Sen. Clinton delays decision on 2008 bid

[brooklynite]

By MARC HUMBERT, Associated Press Writer
33 minutes ago

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday she won't make a decision about running for president until after the first of the year.

During a visit to an aircraft maintenance facility at the former Griffiss Air Base, Clinton confirmed she is talking to people in New York and across the country about a possible run for president in 2008. It was the first time Clinton publicly confirmed what her aides and fellow Democrats have been saying about a possible presidential run.

"I'm talking to people who have opinions about what our country needs to do going forward and whether or not I make any decisions, I can't really confront until after the first of the year," Clinton said.

The former first lady said she had not yet decided whether to form a presidential exploratory committee, but that technical requirements of federal election law might require her to do so if she continues to consider a presidential run.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061211/ap_on_el_pr/on_the2008_trail_2

[skipos]

1. I would prefer not to have a candidate with 45+% already saying they won't vote for her

I hope she doesn't run.

[zann725]

2. Postpone, Hil...please...

Until '09, if you like.

[truebrit71]

3. That was the date I had in mind too...

...the LAST thing we need is for her to run...it would GUARANTEE another rethuglican in the WH....

[Captain Hilts]

8. No, it wouldn't guarantee another Republican president.

Hillary's not my first, or even second choice, but she's a legitimate candidate and has as good a chance at winning as most of the Dems at this point.

[juajen]

26. Yet another thread dissing Hillary

I agree about her chances and I support her. So far, she is #1 in my book.

[RiverStone]

4. Agreed!

[goforit]

14. I second that!

[Captain Hilts]

7. This means little until an opponent is set. nt

[skipos]

10. Sure, she might be able to beat Newt ot Jeb

But why not assume that she will run against a strong GOPer?

[Captain Hilts]

15. My firm was polling in NYS during 2000 and she was doing very well...

against Giuliani. I think it really surprised him.

I think she would beat McCain, even though I don't think he'll win the nomination.

Remember, Hillary gets more votes than polling points. It's the opposite from the way black candidates poll and receive votes.

[rinsd]

28. That rules out quite a few favorites including Gore and Kerry then (nt)

[skipos]

30. Yes it does.

I wouldn't say I will rule them out, but it is worth paying some attention to how the public feels about our potential nominees.

[rinsd]

33. Two things about these polls

a) it goes withouth saying how early it is.

b) opponents do affect these early polls.

That said I think Gore, Kerry or Clinton will be able to overcome those "staunch" will not vote for voters.

[MaineDem]

5. From what I have heard, Hillary seriously hasn't made up her mind

She's a smart lady and won't run if she can't win.

I like her and admire her a great deal but I don't think this is the time for her to run for President. I think she'll make a superb Senate Majority Leader in the near future. That's where she can be extremely effective.

I know advisors who are urging her to not run.

[Captain Hilts]

9. I'd prefer her as Majority Leader also. nt

[Captain Hilts]

6. Wow! I hope she stops in Utica. Tell the folks at Caffe Caruso I said 'Hi' Hil. nt

[ronnykmarshall]

11. I don't think she'll run.

I agree that she has not seriously made up her mind. She won't get in a race she can't win. If she doesn't run, the GOP will be running around like the coyote in the "Road Runner" cartoons trying to figure out who to attack next.

[Alhena]

12. I am baffled by the Hillary phenomenon ...

I am at a loss to explain how Hillary has become the presumptive nominee. I place her in the top half of Democratic Senators, but nothing more than that. She strikes me as being very competent, but I saw her give a speech one time in which she came across like a corporate lawyer giving a summation. And she seems to avoid the spotlight- I rarely see her on "Meet The Press" type shows. If she wants to lead our party, I think she needs to get out there and earn it by talking to the public at large, which in this day and age means television. As of now, she seems to have done great in courting Democratic power brokers, but we are a party of the people, not the big money raisers. Either she will have to improve her public speaking ability considerably or she will look very average in any debate standing next to Obama.

[BlueManDude]

13. 2 years ago Obama was an IL State Senator, yet you think he's qualified?

I wish they'd both shut up and do their jobs in the US Senate.

Count me as baffled by the Obama 08 boom.

[jefferson_dem]

22. What exactly "qualifies" one to run for president is purely subjective, isn't it?

Unless, of course, you are suggesting that he's not at least 35 years old, a natural born US citizen, and 14 year resident of the US.

