More than a year ago I began posting, on these pages, roundups of media stories proposing that Hillary Clinton challenge Barack Obama in a 2012 primary. Based on Bobby Kennedy, one of a few past politicians with whom she shares a variety of values and issues, having declared his own candidacy on St. Patrick’s Day, some of us figured that she could still get into the race that late. Ironically, that was the day I posted the last in the series Media Reads on a Hillary Run. The central reason why that was the last was the shift of attention from 2012 to 2016.
Suggestions that she run in 2016 have come from the media as well as other politicos. I refuse to place her name in the same sentence or context with 2016 because I believe that meme is a ploy to get Hillary Clinton Democrats to support Barack Obama. The tricky-dickyness of such a prediction alone is a put off. The probability that having succeeded to get the Hillsters on the bandwagon, the Dem Party, in two years, would begin touting some new “star,” is strong enough to evoke a good deal of skepticism. Therefore, until it became clearly too late for her to enter primaries, this blog stayed with the 2012 version which is where it remains. Until the last second of the last minute of the last hour I retain hope that somehow she will top that ballot. I just sent her another $20.12.
I refer to the top of the ballot with emphasis because meme 2016’s little brother, “the great Joe/Hillary switcharoo” has followed its older sibling like a tail on a puppy dog. The suggestion comes largely from Republican quarters with Sarah Palin, John McCain, and most recently his daughter Meghan suggesting that this would be a great move for the Obama campaign. That alone should make Democrats suspicious.
There was a hysterical flurry of excited speculation yesterday in Hillary Facebook groups and even in the office where I work based on her schedule showing a meeting at the White House with the president and perhaps also the VP. “OMG! What’s happening?” “I’m on pins-and-needles!” (Some of what I heard.)
So let us return to earth as Hillary had over the weekend after racking up thousands of additional air miles. She had been away nearly two entire weeks pushing our “alternative to China” agenda all over Africa and capping off the trip with a conference in Turkey on the escalating situation in Syria. Barack and Joe, on the other hand, were off campaigning when she returned. Yesterday was the first day that all three were in D.C. since she returned from that marathon farewell tour of Africa. She had been to the White House every day briefing officials on her trip. Yesterday was the first day she had the chance to brief the two top guys. With the Israeli ambassador talking an attack on Iran, common sense indicated that this was not a meeting about a campaign ticket.
Many refused, however, to listen to reason and protocol. She always meets with the president after her trips. There was nothing awkward at all to be derived from her meeting with Joe Biden (as one news source worded it). When she is in D.C. she has breakfast with him every Tuesday at his house. It was a lot of wrong-headed chatter over a dead duck. Here is why.
According to Ed Klein, who may well have reliable sources in the Clinton camp, the position of Veep was offered before Hillary Clinton ever left for Africa. She turned it down. The Clinton sources might also enjoy feeding Ed a lie or two just for fun. He, on the other hand can never guess which piece of the pie is tainted, so he is obliged to report all he is given. I doubt strongly the part about Bill Clinton favoring this. He knows that quicksand makes a lousy launching surface.
So, the Veep meme is dead, and, unless you are Hillary Clinton herself (you have my number and email addy, Hilary), in which case I will be the first to jump on board, leave all 2016 speculation at the door here.
Author Ed Klein on CNBC: Hillary Clinton Dismissed VP Possibility Two Weeks Ago
Amateur author Ed Klein tells Larry Kudlow that a conversation about Sec. of State Hillary Clinton replacing Joe Biden took place at the White House with Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. Klein says the WH was putting out “feelers” see if Hillary would be interested. But in the end, Hillary declined.
You are a smart woman Still for Hill and if you think electing Romney would be good for this country, then you have thrown all your intelligence down a rat hole. I am not enamored with Mr. Obama, but Hillary served in his cabinet and she has transformed statecraft in the process. There is no way that she would agree with you that Romney would be good for this country. I hope you can bring some reason back to your analysis.
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Did I mention the name Romney here at all? I have never said I am supporting Romney, and I believe I expressed distrust of the GOP in this post. Loud clear – I am not supporting Romney. What an idea! I never said that in my life!
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I communicate with Still privately nearly every day. Not once has she EVER said that she supports Romney.
There will be other candidates on the ballot besides Obama and Romney. There’s also a blank space for a write-in vote. One can also leave the top of the ticket blank and vote only in the down ticket races. I know of many Hillary supporters who plan to choose one of these options if we can’t get Hillary 2012.
As for Hillary 2016, that is a project for the future, not the present. As Still said, there’s too much potential for manipulation.
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Thank you, Jen!
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Wow! I am still trying to recover from someone I thought was a friend who knew where I have always stood thinking this post, which never mentioned Romney and endorsed no one, really, interpreting this as a Romney endorsement. The points were:
1. Hillary Clinton is not going to be in the Veep spot on the ballot.
2. Please do not mention her name alongside the year 2016 here unless and until she herself makes that commitment.
How this translates to a Romney endorsement completely escapes me.
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I think there is one reason – what she already mentioned – why she is not even thought about beeing VP. That is kind of beeing a first lady you don’t have job description just stand next to the president and support him.-I am pretty sure she said something similar to this somewhere. She doesn’t want to do what she kind of already did eight years.
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I hear you loud and clear,Still. Yep, I’m still on board for Hillary 2012. She’s getting my vote this year, regardless…And I shall cast it proudly!!
