Clinton: ‘I Really Don’t Believe’ I’ll Run In 2016

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM



DAVID TAINTOR 3:31 PM EST, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12, 2012

Hillary Clinton said in an interview she "really doesn't believe" she will run for President in 2016.

"I've said I really don't believe that that's something I will do again," Clinton told ABC News' Barbara Walters in an interview posted Wednesday. "I am so grateful I had the experience of doing it before."

Read more from Walters' wide-ranging interview here (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-reveals-thoughts-secretary-state-2016-hair/story?id=17943370&singlePage=true#.UMjoT3Pjk98).

-30-

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/clinton-i-really-dont-believe-ill-run-in

[neffernin]

1. I understand her fully

Hillary is a very smart woman and it takes tons of work to play on the national stage; constant tearing down, having to walk on glass everywhere. She's been at it successfully for 20 years now; this kind of stuff has to take its toll.

[JoSpits]

2. The Clinton Machine Must Go On

Come On Hillary You Will Win By A Landslide!

[graham4anything]

3. why would she give Barbara Walters a 3 year ahead scoop? This as I wrote earlier is meaningless

but of course it will make the rounds as it is

and why is Honey Boo Boo on her 10 most fascinating?
Is she being paid off by the Boo Boo Kitty's out there?

[Enrique]

7. you are correct, and Walters should have pointed this out

she should tell the truth to her viewers, "Hillary's denial about her 2016 plans means nothing. I don't even know why I bothered asking."

[graham4anything]

11. I happened to have the View on this morning that showed the clip

and Hillary even mentioned something about Barbara would sure love it if she got the scoop and all and they laughed

not one person who has ever run and been the nominee ever in their life said yes first thing.
They deny it forever until the day they say they have heard the call and will run for the sake of the country

(remember how many times President Obama said he wasn't running in 2008? And Hillary in 2008 also denied it.

And Bobby Kennedy in 1968 denied it 1000 times before he didn't.

[karynnj]

24. Link for Hillary denying a 2008 run any time after the 2004 election was over

While true there was a time where she said she was exploring it, but there never a probable denial like this. Who knows, she may run, but it is not a sure thing.

[graham4anything]

26. she hasn't denied it this time. Much as you have indicated you would like that to be true

No to progressives, yes to liberals

[karynnj]

41. I do not care if she runs

She would be a strong candidate if she was willing to undertake what would be a grueling multiyear campaign.

Hillary Clinton is a centrist Democrat, with some liberal and some progressive values. The difference between almost all mainstream Democrats is relatively small. In 2008, remarkably so as all ran on platforms that were were very close to Kerry's 2004 platform with variations of Kerry/Feingold as the Iraq position. That is why the primaries, where the opponents are really in basic agreement on major issues, focus on small differences in policies and, even more, on personalities.

[DonViejo]

8. Probably for the same reason...

she told a magazine reporter three months ago she wouldn't run. Let's see if she changes her mind after she gets her well earned rest and relaxation.

[DonCoquixote]

4. nice one

Come on Hillary, you do not even have a choice.

[maxsolomon]

5. 69 in 2016.

I hope to be tending my Cannabis garden, spinning records, and painting every day at 69.

Why would she want to be starting the shittiest job on the planet at that point?

[graham4anything]

12. Golda Meir, probably the most famous woman head of state ever, was 71 when she took office

And women didn't have the opportunity in America to be considered front runners 30 years ago.

History beckons.

Who wouldn't want to be immortal?

[maxsolomon]

16. She just said she doesn't want it.

Why does it have to be Hillary? What about Patty Murray? Kirsten Gillebrand? Even a republican like Nikki Haley?

[graham4anything]

17. who? who? who? Why do you want Jeb Bush to be 45?

[Ash_F]

19. Who?

It doesn't have to be Hillary. This isn't the 90's.

[graham4anything]

25. Speaking raw numbers with the demographic change, it won't be a white male

it won't be a white male though. Not with the demographic change.
those days are 43 and gone.

and the funny thing is, Hillary is the only one who could bring in some white males and keep the important voters that won it the last 2 times.

in practical terms if one wants to win.

[former9thward]

29. Are you saying a white male can no longer win the Presidency?

You can't really believe that can you?

[graham4anything]

35. Yup I do, if It's a democrat. The other same old same old applies. This is 2012.

It will be a woman, or Julian Castro. or Deval. Or Cory.

I think it will be Hillary now, Julian or Michelle next.
If we are lucky enough to want to keep the continuation going.

let the other side have the same old same old and let's not cede them anything.
If we don't do it, they will do it, then we give them an opening.

[snooper2]

40. you're really good at this by the way..

Just wanted to give you mad props!

[Ash_F]

38. I'm just saying we are not locked in. Dems have many good choices.

Obama was oft criticized here for being a relative newcomer back in 2008. Many acted like Hillary was our only chance. I think some DUer's, having been involved in politics for many years, may be a little stuck on the last generation of leadership. I'm not talking about age but rather people who have been in power and in the public eye a long time.


This past election brought a lot of rising stars on to the political scene. If Clinton wants to move on to other things, I see no reason she should be pressured to run.

As for whether the candidate needs to be non-white or non-male. I think Biden clearly has a lot energy and would make a fine president. I would like to see a woman run though. Michelle 2012?

[davidpdx]

30. Because they are stuck on stupid

And I'm not talking about Clinton, but the idea that Clinton is the ONLY one who could be the next president.

