Be Afraid, GOP: Hillary Clinton Is Back and She Will Beat You in 2016 - By Robert Shrum

[DonViejo]

BETTER THAN EVER

Be Afraid, GOP: Hillary Clinton Is Back and She Will Beat You in 2016

2 HOURS AGO - BY ROBERT SHRUM

And her return should strike fear in the hearts of Republicans everywhere. Robert Shrum on why Hillary will prevail in 2016.

She's back. And it seems like she never left at all.

After a pause to rest and recharge—and she apparently recharges swiftly—Hillary Clinton reemerged to a rapturous welcome at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards last night, to be followed on Friday by a keynote speech at the Women in the World Summit sponsored by Newsweek and The Daily Beast. She came to the first event to pay tribute to Melanne Verveer, her former chief of staff, assistant secretary of State, and a pioneer of women's rights across the world—or as Clinton put it, one of "those amazing women who could not be denied."

The phrase aptly applies to her own prospects for 2016 as the amazing candidate who, if she chooses to run, almost certainly cannot be denied: the nomination or the presidency itself. Outside the Kennedy Center in Washington, the site of the Vital Voices event, a sign-waving crowd chanted: "Ready for Hillary." Almost simultaneously, a new political action committee was launched to promote her next race for the White House—and it promptly attracted 60,000 Twitter and Facebook followers.

She is far ahead in polls of Democratic primary voters. Remarkably, in a general election match-up, she leads Jeb Bush by 9 percent and Marco Rubio by 11 in their home state of Florida—and perhaps most stunningly, a PPP survey finds her ahead of Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the incarnadined Lone Star State.

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/04/03/be-afraid-gop-hillary-clinton-is-back-and-she-will-beat-you-in-2016.html

[gcomeau]

1. Like I've said elsewhere...

If she runs the nomination is done. Challenging her in a primary would be pointless. I would be astounded if anyone, including Biden, even gave it a second thought... it's a no brainer. And as things stand right now the GOP has nobody who can come near going toe to toe with her.

It would take something hugely electorally damaging happening or her deciding not to run to derail her.

[MADem]

4. Joe Biden is her very good friend.

He ran for the Presidency as a young man, but he has said that his lifelong dream was to be....SECSTATE.


I can't see him standing in the way of history after the wonderful job he has done since the 08 contest helping to bend the arc of history towards who we are as a people.

[gcomeau]

5. I said "even Biden"...

...only because of the traditional "the VP runs next" angle.

But yes, I don't see him even considering trying to challenge her if she signals she's running. There may be some fringe challenges but nothing that has any serious weight.

[MADem]

9. I know...people forget that it was BIDEN who told Obama "It's now or never."

He knew if he waited, and got more of a "record" for the GOP to pick apart, that he might miss his window of opportunity.

I think Biden is a "country first" kind of guy. I think he knows it's past time for a woman in the Presidency. Once that last barrier falls, all bets will be off. Maybe Congress will start looking more like "us" in this century....

[Beacool]

14. Biden is a very nice man,

but he knows that he would not have a chance in 2016, even without Hillary in the race. He's already 70 years old and when he's ran in the past he only managed to get a handful of votes and dropped out early in the primary process.

[MADem]

15. I think he's a smart man, too. He doesn't buy the asskissing and doesn't believe any

"inside the bubble" flattery.

He is also a superb strategic thinker. We are fortunate that he was spared not once, but twice. He's the most famous AVM survivor in our country, I think.

[Kahuna]

6. Yep. The others will be running to be VP. The pubbies are quaking in their boots..

There's a really comical piece on CNN by David Frum, titled; Hillary Clinton, a mistake for 2016. There's some good reading in the comments. The Dems are universally ridiculing Frum for his obvious attempt to scare us off. The repukes are basing their arguments on all of the old Clinton "scandals" from the 90s.


http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/01/opinion/frum-hillary-clinton-2016/index.html#comme

nt-850035041

[BlueStater]

19. Whatever. That's what people were saying about her back in 2005.

She will be nominated, not coronated.

