Behind most of the diaries rerunning the 2016 campagn lies a question that underlies our usually civil discussion but which nobody seems to want to take on directly: should Hillary Clinton exit the national stage or should she jump back into the thick of American politics and consider running for office?
Of course, we don’t really know how Hillary feels and I’m sure most of us would respect her feelings but there is deep division on this and it’s reflected every day in about half of the diaries on this site. Hillary’s die hard supporters spotlight the fact that she got a heck of a lot more votes than Trump and dream of what might have been. Others want to turn the page on the Clinton era and, frankly, consider Hillary to be a loser. These folks dream of what might have been under Democratic nominee Sanders (or others).
I could make a case either way. There is ample, but not recent, historical precedent for a Hillary Clinton comeback. William Jennings Bryan received the Dem. nomination three times, Adlai Stevenson twice (resulting in 5 GOP victories). Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected four years after losing the presidency. John Quincy Adams went to the US House and fought slavery after losing to Andrew Jackson. Adams never ran for President again but he maintained a power base in New England and continued adressing national issues, all for the good of the young republic. The most recent great comback was Richard Nixon, most people thought his political career was over when he lost a race for CA Governor in 1962. Thanks to medical advances age is less of a negative for Hillary than it might have been years ago. With the exception of influential voices in the Kremlin, they point out that Hillary is in great health and she will always be younger than Donald Trump.
The other side shudders at the thought that Hillary might return to the spotlight or that anyone would seriously consider the possibility. Most would probably have preferred it if Hillary had not even run in ‘16 and opened the door for new leaders. They reason that Hillary should have won in 2016, is a two time loser, and cite her lack of appeal to millennials and most people under the age of 50. And yes, they point to Hillary’s age.
I lean toward those who think Hillary should step back. However, I don’t think Bernie Sanders is the future either. If Hillary ran again, I would not automatically support someone else. I worry somewhat about tossing aside someone with her ability and experience. Age is not a factor with me. I’d vote for a 92 year old white male named Jimmy Carter again — who showed us all that one can still do a lot of good in “retirement.”
What do you think about Hillary’s future?