I doubt many people thought Obama even had a chance to win before 2008, or really knew who he was.
Obama got a lot of attention following his 2004 convention speech. That’s the sort of thing to look for here. Hence, Brian Schweitzer (Montana Governor), for instance.
She’s retirement age. Let her retire.
Yes let Bill and Hilary enjoy their twilight years together.
Yep. That’s the power of name recognition.
What does it mean beyond that? Well, who is on the list of people widely considered by the national populace to be capable of handling the Presidency? (Other than Obama, of course.) I think the list consists solely of the past three Secretarys of State: Clinton, Condi Rice, and Colin Powell. I’m serious. What active politician is truly considered presidential-level by the public as a whole?
What we’ll see over the next four years, though, is exactly what we saw with the past several presidents: A concerted campaign to make them seem worthy of the office. No President since Eisenhower was seen four years before winning office to be obviously presidential. (No losing non-President was at that level either.) Somebody will successfully rise to the position. That’s the way it always works and there’s no reason to believe that it will change in any foreseeable future.
I can’t see Hillary lying on the sofa in a bathrobe for very long. A few months rest and she’ll start reconsidering a run in 2016. She’ll have a couple years off to relax and strategize before the campaigning starts. I think the chance to be the first woman president is just too tempting to ignore.
Unless of course, there are health problems that we aren’t aware of. Secretary of State is an exhausting job and I certainly understand her need for some time off and away from the cameras.
Joe Biden has made it clear he expects to run in 2016. Right after the last election, he said something along the lines of, “This won’t be the last time I get to vote for myself.” Only one way to interpret that statement.
Yes, he’ll be too old to be president, and even if he wasn’t he’s too much of an idiot to get elected (or maybe even nominated) at the top of the ticket, but apparently nobody has managed to convince him of either of these points. Any up-and-coming Democratic nominee is apparently going to have to push Biden off the stage first.
Getting back to Hillary, I think we’ve overlooked the very real danger that comes with being the Secretary of State in 2012. Basically, she spends her days flying in & out of unstable Middle East shitholes. (Look where she is right now.) She’s also an American and a woman, spending much of her time in countries where being either of these is not good. If you think about it, Sec. of State is probably a really lousy job.
Which totally explains why the last Secretary of State was a woman and the preferred candidate for the next Secretary of State is a woman.
And that is relevant how, exactly? :dubious:
I’m just saying it looks like a really shitty job. Especially for a woman, given the places the Sec. of State spends much of his/her time these days.