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I am also writing her in, as I did in the primary – proudly! (Unless she somehow ends up at the top of the ticket, that is. No write-in necessary in that case. As they say in NY – “Hey! You never know!”)
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Glad to hear someone else understands that every time she has a meeting at the White House, it isn’t because Obama is pleading with her to be his new VP. Besides, what reason would Obama have for ditching Biden. It would look pretty bad. He’s been nothing but loyal and, if the concern is gaffes, the man has had a career full of them. Why would the president dismiss him over something they’ve dealt with over and over. There are other things going on in the world that require the attention of these three and I’m glad you pointed them out.
Frankly, I don’t see what great difference Hillary would make to the ticket in this election. You couldn’t have a clearer choice between Obama/Biden and Romney/Ryan as it is and the voters that are voting against Obama because of the outcome of the 2008 primary would probably not be swayed by anything less than her accession to the top of the ticket.
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But if this is true, and it appears credible enough since the MSM is reporting it – he DID offer the position to her via Valerie Jarrett. She declined. That’s the point. That’s why this meme is dead. He offered it. She declined.
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Then she may have helped him out. He’d have looked ungrateful dropping Biden and pulling Secretary Clinton from State given the fluid nature of the situation in Syria for a gain of zero in the election would’ve been a bad call.
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i’m very dubious about this hillary-declined-the-veep-job story if the main source is ed klein. he doesn’t know crap about hillary, and no one even remotely close to the clintons would ever tell him anything reliable. doesn’t anyone remember the horrible book he wrote about hillary not that many years ago, where he said chelsea was conceived when bill raped hillary? he’s a right-wing hack.
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If this guy presumes to know when and how the Clintons concieved their baby, then he is a questionable source indeed. That couple has never seemed to be much for PDA.
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you mean except for their almost constant hand-holding? 🙂
btw, klein said about a million other ridiculous things in that book. fortunately, no one really cared.
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Their holding hands could be a show of companionship or just Secretary Clinton attempting to keep her husband on time for whatever event they have next.
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i think it’s very sweet when people who’ve been married a long time hold hands. 🙂
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When they are not holding hands, he usually has his hand on her shoulder. There is always physical connection. It’s adorable.
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This seems an appropriate thing to add.
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Based on the very strong probability that he is also “Anonymous” I would not be surprised at all if the Clinton camp subsequently reached out to him at some point to plant selected leaks. I don’t doubt the story – only the Bill part. She was asked. She said no. I don’t think Bill encouraged her to accept.
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i still have a hard time believing anyone close to the clintons would tell him anything. that would be like the clinton camp leaking something to rush limbaugh, lol.
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I am sure they also have a way to plant selected leaks with him.
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btw, i just saw a story in the washington post tonight about how much of a liability biden is. they’re worried ryan is going to clean his clock in the debate.
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I’d be slow to underestimate Joe Biden. He reminds me of Columbo, a detective show my dad used to love. The guy was a buffoon, or so it seemed, right up until cracked the case. Biden’s been in politics for thirty years and has a healthy Senate record. You don’t get their by being a moron. Ryan will be a formidable opponent to be sure, but if the Romney/Ryan ticket thinks that the VP debate is going to be a cakewalk, I think they are doing themselves a disservice.
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i actually like biden a lot. he is definitely no moron, lol.
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But he is if you ask a Republican. They’ve caricatured various Democrats like Biden, Pelosi – long serving, well known Representatives and Senators – as one step up from intellectual vegetables and, while it gives them great fodder for jokes at their fundraisers, I find it hard to believe them. These individuals have records of legislative successes behind them. An idiot might get voted into office, but they’d have a hard time getting their bills passed into law. (For a fun example, look up Michele Bachmann’s record in Congress 😉 )
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LOL! That debate is going to be Biden-Palin redux. And BTW – it won’t decide the election. But a fun night will be had by all! (Popping the corn – who’s bringing the beer?)
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New Jersey is potentially a swing state–so if you vote for the green party, or write in Hillary, then you are putting N.J. into the Romney column and Still for Hill you know this. Interesting to me that Hillary told all of us to move on–she did and has done quite well for herself and served the country well. Now her husband will be working hard to reelect Obama. If I lived in New Jersey there is no way that I would vote for anyone other than Obama. But in fact a vote for someone else in a state like NJ, is a defacto vote for Romney. Hillary did pivot and that must have taken tremendous strength of character and she asked all of us to do the same. I can not imagine another very close election that could end up with these Republican cretins in the White House.
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If Obama sinks to the point where he can lose New Jersey, then Still’s write-in vote won’t make a difference one way or another. He’s DONE!
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True. It’s my franchised statement.
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NJ is nowhere NEAR a swing state. Those outside misinterpret. NJ is solidly blue in national elections and varies locally. I am voting my conscience. No one and nothing will come between me and that. I have many more elections behind me than in front of me. I will vote for my favored candidate whose name is not Romney.
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Not to mention that this post was not even about how anyone casts her/his ballot. It was only about dealing with the 2016 and Veep memes. The spectacular SOS speaks for herself.
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Ed Klein is a dufus, for lack of a better way of saying it. Now, if it was Joe Klein, that would be different. I somehow doubt this conversation ever took place.
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I have no doubt that he spoke with the Clinton camp – some designee.They caught him like a fish long ago. Rounded him up. He’s their puppet now. I will never deny tactics.
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i hope he is their pawn now. he deserves nothing better, lol.
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Clinton revenge! Double really. Revenge on Klein and on Obama.
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