Some people may remember Ted Kennedy’s fear in 1980 that Jimmy Carter could not get re-elected. So he began his own presidential campaign, not typical in recent politics. (Reagan, Clinton and Bush had no opposition in their party before being re-elected.) Whether or not he contributed to the demise of Carter is up for debate. But certainly the democrats are faced with a similar situation in 2012.
Obama’s Presidency started out strong, with the passage of his health care plan. But his popularity has been waning, and he has been accused of lacking leadership skills. The tea party marched into Washington and made the deficit ceiling an uncompromising issue.
Quietly, Hillary Clinton has announced that she is not interested in serving as Secretary of State for a second term. Former Vice President Dick Cheney has said on Fox news that Clinton is “one of the more competent members of the Obama administration.” He was even so bold as to speculate how the presidency might have turned out better if she had been president.
Wait. Is Dick Cheney supporting Hillary for president? Can long time republican and former vice president Dick Cheney be advocating for Democrat Hillary Clinton? One can only speculate on his motives. If he were trying to help republicans, perhaps he would like to see Hillary confront Obama on his leadership and policies. That would certainly help split the democratic party.
Right now it the republicans who are split. With Tea Party influences, they appear to voters to lack leadership and a solid platform. With only 26% of the voters approving of Obama’s handling of the economy, it would indicate that at the moment he may be a president who could be defeated.
While many are examining the alternatives to Obama, they have been looking outside the Democratic party at Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann and Mitt Romney. Ron Paul has been gaining credibility as a stable candidate who can work outside of Washington politics.
But Hillary lost in a tight primary battle with Obama who won the national election with near unanimous support of black voters. With unemployment still hovering around 10%, and many people scrambling to maintain their standard of living, Obama is a vulnerable president. Having nearly all the black vote may not be enough to get re-elected.
But would Hillary Clinton run now? Or wait until 2016? Or has she given up her presidential aspirations? Certainly she could raise the money. Bill Clinton was a man of intellect who understood how government worked. He was able to rally even those who opposed him to create what many view as a successful presidency.
Could Hillary do the same? Is she the alternative that Americans are looking for? Or will Americans choose between Obama and the Republican field that may encourage a third party candidate? She has been quietly sitting in the back row, raising her hand perhaps waiting to be called on. Dick Cheney has made an interesting suggestion for Americans to think about.