# Senator Clinton, what the hell were you thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 25, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003 "2004-05-25T15:51:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/21 "2004-05-25T18:27:09Z")
Can anyone name one time that Hillary Clinton has ever said she wanted to run for president? Just one time? No? Didn’t think so. So all speculation about Hillary 20008 is completely unfounded at this point. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/22 "2004-05-25T18:28:13Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > You know what? The woman might be a political genius. I think any time you call Hillary an idiot (other than for staying will Bill), you might want to do a reality check. If you think she’s an idiot, it’s because she _wants_ you to think she’s an idiot! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/23 "2004-05-25T18:29:51Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Didn’t think so. So all speculation about Hillary 20008 is completely unfounded at this point. I think by 20008 she might be too old to run. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/24 "2004-05-25T18:30:53Z")
Hilarious Clinton V. Elizabeth Dole. Cage death-match. Preferably in a vat of Jello-O. C’ mon folks, lets get some some fun in the elections! BTW, stolen election? Can’t you libs come up with something better than that? It’s tired. _Sore Loserman 2000_ is less beaten than these weak arguments. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/25 "2004-05-25T18:33:03Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Didn’t think so. So all speculation about Hillary 20008 is completely unfounded at this point. Look, we’re just conspiring about 2008; keep your looney-tune tinfoil hat 20008 reanimated-corpse-of-Hillary-controlled-by-aliens theories outta here. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/26 "2004-05-25T18:40:03Z")
Neither of the Clintons is stupid. Dangerously liberal, yes. Stupid, no. She _will_ run in 2008…I’d be willing to bet substantial amounts of money on it. DoG, care to make a wager? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/27 "2004-05-25T18:46:12Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > The woman might be a political genius. Political Genius? Making nice with the other side isn’t some epoch shattering move, it’s about as obvious as it gets. Any other dem that wants a shot at 2008 would take the same course of action. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/28 "2004-05-25T18:49:08Z")
Well, she just [endorsed the notion](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&u=/afp/20040523/pl_afp/us_vote_vicepresident_040523223713&printer=1) of having John McCain be the Democratic VP candidate for this coming election. So maybe here’s her plan: Let Kerry win, w/McCain as VP while she continues as NY Senator. For re-election in 2008, McCain’s out and HRC’s the new VP. Then, she’s positioned for a 2012 run, with a good decade of DC experience under her belt (in both Leg. & Exec. branches) By then, the rabid HRC haters have cooled, Bill has casually slid into pork-rind anonymity, and the nation’ll be receptive enough for a female CoC. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/29 "2004-05-25T19:37:20Z")
First, if I were to wager a guess, I’d imagine that Mrs. Clinton didn’t go on a tirade because she realized it’d play into the conservatives’ hands. “Look at Hillary! It’s just like we always said, them liberals are nothing more than a bunch of loud-mouthed anti-American nutjobs!” Second, what’s with this right-wing wankfest about “Hillary Clinton has an Evil Secret Plan™ to run for President in 2008”? Aside from merely being an excuse for more Clinton-bashing (which is _soooooooooooooo_ 1995), why is there the implication that this would be a bad thing? She sure can’t fuck things up as badly as Bush has, and I for one would love to see a repeat of 1997-2000 instead of 2001-2004. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/30 "2004-05-25T19:52:32Z")
Hillary’s lust for power & control is without equal. It’s thus a given that Hillary _will_ run for president, and most likely in 2008. No rational person can deny this. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/31 "2004-05-25T20:00:13Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Hillary’s lust for power & control is without equal. It’s thus a given that Hillary _will_ run for president, and most likely in 2008. No rational person can deny this. Um, I assume you have proof of this? What is with the right’s obsession with Hillary Clinton? I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/32 "2004-05-25T20:10:59Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What is with the right’s obsession with Hillary Clinton? I don’t get it. I think somebody’s in luuuuuuuv! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/33 "2004-05-25T20:16:20Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Can anyone name one time that Hillary Clinton has ever said she wanted to run for president? Just one time? > > No? > > Didn’t think so. So all speculation about Hillary 20008 is completely unfounded at this point. Please. Can we count on you in the future never to speculate about Bush in the same way? Or is it only conservatives who have readable minds? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/34 "2004-05-25T20:21:13Z")
Oops. Hit submit to soon. I think Hillary SHOULD run for prez. She’s eminently qualified, has a devouted following among Dems, and could break one of the biggest barriers of all times. I don’t see it in any way as a swipe at her to say that she’s thinking about running for president. Yeah, there are people on the right who obssess over her, but there seem to be just as many on the left who obssess on those who obssess on her. What’s the big deal? I would suspect most Senators would run for prez if they thought they could win. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/35 "2004-05-25T21:24:40Z")
'08 is too soon, and Kerry will be the incumbent and she won’t want to run against her own party’s incumbent in the primaries (a difficult and divisive political move) unless he makes bad hash of his first term. HRC is still enshadowed by having been First Lady, i.e., too many folks view her as occupying office solely because her husband was Prez. She needs more than a single term as Senator under her belt. She needs to look like a solid worker who works well with others (which actually seems to be the case in the Senate) with some solid legislative and political accomplishments notched up (she doesn’t really have this yet, she’s a newbie in the Senate, folks) and she needs for folks to say “Clinton? Oh yeah, author of that Senate bill that blah blah blah, and did that great speech when the Hatch proposal was on the floor”. Right now you say “Clinton” and people associate her mostly with the WJC first-term health care fiasco. Not good. She may never be in a solid enough position to trade in her high-profile name and face recognition for a shot at the title, but 2012 seems a lot more likely than '08. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/36 "2004-05-25T21:41:00Z")
I’m not so sure that more terms is necessarily better. In fact, that’s the root of Kerry’s problem. Due to the nature of legislative bills, it sometimes looks like you’re inconsistent or self-contradictory over the course of many years — there are riders, add-ons, political favors, and other circumstances that might cause you to vote against a bill that you like over-all but that has some deal-breaking problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/37 "2004-05-25T21:42:47Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Second, what’s with this right-wing wankfest about “Hillary Clinton has an Evil Secret Plan™ to run for President in 2008”? What rightwing wankfest? If anything I’ve seen the Dems creaming over the notion of her running. As far as 2008, IIRC she’ll be 64 in 2012 so sooner the better. If Rudy G. runs for senate in '06, he’ll whip that ass, so my money is on Hill for 2008. > [@](#): > > Why is there the implication that this would be a bad thing? She sure can’t fuck things up as badly as Bush has, and I for one would love to see a repeat of 1997-2000 instead of 2001-2004. All I can say is her carpetbagging has turned me off her forever. I won’t be voting for her. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/38 "2004-05-25T21:45:37Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > '08 is too soon, and Kerry will be the incumbent and she won’t want to run against her own party’s incumbent in the primaries (a difficult and divisive political move) unless he makes bad hash of his first term. Which is why she isn’t lifting a finger to help him get elected. It’s all moot anyway because the sheeple will reelect Bush in November. Barring some genocide in Iraq, there’s no fucking way Kerry will win. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/39 "2004-05-25T22:17:39Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Hilarious Clinton V. Elizabeth Dole. Cage death-match. Preferably in a vat of Jello-O. C’ mon folks, lets get some some fun in the elections! Oh, great. Now I’m sterile. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003/40 "2004-05-25T22:32:25Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I think by 20008 she might be too old to run. Nah… Vampires live a looong time. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-clinton-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking/247003.md?page=3)