[Captain Hilts]

16. Her public appearances are reallly uneven, aren't they?

Sometimes she's great and others she is as you have just described.

[BlueManDude]

17. The next president doesn't have to be a Churchillian orator

Have you seen McCain on the stump? You think W is a great speachmaker? Bush I was really bad too.

It's irrelevant. The poster you were responding to is just here to pump up Obama for president.

[Captain Hilts]

19. Yeah, but it helps. W's speaking style - or lack thereof - was part of his 'real' image...

in her case, she just needs to loosen up.

Sometimes she's absolutely terrific. And others she's stiff and uncomfortable.

McCain is NOT a good speaker, she's better than he is. And I'd bet on her in a debate against any of the Republicans mentioned. But, you don't have to 'win' debates to get elected either.

Howard Dean has really found - or naturally has - that happy medium between sounding real and sounding intelligent. I wish I liked him more even though I think he's doing a great job as head of the DNC.

[rinsd]

29. Name recognition + formidable fundraising = frontrunner (nt)

[geek tragedy]

31. Same way that Mondale did in 1984 and Dole did

for the Republicans in 1996--a feeling of inevitability.

[William769]

18. Very smart move on her part.

The only bad news, it's another year of vitriol that we will have to put up with with some DU members Over Hillary Clinton.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

20. There are times, and this is one of them, when I wonder if she's toying with the GOP

Leading them around by the nose, letting them waste their money and time attacking her, when she's not even really planning to toss her hat in the ring this round.

[MaineDem]

21. Could very well be

And I say, more power to her. :)

[Tellurian]

24. Yep, I hope she runs in 2nd position to Gore..

The country would go ballistic over the duo.

And they'd be untouchable. The GOP has no one that can compete.

[athena]

35. That's what I've always thought.

If Hillary Clinton thinks she can't win, she won't run. I think she knows that this country is too misogynist to elect a woman. The way she is treated by the media and the public is extremely unfair.

I think that Obama can win. But it'll be decades if not centuries before the U.S. elects a woman as president. Americans are even more sexist than they are racist. At least, racism is seen as a bad thing. Most people don't even recognize sexism when they see it -- and that includes women as well as men.

[AllexxisF1]

23. Personally,

I do not think Hillary could win, as much as I believe Obama cannot win as well. It's not so much about competency than it is about being an all around leader. Hillary I feel was born for the role as Senator and I believe she would rather be in the Senate for 6 terms rather than being President for one or two.

I really feel in my heart of hearts that Clark should be our #1 at this time. A Clark, Obama ticket or Clark, Edwards ticket sure sounds like a winner to me. Clark has got a resume that would make anyone blush and the background to silence anyone about his military career.

Clark\Edwards '08 I think is a winning ticket.

[Benhurst]

27. Gore/Clark '08

[ozone_man]

36. Gore/Dean '08

As long as there's no Clinton/Clark/Edwards/Kerry/Obama on the ticket. What we need are leaders not followers, and not military leaders. It's time to end the American expansionism that requires endless wars. We need fiscally responsible and environmentally responsible leadership. Not a another war president. One was enough.

[ripple]

25. She can afford to wait several months to announce

She already has the name recognition going for her and the longer she waits to declare her candidacy, the less time her opponents have to attack her. Not that she isn't facing a lot of criticism now, but it pales in comparison to what she, Obama, Edwards, Kerry, etc. have in store for them once their hats are officially tossed into the ring.

Another factor will probably be who Soros and some of the BIG money contributors decide to back. Word is that some of the traditional Clinton supporters are informally lining up behind Obama. As an Obama supporter, I coudn't be happier about that.

Still, I'll support Hillary if she runs and pulls off a primary win.

[DiverDave]

32. Sure, Hil, run

and give the presidency to the repukes.


No bashing here, just being realistic.

[Zorra]

34. I wish she'd run as a minesweeper. The conservatives would have a

a field day attacking her. They hate her simply because she's a woman, and because she was married to Bill.

She could run a half-assed campaign and let Limbaugh and all the other fascist talking heads waste their time, money, and energy slamming her, while the actual potential nominee escapes a bunch of RW heat.

She could then drop out of the race and dump her war chest into the actual nominee's coffers.

[AtomicKitten]

37. Obama is giving her pause.

tee-hee