Hillary Hysteria

If you have been keeping up with the news, there is hardly a day that goes by, in which former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is not featured. Her recent book publication has everyone from the far right and left on the brink on her potentiality of running for the democratic nominee for President in 2016, even though no such statement has been made thus far.

A number of people have been calling her the next President since before she stepped-down as Secretary of State, surely she has to be plotting her grand entrance back into the political arena as she ‘takes time off.’ Like a Hunger Games attraction, I expect to see a glamorous display of pyrotechnics if she decides to run in 2016. A decision is to be made just before the end of this year and the media is continuously following and reiterating stories about her current outings and events, as well as rehashing the past. Most are expecting that she will run and is just stringing the public along in a long-dramatized publicity stunt.

Her stint as Secretary of State has given her a plethora of credentials, both positive and negative that have placed her at the forefront of media commendation and criticism. Democrat and Republicans have used the media to come out in support of a Presidential bid, as well as criticize her experience as Secretary of State- particularly the Benghazi issue- and her personal history. Journalists have raved over her credentials and experience, but why? Surely there are other potential candidates?

According to polls on RealClearPolitics, most media outlets have her with a winning percentage over 60, a substantial lead over all other potential candidates combined as frontrunner for the democratic nomination. This is probably the biggest issue relating to the ‘Hillary Hysteria,’ that US voters will witness. With such a long and close media following, it is hard to imagine any other potential candidate gaining as much public attention, let alone any meaningful political acknowledgement.

Hillary Clinton in Hampton, NH, 2009. Image credit: Merrimack

Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren, Martin O’Malley and Brian Schweitzer all have made it to the polling lineup of potential candidates, even though most have not (and are most likely not) going to acknowledge running in 2016 until after Clinton has made a decision. Her political career has been on the rise since her Senatorial debut, first White House attempt and subsequent role as Secretary of State. She has a vast number of years in the political arena and in dealing with foreign policy, she is seemingly more qualified to run now than she was in 2012.

Even in 2012, there was an expectation that Secretary Clinton would win the Democratic nomination outright, until a tech-savvy and younger Senator from Illinois began gathering crowds and public attention. President Obama in many ways came out of nowhere to undermine the entire Clinton campaign and succeed to the Presidency. I can remember hearing in high-school at the time up to the Democratic nomination, “We will have a black President before we ever have a woman President.” This notion came from many people of different generations, is it perhaps now that U.S. Americans have had an African American President that they are now ready for Clinton to make history in the next election? This is probably not a fair assumption. I can recall hearing and watching President Obama’s speeches and there was that air of ‘change’ that was very appealing to the younger generation, who are often dissatisfied with electoral politics.

Perhaps what makes Hillary Clinton a popular candidate now, is that she has been able to step out of her husband’s shadow with her time as Secretary of State, her potential campaign would be more tech-friendly, therefore more appealing to the Facebook and Twitter generation and have a majority of support from Democrats. Does this make her the ideal nomination? No. The attention following her appears to make the same arguments over and over, rehash the same issues over and over. Voters have heard the same things repeated, there is hardly any space for new scandals to emerge, they pretty much know all her faults.

Her declaration that she and President Bill Clinton were ‘poor’ has been a hot topic, although it has not seemed to phase many people that her improper use of words would make her any less relatable as a candidate. This seems to have been one of the few issues that arise with this ‘Hillary Hysteria,’ she has little to no room to reinvent herself as a candidate of change or hope. Is she just a candidate of the status quo? Is she too corporatist to be a voice for the people? Will she be able to push for partisan discussions between Republicans and Democrats? Can she really bring anything progressive to the Presidency besides being the first woman President?

Chances are that a President H.R. Clinton would bring the experience that President Obama lacked, with a more forceful attitude to get things accomplished. There may not be much of an evolution from her platform to inspire the masses or show an exciting neck-to-neck race, yet the media and the public, believe her to already have the Presidency in the bag. She can start making those ‘hard choices’ on White House curtains now and picking out some new Presidential scrunchies to accompany her in times when she needs to pull her hair back. Her polling numbers light up with a bright winning blue, at a lead against all potential Republican nominees, including Rand Paul who has the best polling numbers of Republican candidates.

It is doubtful that Hillary Clinton will pass many days without any articles being written about her until she finally makes a declaration for or against running for the Presidency. It seems more of an issue to get people excited even at time when another Clinton Presidency may be inevitable. Inevitability could result in a drop in voter turnout, when a substantial number of people are already apathetic about elections. Instead of inciting inspiration, Hillary Hysteria may result in the opposite, but perhaps the air of change that Obama promised may come with a sturdy backbone to get things accomplished with a President H.R. Clinton.

To check out the latest polling results: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/