“Don't cry for me Argentina.” The immortal lyrics from the musical Evita could be accredited to Hillary Rodham Clinton (substituting USA for Argentina, of course.) With the general election over, all eyes have focused on President-elect Barack Obama's new administration. Lost amid the fray and relegated to the sidelines is the junior Senator from New York. The vacancy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been filled, but what about Hillary Clinton? Now that her historic bid for the presidency is over, what's next for her?
Oh, how times have changed. It was just 22 months ago that the press had heralded her as the frontrunner for the Democratic Party's nomination for president. Victory was all but a foregone conclusion. First she would conquer the Democrats, then win the General Election and in the process make history by becoming the first female president. Remember her announcement when she declared she was running? She proudly proclaimed, “She's in it to win it.” Whats more, she meant every word.
But as the old saying goes, “Life is what happens while you are making plans.” The unthinkable happened, she lost the nomination. The reasons for her defeat are debatable; depending upon which camp you belong to. Whether it was a misrun campaign, political gaffes, an underestimation of the “Obama Phenomena” or a combination of all of the above, the fact remains she lost. She will not be the first female president in 2008. The dream may be dead for now. But don't feel sorry for her. Her star may shine a tad dimmer presently, but her future is bright and she has numerous options to choose from.
Now never let it be said that Hillary isn't a team player. As promised during her concession speech, she was seen with Obama on the campaign trail shaking hands, making the obligatory sweet talk and attempting to rally her supporters behind him. Regardless whether she thought Obama was as strong a candidate as she was (she didn't), the last thing she wanted to see was another Republican sworn in as president this fall. So she placed her pride aside and did the honorable thing, the team thing.
The speculation of Hillary being on the Democratic ticket is over. Before Biden's selection as Obama's running mate, there was compelling evidence suggesting her pairing with Obama would be an electoral smash hit. Here's why. Hillary's strength was with white women and middle class voters. Obama's strength was with African-Americans and young voters, theoretically their teaming would create a political dream team. However after their meeting at Senator Barbara Feinstein's home in June, though they both were cordial, it was evident the scars of the campaign were too much to overcome. But more importantly, even with Dick Cheney's revamping of the vice presidency, Hillary wasn't seriously interested in being anyone's number 2.
A much better fit for her would be a spot on Obama's cabinet, for example secretary of state. There she would yield considerable power, influence and be on the world stage. She'd be able to help shape US foreign policy on hot topics like expanding NATO and the Middle East. Better yet, she'd do a great job, so look out Condi!
How about Governor Clinton? Yes, the Governor of the great state of New York. An intriguing possibility to say the least. Following in the footsteps of Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, she could use the office as a launching pad for her next run at the presidency. Currently David Paterson holds the office, replacing the disgraced Eliot Spitzer. She could probably win the office if she ran, but she doesn't covet this office so Governor Paterson's job is probably safe.
Supreme Court Justice Clinton? Sound absurd? Well maybe, maybe not. Nominating one's political rival is not unheard of. In 1860 and 1864 Abraham Lincoln and Salmon Chase opposed each other in two bitterly contested races. After Lincoln's re-election in 1864, he nominated Chase for the Supreme Court. Dwight Eisenhower and Governor Earl Warren of California fought for the Republican nomination in 1952. After a pre-arranged deal, President Eisenhower nominated Warren to the bench in 1953. Could Obama nominate Hillary to the bench upon the next opening? Stranger things have happened.
How about a third party run for the presidency? Conventional wisdom says a third party candidate can't win the presidency, it's never been done and it can't be done. If you weren't aware of the following facts let me enlighten you. The words “never” and “can't” aren't a part of her vocabulary. What's more she has 18 million reasons to run which are considerably more than John Anderson, Ross Perot or Ralph Nader could lay claim to before Election Day. Remember again, Hillary's a team player. She thinks she'll have another shot at the brass ring. So she won't rock the boat. Now, if she were 10 years older, well…
There are a plethora of other possibilities. Television, ambassador, talk shows host, political commentary, news anchor, "Dancing With the Stars" (can you imagine Bill and Hillary doing the tango on national tv?) But my point is clear, she has a world of options.
When Hillary finally conceded the press delivered its usual dose of doom and gloom when alluding to her career. Things looked bleak, as if there were no tomorrow. However after the dust settled a strange thing happened. Hillary actually seemed to be, if not in an enviable position, definitely not in the dire political straits as reported. Seems, “The rumors of her demise were greatly exaggerated,” to borrow from Mark Twain.
Now for just one last thing. Don't ever forget, her dream, her goal, her aspiration is to become president. The first female president. The leader of the free world. She sees the possibility. Even more the country sees the possibility. And she came close. Very close. Ooh, so close. Though from time to time she may say she's not interested in another run for the presidency, don't ever believe her. It just wasn't meant to be... this time. So in the meantime look for her to do her duty and remain a senator. She'll bide her time, wait and see how things unfold over the next few years. Then she'll decide what her next move is. Translation? We have definitely not seen the last of Hillary Rodham Clinton. So don't shed any tears for her. I wonder if she can sing?
