Barackface: Is Hillary Running?

So far I have said no, because she has said no, many, many times. No, she is not running in 2016. Although the noise is deafening. The Clinton brand name is a strong one.

She is qualified. Super qualified. No doubt about it. She might be the most qualified person for the job by now.

This reminds me of 2003. Bill Clinton tried to move heaven and earth to try to get her to run. She absolutely refused. She is refusing now.

She is talented, she is qualified, she is prepared. And her elevation would be quite a statement against sexism and ageism. I never thought she was too old. Ronald Reagan was not too old, Joe Biden is not too old. Hillary is not too old. And she is a progressive dream. It will be like FDR's third term. It will be pretty much a no contest election.

But she is not running. That's what she has been saying.

She is the most popular politician in America. She has a mate who is quite a politician. I have been following this couple since 1991. I was in Nepal back then.

I think she will rest for a year. Then she will write a book. Year three she will go on a book tour. And then she might not be able to resist. If she runs no one stands a chance. Bobby will have to run for Governor of another state, since the poor guy is term limited! (Bobby Is Going To Run And Win In 2016)

2008 was personally hard for me. I was conflicted between the idea of the first black president and the first woman president.

If she runs, she will win. And she will do two terms. FDR did not do four terms.

Who do you think she will pick for running mate? How about a woman? I like the idea of two women running the show.

Hillary running and winning could be the best possible thing that could happen to Barack Obama's legacy. If she runs 2016 would be the most uncontested presidential campaign in history.

Did I mention? She has been an excellent Secretary of State.

She has been vetted many, many times over. She is post-sleaze. There is no mud anyone can throw on her. Everything has been tried.

As for agenda, this is my wish list.

Gigabit wireless broadband for every human being.
Budget surpluses like Clinton 42.
A female running mate.
A female Secretary of State. (White men have been running the show for so long, having just one female in the Oval Office might not be enough.)
Universal health care.
Universal lifelong education.
Universal credit access in all income brackets.
A trillion dollars into global microfinance.

‘Rodham’ the movie: How to cast Hillary and Bill Clinton?
Why Hillary Clinton Would Be Strong in 2016 (It’s Not Her Favorability Ratings)

Mrs. Clinton might be the most polled about American in history, other than those who have actually become president. ..... The release of the Senate Whitewater committee’s report in June 1996, which largely lacked substantive proof of wrongdoing by Mr. or Mrs. Clinton, seemed to help relieve the strain on her popularity .... Perhaps Mrs. Clinton’s most impressive attribute is her ability to withstand criticism — and often emerge the stronger from it. If she runs for president again, she will surely receive plenty of it.

Newt Gingrich: If Hillary Clinton Runs In 2016, Republicans 'Incapable Of Competing' (VIDEO)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regularly brushes off the idea of a 2016 presidential bid. .... A recent Washington Post poll found that 57 percent of people would support Clinton as a 2016 presidential candidate.

Axelrod: Hillary Clinton 'First Among Equals' for 2016 Nomination

“I think the reality of a woman getting elected the president of the United States may be an even more powerful incentive in 2016.” .... how the Democratic establishment would treat 2016: If Clinton gets in, everyone else should get out. ..... The warning extends even to Vice President Joe Biden. Asked about Biden, Axelrod praised his tenure as Obama’s No. 2 and called him a “very formidable candidate.” But among all possible candidates, Axelrod called Clinton “first among equals.” .... "I think a lot of the race is going to center on whatever decision Secretary Clinton makes,” he said. .... It’s unusual that a sitting vice president is considered the second-choice successor to the president, but few believe Biden could defeat Clinton .... Democrats also have a strong desire to nominate a female candidate ..... Clinton’s effusively praised four-year stint as secretary of State and former President Clinton’s tireless campaigning this year on Obama’s behalf. ..... Of course, all of this depends on whether Hillary Clinton runs. And for the umpteenth time this week, the soon-to-be-jobless Clinton—looking forward to a break after stints as first lady, New York senator, and Cabinet secretary—sounded like anything but a candidate eager for another crack at the nation’s highest office. In an interview that aired on Wednesday on ABC, she admitted to Barbara Walters that she is exhausted. “To be honest, I am. When I do something I really want to do it, I want to do it to the best of my ability. That means I pretty much work all the time.” ..... She reiterated that she has no plans to run for office again.

