# Hillary's chances in 2016 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178 "2012-11-07T05:16:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/1 "2012-11-07T05:16:53Z")
Assuming Hillary will run in 2016, does Obama’s win help or hurt her chances? ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/2 "2012-11-07T05:35:41Z")
This is a tough one. On the one hand, after 8 years, the electorate is tired of the incumbent and it will be hard to run away from Obama when she was SoS. On the other hand, voters rarely kick out a President after just one term. On the balance, I’d say this helps. But if she’s serious about running, she needs to resign soon. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/3 "2012-11-07T05:39:19Z")
Obama’s popularity in 2015 will be of the greater influence. His win today (has he won yet?) helps, but if he’s in the dog-house as a lame duck (mixed metaphors notwithstanding) it won’t help Hillary at all. If he is doing super-duper, she might get a nice coat-tail effect. Way too soon to know. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/4 "2012-11-07T09:00:28Z")
I think her killing of Vince Foster might impinge on her chances a little. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/5 "2012-11-07T11:55:45Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > I think her killing of Vince Foster might impinge on her chances a little. I hope you’re joking, but, just in case you aren’t: > **[FACT CHECK: Clinton Body Bags](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-body-bags/)** > > Decades-old political rumor claims Bill Clinton quietly did away with several dozen people who possessed incriminating evidence about him. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/6 "2012-11-07T17:29:19Z")
Her 2016 nomination is assured, but her chances took a significant hit with Obama’s win. Unless there is a miraculous turnaround in America’s fortunes or Republicans pick a significantly worse candidate than Mitt, Hillary faces a major uphill climb. There’s little joy in the Clinton household today. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/7 "2012-11-07T17:43:05Z")
She’s said she’ll retire, so she would be out of office in 2013 regardless, but I think the Obama win helps her. Her performance at the state department has been widely praised on all sides, but a win for Romney would have undone a lot of her work and left things more wide-open for the Democrats in 2016. Now it’s possible - although tons of things can happen in four years - that the party and the country will be looking for someone to pick up where Obama leaves off. Clinton should be a strong contender if she wants it. The questions is if she does, and I still think the odds are around 60-40 that she’s not going to run. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/8 "2012-11-07T17:46:47Z")
She’d be the 2nd oldest President in history should she run and win (she’d be 69 and a quarter at inauguration - behind only Reagan who was nearly 70). Hasn’t her chance basically gone with her failure to secure the nomination in 2008? If I was the Democrats, I’d be looking around for someone a bit younger… ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/9 "2012-11-07T17:57:24Z")
Joe Biden has made it clear that he expects to run in 2016. This might make it easier for Hillary, because the Democrats will be searching for someone who can actually win. (Sorry Joe, but the only way you’ll get to move into the White House is if Obama dies.) Hillary has real experience now, and can no longer be accused of trying to ride her husband’s coattails into the White House. Still, the age issue will dog Hillary. She’ll essentially be in Bob Dole’s position of having to constantly field questions about whether she’s too old to be president. In the end, however, the nomination might end up being hers to refuse. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/10 "2012-11-07T18:00:25Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Joe Biden has made it clear that he expects to run in 2016. Joe Biden makes a lot of things clear. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/11 "2012-11-07T18:04:52Z")
I think if the electorate is happy with Obama and the direction of the country, she’s in like Flynn, with a young Latino Democratic stud like Julian Castro as her running mate. I think if things \*aren’t \*hunky-dorey with the country in 2015, Hillary steers clear, not wanting to run uphill toward potential defeat yet again. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/12 "2012-11-07T18:08:44Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Joe Biden has made it clear that he expects to run in 2016. Cite? He isn’t really acting like someone that’s gunning for the Presidency, he’d be older then McCain was in 2016 and the only quote I’ve heard from him about the topic was that he plans to retire and run for town selectman once his term as VP is over. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/13 "2012-11-07T18:11:49Z")
Biden has made some noises about running in 2016. I think he probably won’t, but in the middle of a campaign - one that wound up being successful - I don’t think he wanted people to talk about him as if he was finished. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hillarys-chances-in-2016/640178/14 "2012-11-07T19:31:17Z")
I don’t think he wants to be president anymore but he wants to be asked.