Reeves: Hillary Will Decide Presidential Plans Within Days

NewsMax.com ^ | 8/27/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Sen. Hillary Clinton is about to decide her presidential plans, says columnist and author Richard Reeves.

The race for the Democrats' 2004 presidential nomination "has changed totally in the past few weeks," Reeves wrote Tuesday. "At the beginning of the summer, Hillary could comfortably deny having national presidential ambitions because the comfortable conventional wisdom was that it didn't really matter who the Democratic candidate would be, because President Bush had a lock on re-election. (I'm sure that the thought has never crossed her mind that it would be better for her if Bush won in 2004, leaving her a clear field in 2008.)

"But now! With Bush looking more vulnerable because there are not enough jobs at home and not enough peace abroad, Sen. Clinton has to check some numbers. If a Democrat, say Kerry, defeats Bush next November and then runs for re-election in 2008, then her next chance to run would probably be in 2012, when she will be 65 years old. And who knows what the world will look like then?" Or what Hillary will look like.

Reeves says that "Hillary and her advisers, including her husband the ex-president, her money men and pollsters, will meet shortly after Labor Day - Sept. 6, I hear - to discuss whether or not she should go for it. It is a decision that has to be made earlier rather than later because of November and December filing deadlines for the early primary elections that will almost certainly (and very quickly) identify the 2004 Democratic nominee.

"The contest, again almost certainly, will be over by March 2 at the latest, and possibly as early as the end of January. California, New York, Texas, Ohio and eight smaller states will hold primary elections on Super-Super Tuesday that second day of March. There is even a chance that if the same candidate, say Kerry, could win the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 19 and the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 27, he could win early enough to cut off the financial and journalistic oxygen of other Democratic runners. If Hillary decides to do it - you get to be president only by running for it - she will have to meet filing deadlines by announcing her candidacy before the end of this year."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

2004 Elections
Sen. Hillary Clinton

[boris]

I've been predicting she would run in '04 since Bush was elected (he said modestly)...

--Boris

[poindexter]

"Sen. Hillary Clinton is about to decide her presidential plans,..."

I shall await Her Highness' pronouncement with bated breath.

[DugwayDuke]

Yes, a deadlocked convention is, I think, her path to the nomination. I believe that the Clinton control of the DNC allowed them to front-end load the primaries. This does not allow for an earlier leader to consolidate his lead, build momentum, and clinch the nomination in the later primaries. It's all over so fast, no one may win a majority of delegates.

If the convention deadlocks, Hillary fever will sweep the hall. The best part of this strategy is that it allows Hillary to hide from scrutiny and avoid any really tough questions till almost election day. She might even be able to dodge the debates.

[CPT Clay]

She'd better. Dean will have this wrapped up shortly.

[prarie earth]

Me too.

[Radioactive]

Larry Nichols has stated for about a year now that Hillary will run.

Look for an announcement after the labor day holiday.

Bet on it!

[MontanaBeth]

As a single conservative woman with many single conservative woman friends I'm going to throw your blanket back at you, it's full of holes and stinks. Nothing like making conservative women feel welcome here. Go ahead and take cheap shots at all women, they fit so tidily into your piegon holes.

[truthandlife]

She was on the Today Show today taking a local issue (The EPA hiding the air quality during 9/11). I can't figure out what she is doing. Is she running for the Presidency and trying to make it look like she is looking out for the people of NY or has she decided to nix running. I think she has decided to forget it but it will be interesting in September.

[truthandlife]

She was on the Today Show today taking a local issue (The EPA hiding the air quality during 9/11). I can't figure out what she is doing. Is she running for the Presidency and trying to make it look like she is looking out for the people of NY or has she decided to nix running. I think she has decided to forget it but it will be interesting in September.

[Dusty Rose]

I see you've gotten the scoop on the campaign poster Hillary
plans to use. How did you ever manage that? I thought all of that was confidential until The Announcement! Do you know if that's the picture she's using for the buttons?

[engrpat]

If she runs (and I hope not) this will be the most contentious, nasty and mean election ever ran in the US. She is such polarizing figure both sides will be out for blood. Her running, even if she would lose, would split this nation for years to come. I see nothing good coming out of her running even if she would lose 49 out of 50 states.

[MontanaBeth]

Thank you! I actual belong to a long line of conservative women (4) sisters raised by a conservative mother and father, with conservative husbands (one husband came into our family democrat but we fixed his thinking and cleared his eyes to see the truth) and now conservative children, so the lump means conservative women are so rare as in nonexistent. I would hate to disinfrancise an importent part of female conservatives. I do notice alot of female bashing on this site. I don't object to attacks against a specific person but lumping together or judging all on the basis of gender, race or religion is not a conservative philosphy that I am aware of, unless you are using the media democrats right wing conspiracy doctrine of communication. All republicans....

[My2Cents]

Dean will grab the party away from them.

This may be good enough reason to register Democrat and vote for Dean during the primaries.

[My2Cents]

OK, this is the third post on this thread alone in which you've implied that George W. Bush has sold-out to special interests for campaign contributions. You've made your point, moronic as it is. Now give it a rest.

[My2Cents]

LOL....Hillary in her 8th run for the Presidency, 2032?