[gcomeau]

20. Yes, if she runs she will be.

There is simply no Obama equivalent waiting in the wings this time around. You know it and I know it.

[BlueStater]

22. Oh, how nice.

She'll be "coronated" if she runs.

You realize this attitude from her supporters isn't exactly endearing her to the rest of us? She CAN be defeated again and anyone who thinks otherwise could be in for a rude awakening.

[gcomeau]

23. That "yes" is a indication of agreement.

Just to clarify that for you... it is the opposite of "no".

As in, you said she would be nominated, not coronated.. and I said YES, she would be.

Get it?

[rseymour]

46. Biden?

I don't think he would either, although he has repeatedly hinted he would.

Bigger question is who in their right mind would BACK him?

[hrmjustin]

49. Many people like Biden because he is a good man.

I personally support Hillary but if she does not run I will support Biden.

[Skraxx]

2. She Owes It To The Country, It's Her Duty, To Kick Some GOP Ass

Bring it, Hil!

[Beacool]

3. She would "strike fear" only with Republicans?

There are people right here who are having conniption fits over a possible Hillary run.

[Kahuna]

8. This is true. But there is no way that the ultra left can prevent Mrs. Clinton

from running and from winning if she does run.

[Beacool]

13. True, but they sure bashed her in 2008.

Although I have yet to figure out why they assumed that Obama would be more progressive.

[monmouth3]

10. CNN has a snarky article "Let's Not Crown Her Yet."..Typical...n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. It will be hilarious when the ODS crowd turns their sites on Hillary

Strange bedfellows no more!

[DFW]

7. That's a BIG "if," but I agree

IF she wants the nomination, it's hers, and with it, the presidency.

At age 69, it's not an obvious move, but the ones who would be forced to shut their traps would be, after Reagan, the Republicans.

Even if she decides not to go for it, all she has to do is blow a kiss in her favorite candidate's direction and that candidate is halfway to the nomination before the first delegate is even selected.

[antigop]

11. LOL. Add "1" to the "inevitability" meme counter. nt

[msongs]

16. maybe we could get a liberal or progressive democrat instead of hillary? nt

[zipplewrath]

21. Who?

I'm with ya, but can you really think of someone who could reasonably run? Make a short list and it isn't real encouraging.

Dean?
Sanders?
Ms Warren?
Gov. Brown?
Feingold?
Kucinich?

Feel free to add names, but I'd bet ya the picture doesn't get better.

[Skittles]

17. it's a quandary for me

I absolutely detest Hillary's support of the Iraq war but OMG her presidency would be the ULTIMATE SNUB to repukes

[juajen]

29. I hated that support also; but, I try to remember that we were living

in a bubble then of absolute horror that we had been attacked, and that we lost so many very brave people in America's city. Had she gone against this offensive, she would have been pilloried. She was NY's senator, after all. Hard to know how she really felt. That said, she is our very best bet for a female Presidency, and that, no one can deny. It doesn't hurt that she is "our" Hillary, and is beloved by many in this country as well as the world. I am always thrilled when conservative friends and relatives now speak of her with fondness. Not all, of course, but a surprising number.

She did an enormous favor to Obama when she accepted the Secretary of State position, putting the strength of the Clinton machine behind his Administration. True, he will easily repay that by supporting her in 2016. All in all, a step forward for minority rights, and for this country and the world.

[Skittles]

34. I cannot make excuses for ANYONE who supported that war

we knew Bush was full of shit - and so did she.....they voted for it because they considered their careers over the impact on the troops and AMERICA. Simply put, they jumped on the terror bandwagon. SHAME ON THEM ALL.

[Whisp]

39. +++

unfortunately short memories are just that - short.

until the next time.

[Beacool]

35. I know that the left has pounded ad nauseam every Dem who voted for the IWR.

No one was trying to give Bush "carte blanche" and permission to start an unnecessary war. He was supposed to use that resolution as a last ditch effort. It was supposed to be a warning to Hussein that he should behave or else. Unfortunately, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld didn't even wait for the ink to dry before they attacked Iraq. The mistake some Democrats made was in trusting that Bush, et al. would use restraint. I think that now they know better. For example, if N. Korea keeps pushing their luck and Obama proposes a similar resolution, I think that this time around very few Democrats would sign it. Now they know better.

