Clinton Americans will have proved that they have nobody to blame but themselves.

Uggh......God I hope it doesn't come to that

[mattstick]

Clinton/Gore 2008 would be pretty funny.  So is the Bush/Clinton Presidency tradeoff...

88-92 Bush
92-00 Clinton
00-08 Bush
08-16 Clinton (Hilary?)
16-24 Bush (Jeb?)
24-32 Clinton (Chelsea?)
32-40 Bush (Jenna?)

[birdman]

Heres some good news...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The shadow of President Bush seemed to loom large over his younger brother on Wednesday, as the outgoing Florida governor ruled out any plans to return to elected office.

"No tengo futuro (I have no future)," Jeb Bush told Spanish-language reporters in Miami, when asked about any possible political ambitions after he steps down next month.

The popular, two-term governor has often been touted as a savvy politician with a good chance of following both his brother and father, George H.W. Bush, into the White House.

But the unpopularity and dismal job-approval ratings of his brother may have scuttled any plans Jeb Bush may have had for a future in politics after running one of America's most crucial swing states for the past eight years.

Bush did not elaborate on his terse "no future" comment. But he has said repeatedly over the past year that he would not run for president in 2008 and has never seemed comfortable with talk about Bush III or the Bush presidential dynasty.


Screw Hillary, we want Obama

[susep]

The coasts love her, the rest of the country hates her.

Interesting point.  If your trying to rig or manipulate an election, its easier to accomplish on rural, less populated areas as opposed to large intellectual centers.  Just look at what GW did in '04.   :wink:

[nab]

Heres some good news...
MIAMI (Reuters) - The shadow of President Bush seemed to loom large over his younger brother on Wednesday, as the outgoing Florida governor ruled out any plans to return to elected office.

"No tengo futuro (I have no future)," Jeb Bush told Spanish-language reporters in Miami, when asked about any possible political ambitions after he steps down next month.

The popular, two-term governor has often been touted as a savvy politician with a good chance of following both his brother and father, George H.W. Bush, into the White House.

But the unpopularity and dismal job-approval ratings of his brother may have scuttled any plans Jeb Bush may have had for a future in politics after running one of America's most crucial swing states for the past eight years.

Bush did not elaborate on his terse "no future" comment. But he has said repeatedly over the past year that he would not run for president in 2008 and has never seemed comfortable with talk about Bush III or the Bush presidential dynasty.


Screw Hillary, we want Obama

[sls.stormyrider]

One of the ironies is that Hillary has done a fair bit of co-sponsoring, working with the GOP. Even Newt has worked with her and has said positive things about her. I respect her and think she will do a good job, but I also think that she will have a polarizing effect on the country (some of it not of her own doing).
Obama has the charisma, talks a good game, but still not sure what he stands for yet. Anybody read his book?

[rowjimmy]

I've covered this before so I'll quote myself, if you don't mind:

Most people hate Hillary Clinton for a reason that they'd never admit to their wives/girlfriends:
they are intimidate by a woman who not only has power but has the will and ability to get what she wants and run with it.

The truth is, Hillary Clinton's greatest opponent in any Presidential bid is the sexism of her own party members; no matter how closely their actual politics my be aligned.

[mattstick]

Most people hate Hillary Clinton for a reason that they'd never admit to their wives/girlfriends:
they are intimidate by a woman who not only has power but has the will and ability to get what she wants and run with it.

The truth is, Hillary Clinton's greatest opponent in any Presidential bid is the sexism of her own party members; no matter how closely their actual politics my be aligned.

I agree 100% - maybe more actually.

For years all we've seen is a constant stream of excuses from reasonable people (both Democrats & Republicans) about why Hilary can't, won't or should'nt win.  With that type of negative imagery being constantly re-inforced of course she'll never win.  Of course none of these reasons were really political - just judgemental and personal.

Seriously though - USA, listen up - it's OK to have a female leader.  It's not a sign of weakness and it won't bring the terrorists back.  Thatcher was one of the toughest leaders Britain has ever had.  When Kim Campbell was Prime Minister of Canada, nothing terrible happened.

Everybody loved The Clinton era - please bring it back in '08.  I know where my step-Mom's absentee vote will be going.

[sls.stormyrider]

I agree 100% - maybe more actually.

For years all we've seen is a constant stream of excuses from reasonable people (both Democrats & Republicans) about why Hilary can't, won't or should'nt win.  With that type of negative imagery being constantly re-inforced of course she'll never win.  Of course none of these reasons were really political - just judgemental and personal.

Seriously though - USA, listen up - it's OK to have a female leader.  It's not a sign of weakness and it won't bring the terrorists back.  Thatcher was one of the toughest leaders Britain has ever had.  When Kim Campbell was Prime Minister of Canada, nothing terrible happened.

Everybody loved The Clinton era - please bring it back in '08.  I know where my step-Mom's absentee vote will be going.

Yes - except that many people hated the clinton era, and not all of them were hard line right wingers. personally, i thought he was a good pres and think Hillary wil likely be even better, but there is this irrational hatred of anybody with the name Clinton.

[Hicks]

Yes - except that many people hated the clinton era, and not all of them were hard line right wingers. personally, i thought he was a good pres and think Hillary wil likely be even better, but there is this irrational hatred of anybody with the name Clinton.

Yeah, I hated a booming peacetime economy, thank the lord for Bush and the return of "good times".   :x

[jephrey]

Everybody loved The Clinton era - please bring it back in '08.  I know where my step-Mom's absentee vote will be going.

Yeah, I hated a booming peacetime economy, thank the lord for Bush and the return of "good times

If I think about it on a personal level and leave the rest of the world out of it, for me, the last 6 years have been a booming peacetime economy.  Is it wrong to admit that I've had it better since Bushie has been prez?  I can't say that I loved the Clinton era, but that's because the current era is showing me that this is a better financial time for me.  I can't say that I love the Bush era due to the social issues it's caused.  It's for different things, but I'll take it all the same.  I've put myself in a position to be barely affected by whoever the president is.  They all have more bad than good points.

J