Hillary, Hillary, Hillary

Well, I've had quite a hiatus in my role as political blogger thanks to law school.  Glad to say that's all over now.  I am awaiting CA bar results which will be announced in late November, so I find myself with a little more time on my hands now.  Needless to say, the first blog post in over a year will concern one of my favorite women, Hillary Clinton!

Glenn Beck and "the golden years"

There has been considerable talk about Hillary's prospects at winning in 2016. Last Tuesday, conservative radio and television host Glenn Beck announced that if Hillary runs, she "will be the next President of the United States." Beck reiterated, "She is going to win."

Beck stated that the reason he thinks she will win is because she will convince voters that she is the candidate that can take the United States back to the "golden years"of Bill Clinton's administration.

I don't usually agree with Glenn Beck, but this time I do. I have no doubt that Hillary will use Bill's golden years to her advantage should she choose to run.

Will Hillary's Presidency be President Obama's "third term?"

Although Hillary has not yet confirmed that she is going to run in 2016, she has admitted thinking about it. Some worry about Hillary's presidency merely being President Obama's "third term." This could easily be one of Republicans' effective critiques of Hillary.

Why some Democrats will vote for Hillary in 2016

I believe that Hillary is going to have a much more difficult time in 2016 than she did in 2008. Americans are becoming increasingly repulsed by military entanglements, Wall Street, and are becoming more firmly in favor of legalizing marijuana.

The reason that most Democrats will still vote for Hillary is because she is going to be our strongest candidate hands down. Many Democrats also believe that she will be more aggressive than President Obama in advancing items on the legislative agenda.

Democrats will vote for Hillary because of her experience. For many Democrats, if they don't already love Hillary, they will vote for her because she is the pragmatic choice. She has more knowledge and experience in Washington than many of her prospective Republican opponents. The fact is, the Democratic options are slim. I would personally love to see Senator Elizabeth Warren run, but that is another story entirely. 

Why some Democrats will not vote for Hillary in 2016

For many Democrats, Hillary is just too moderate. She straddles the fence on legalizing marijuana and she stays close to her supporters in the finance world. She is at odds with the Democratic Party's orthodoxy on the use of American military force and on the nexus of business and government. Some may criticize her as being a "Wall Street Democrat."

Whenever Hillary has drawn a contrast between her and President Obama, it has been mostly to emphasize that she is more comfortable using military force than the president. She often talks about how proud she is of the relationships she has developed with U.S. business leaders, even though many Democrats hate the idea of corporations and the government working together.

At this point, nobody knows whether Hillary will run, but if she does, it appears that she has a pretty good chance, even if it is by default.

Who do you want to see on the ballot in 2016?