2002 was 11 years ago, it's time to move on.

[Skittles]

48. I don't "move on" from a SENSELESS WAR that KILLED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

and NO ONE trusted that "Bush, et al." would USE RESTRAINT - they just voted their careers over the interests of the troops and AMERICA. FUCK THEM ALL!!!

[winter is coming]

18. Christ, if Shrum is touting her, then she's double-dog doomed. Sorry, Madame Secretary. n/t

[juajen]

30. You so bad, and sooooo wrong!

[Splinter Cell]

24. Whatever....

We went through this crap before, and the blind arrogance of Hillaryland cost her then and it will again. It's time to move on. If our party can't offer anything but the same old personal wars between the Clinton's and the Bush's, then we're as dried up as the GOP.

[juajen]

31. Silly boy!

[Beacool]

36. To millions of people Hillary is unfinished business.

We wanted a woman president, and not just any woman, we wanted Hillary. She was a much better candidate than her campaign. Half of the party didn't want Obama as their nominee and the other half did. Your half got their wish, now it's our turn.

There are also many people who think that she just is the best candidate for the job. It's as simple as that.

None of us have a clue whether she will choose to run or not, but the one thing that we are sure is that we will not allow it to end like in 2008. I think that after observing her work as SOS, the country is finally ready for her.

[Whisp]

40. 'now it's our turn'?

oiy.

I hope the turn is for moving forward on what Obama has done, not go backwards to the Clinton ways.

[Beacool]

42. Obama is a center-left corporatist.

I don't know why some people think that he's a progressive. That's an illusion.

[Whisp]

47. I guess you know all about illusions then...

!

wa-chaaaaaaaa!

[UBEEDelusional]

25. As a Liberal and Progressive I know I will not support another corporate Dem

I don't care how vile the GOP candidate is, I won't vote for them either.

I cannot in good conscience support or vote for a third way, corporate, moderate or conservative Dem it is not good for the country, party or my values.

Yes I will still vote, even write in a name if I have too but only for liberals and progressives.

[juajen]

32. WOW, how apt your user name is!

[Beacool]

37. Errrrr................did you vote for Obama?

If you did, enough said.

[customerserviceguy]

26. I really don't see any way around this

unless she gets severely embarrassed by something and decides not to run. It would take a very powerful Wikileak to do that.

The way I figure it, if the Rethugs couldn't figure out how to gin up enough anger to defeat Obama twice, they won't be able to manufacture enough Hillary-hate to go around either. Oh, she makes their blood boil, but so did he. They will just look like the sputtering fools that they were in 2008 and 2012.

Right now, there's a lot of distrust here for Hillary, and I understand it. However, when the choice comes down to her or Rand Paul, it will focus people enormously.

[apnu]

27. The comments on the article are entertaining.

Trolling tea baggers and other loonies. Get some popcorn and enjoy the show.

[hamsterjill]

28. That's still three and a half years away.

If Hillary runs, there is a 99.9% chance that I will support her. I think she's brilliant and I'd love to see a woman as POTUS.

But many things can happen between now and the time that the next President takes office.

[juajen]

33. Yep, Big Dog always said she was the smartest in any room, and he's no slacker.

[Beacool]

38. Yep, I remember him saying it in the 90s.

He always has said that she was smarter than he was.

[Whisp]

41. She is pretty good at prepared statements

but a gaffmobile thinking on her feet in a surprise situation. That's not so good.

[Beacool]

43. Gaffmobile?

You must be referring to Biden.

[Whisp]

44. nope, his gaffs are sort of charming and harmless.

hers are from panic because she can't think quick enough which of her truths to tell.

[Beacool]

45. You're funny............

[Carolina]

50. DLC, 3rd way HRC

no thanks

[haikugal]

51. I'm so tired of this

republican lite crap...I'll vote for a real liberal.

[Kablooie]

52. But if Congress is still Republican her presidency will be worth squat anyway.

And it doesn't look good for the future right now.