Now that Bloomberg is retiring (well he can't run again) I think Ronald McDonald is the ONLY person who could be the Mayor of NY.

[AlphaCentauri]

6. She doesn't have to believe

She just have to do it, period.

[randome]

9. This is an interesting thread.

I think many of you would still be pushing for Hillary to run even if she came out and said, "No way in HELL!"

Parsing her words. Disputing the interview.

I hope you're prepared when you see that she's as good as her word. But this is all my opinion, of course.

[graham4anything]

15. if that is the case, be prepared for President Jeb Bush. The others will lose to him.

It takes a Clinton to beat a Bush.

and do you really think Bill Clinton did what he did for the fun of it?

you can add up the 20 next people after her, and together they do not add up to winner.

Some of the suggestions are laughable in that if some of those people think they should be, what size ego do they have???

2016 will be for a continuation of the Obama Presidency.

not to reinvent the wheel or for change.

It won't be 2008 redux.

It will be for the continuation.
And to continue, one needs to win.

the others will lose.

[davidpdx]

31. Trying to talk to a broken record

Is like banging your head against a wall. The broken record still says the same thing over and over again.

[randome]

33. But if you manage to break THROUGH the wall...never mind, you're right.

[malthaussen]

36. Frankly reminds me of Fox and Chris Christie

No matter how many times he said "I'm not running," they kept saying "Well, he left the door open."

Those who want Hillary want her badly.

-- Mal

[alp227]

10. Other potential candidates:

Last edited Wed Dec 12, 2012, 07:55 PM - Edit history (1)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2016#Possible_candidates

VP Biden (who would be 74 by the time he's sworn in on 1/20/2017, older than Reagan!)
Mayors: Cory Booker (Newark) and Julian Castro (San Antonio)...both born after 1969.
Governors: Martin O'Malley (Md.), Jay Nixon (Mo.), Deval Patrick (Mass.), Andrew Cuomo (N.Y.), Mike Beebe (Ark.)
Senators: Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)

[graham4anything]

13. LOL wiki left out the fact that Warren is the same age as Hillary. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

and it won't be a male, therefore all the others are no-gos.
Andrew already said he would not rule out supporting her if she ran.

Castro, Booker, Patrick would make a good VP

some of the others are nobody's and will remain such except in their state.

[Seeking Serenity]

20. Small correction:

Mike Beebe is the governor of my beloved state (one of the best we've ever had), not a senator. We still have Mark Pryor (D) and John Boozman (R) as our senators.

[alp227]

22. Corrected.

In fact Boozman is the Tea Partier who succeeded Blue Dog/DLCrat Blanche Lincoln. I wonder if Pryor will have a tough 2014 election? And regarding Beebe, he might be the second-ever Arkansas governor after Clinton who became president.

[Seeking Serenity]

28. While I'd be proud as a peacock to have a second president from Arkansas,

I don't know if Gov. Beebe (a) even wants to run, and (b) could win the primary battle. I think he's more fiscally conservative (he has to be in a state that requires a balanced budget and prohibits going into debt outside a vote of the people) than Democrats nationwide.

[davidpdx]

32. Other candidates?

Oh how dare you talk about other candidates on DU! It is a rule you have to support Clinton, even if she's not running. And don't forget Ronald McDonald for Mayor of New York.

[LynneSin]

14. That's pretty much Hillary said BEFORE she ran in 2008

sometime mid-2014 she'll announce an exploratory committee based on the fact that so many people have asked her to run.

But nobody wants to start thinking about 2016 today including hillary Clinton.

[Botany]

18. Hillary has been working for 30 years come this January .....

.... which will be when Bill was first elected governor and she has been one of the
best Sec. of State this country has ever had ..... i wish her well and understand that
she might want to relax and spend some time enjoying herself. She has earned it.

[YOHABLO]

23. People like Hillary are driven .. they'll never relax .. they think ..

they are too important to the process. I'd love to see someone who is real Progressive take the slot. Although Hillary is formidable, I think she is way too hawkish. All we can do is wait and see. After all, she is no less a politician .. and politicians play us for fools. I think Barbara Walters needs to retire and go relax somewhere.

[amandabeech]

37. Actually, you might start with the time that Bill was elected AG of Arkansas.

I think he served one term, so that would push he service back 2-4 years.

[Comrade Grumpy]

21. We've had enough dynastic presidencies, thank you.

Other than that, I refuse to comment on the 2016 race for at least another two years.

[NYC Liberal]

27. "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years."

-Barack Obama, November 2004

Nobody announces four years in advance. These questions are pretty meanginless this far out.

[joshcryer]

34. Welp, looks like she's running.

[MrSlayer]

39. I don't believe it either, not really. :wink:

This pretty much confirms it.

[struggle4progress]

42. She said in 2008 she wouldn't run again. And then, when announcing her plans to step down as SoS,

she said she'd been in public life for decades and she wanted some time for herself. So, this really isn't "news" IMO, except perhaps for a few we-gotta-make-a-headline-somehow-folks-cuz-it's-a-slow-news-day producers

[Beacool]

43. I don't think that Hillary is being coy or playing mind games.

People close to her say that she's tired and saying what she feels right now. The thing is, do most of us know what we'll want in 4 years? I don't. We may have a general idea, but we may change our mind depending on circumstances. So we'll just have to wait and see. Personally, I think that Hillary would be a great president and hope that she does run in 2016.