Nancy Pelosi: Hillary Clinton should run in 2016
Are Republicans really 'incapable' of beating Hillary Clinton in 2016?

Clinton holds a 60 percent favorability rating – higher than former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (39 percent), Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida (33 percent), Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin (47 percent) and Vice President Joe Biden (46 percent) .... As Democratic strategist and Clintonite James Carville said on ABC’s "This Week" Sunday, “Every Democrat I know says, ‘God, I hope she runs. We don't need a primary. Let's just go to post with this thing.’ ” ..... Clinton's current popularity, as we've written before, is in part a reflection of the nonpartisan role she's taken as secretary of State, as well as the nostalgia surrounding her husband's now-well-in-the-past White House years. If she were to become an official candidate – coming under attack from rivals, subjected to much harsher scrutiny in the press – it probably wouldn't take long for much of that warmth to fade.

'I am... not only healthy, but have incredible stamina and energy:' Yoga enthusiast Hillary Clinton says she's not too old to run for president in 2016

While she maintains publicly that she has little interest in running for president in 2016, Hillary Clinton doesn't want anyone to think she is too old for the job ... At the same time, Clinton acknowledged that she's exhausted and just wants to 'kick back.' ..... 'Being on planes.. as much as I am, takes something out of anybody, doesn't matter how old you are, or how often you've done it,' she said. Clinton added that she swims and does yoga regularly to keep herself fit and replenish her energy. ..... The soon-to-be former secretary of state said that while 'all doors are open' in terms of her future plans, she has little interest in anything beyond rest and repose for at least the first couple months after her resignation becomes effective. ..... 'I've said I really don't believe that's something I will do again,' she said. ..... Clinton's version of kicking back means reading, writing and resting after traveling and working nonstop for the last couple years. .... she has traveled close to one million miles across 112 countries. ..... 'I go into places where people are lying to me, where people are arguing terrible things to their own people,' she said. 'You know you have to keep finding ways to connect with these people, try to move them somehow toward better behavior. It takes a lot of thought but you have to be rooted yourself to have any chance of doing it.' ..... Walters asked Clinton about her laid-back hair style, which is a topic of much consternation among celebrity bloggers .... 'I do not travel with any hairdresser, or anybody, to help me do that, and I'm not very competent myself. I've been admitting that for years, which should be obvious to everyone.

Hillary set to 'buy a Hamptons house where she and Bill can plot her plans for 2016' and Newt Gingrich even admits that the Republicans have no one that could beat her

The compliment is particularly surprising considering that Gingrich and Bill Clinton famously sparred when they were rivals in the 1990s, and Gingrich was the one to push for the investigation of the then-President's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky. ..... A home befitting two of the country's biggest political heavyweights would easily run in the multi-million dollar range, any the couple are known to enjoy the benefits of a lifestyle that allows private jet use. .... As recently as September 30 of this year, Hillary still has $73,000 remaining of her campaign debt...... She reportedly thinks that one of her biggest mistakes in her last presidential bid was announcing too early, so if she goes for it again, she likely won't say so publicly until mid-2015 .... Speaking engagements and a new book about her time as Secretary of State are two other options for the ways to fill the time- and her bank accounts- but the frankness of those potential opportunities will be limited if she does eventually decide to run for president again.

Hillary Clinton Talks About Her Future, Politics and Hair
Barbara Walters to Hillary Clinton: Are you too old to be president?
Hillary Clinton: At 69, will Hillary Clinton be too old to run for president in 2016?

Certainly not too old--John McCain was 72 when he ran in 2008, and Ronald Reagan was 73 when he ran for his second term in '84. That said, Secretary Clinton has been very clear that she's not planning to run in 2016.