Hillary Clinton said she’s retired from politics, but when has that stopped political ambition? Besides the Obamas, the Clintons form the other power couple of the Democratic Party. These folks don’t go quietly into the night.
Of course, Barack Obama can’t claim a position on the 2024 tote board because he’s term-limited, and Michelle has zero interest in being president. Hillary, however, is a two-term presidential loser who still feels she’s entitled to be the United States’ first female executive. It’s been years, but Mrs. Clinton still hasn’t gotten over her devastating loss to Donald Trump. The 2022 elections could end with a Republican wave, marked by ongoing media consternation about why Democrats lost.
On the periphery, though, the 2024 election cycle slowly moves into gear—and Hillary Clinton could mount another run.
Remember, Hillary Clinton is a seasoned liar, so you can’t trust what she says about her political ambitions or lack thereof. No doubt, at her age, living out the rest of her days in comfort and wealth is the rational choice. But Hillary’s ego stretches the entirety of Australia, and she could see this as the final time to make a run for the White House. It’s now or never, victory or defeat be damned.
The 2020 election did expose one thing about the Democratic Party: it’s heinously lacking depth. Most of the supposed heavyweights were revealed to be a mile wide and an inch deep, while the rest—like Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Cory Booker, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg—were hamstrung by geographic factors. No one knows who Sen. Booker is outside of New Jersey; it’s the same with Sen. Warren outside of the Boston suburbs. No one has a national constituency, but Hillary Clinton does.
After the 2022 elections, the narrative will be that Biden remains engulfed in endless foreign and domestic crises that he’s incapable of resolving. The pervasive incompetence and prolonged economic torpor wiped out his party in the midterms. Congressional Democrats contributed to the chaos by being bogged down in lefty minutiae over social issues. Biden says he’s running again, but he’s damaged goods with enough baggage to fill a 747.
Kamala Harris can’t run since she’s a national punchline and has proven unqualified to occupy the office of the vice presidency. Notice how you haven’t seen her in weeks because the Biden White House, blundering as it is, knows she’s a disaster zone. The rest of the 2020 field has done nothing to increase their profiles, so their result in a hypothetical 2024 run will probably be the same.
And that brings us to Hillary Clinton. She can fill the war chests, attract the best operatives, and has name recognition. Her baggage isn’t any worse than Biden’s, but she has better stamina to handle the endless campaign events that will dot the 2024 election. The basement campaigning from the COVID days is over. And after John Fetterman’s disastrous performance during Pennsylvania’s Senate debate, health remains a salient issue with voters.
It’s died down immensely, but over the summer, there was a flurry of stories about Joe Biden’s age and how it’s impacting his ability to carry out his official duties. Should Hillary run for president again, there will be some media whiplash as they made a big deal about Biden’s state of decrepitude, though Hillary is just as ancient. It’s a bit of hypocrisy, but it’s undoubtedly survivable. And if Trump runs again, or Ron DeSantis claims the Republican nomination in 2024, liberals will happily toss the issue of age, anything really, out the door to defeat the GOP.
The 2024 field is weak, so there’s a crease to exploit, but it all comes down to Hillary wanting to run and possibly duking it out with Bernie Sanders again.
She also must consider the historical ramifications: No sitting president who faced and survived a primary challenge went on to win in the general election.
Either way, for a party whose rank-and-file is looking to turn the page on the Clinton years, ending political dynasties, and lusting for fresh, new leadership, the 2024 field could be geezer world again.
For someone who wants to retire, Hillary Clinton always finds herself being mentioned in the news and issuing remarks that make the headlines. I don’t think America is done with the Clintons, the penicillin-resistant syphilis of American politics.
