You know Mary Ann, that's actually a pretty good idea.

I have to agree with you. I was originally for Hillary, but then joined the Obama bandwagon. To me, he just hasn't got what it takes to stand up to the right.

I don't envy anyone who comes into office, Mary-Ann. He or she is only going to inherit so much to resolve, I don't know if a lifetime will be enough, never mind a term or two. I may be a tad pessimistic on the issue, but you have a good point. I think anyone who wants the job at this point couldn't really be interested in the good of the country, and that says much about Hillary.
♥R

I was a strong, enthusiastic supporter of Hillary Clinton during the primary season—an Independent—who got on board when Barak Obama became the nominee of the not-Republican Party.

I think he has done as good a job as anyone could do with the cards he’s had to play.

The people who expected more from him in this political climate are dreaming…and form the core of what is wrong with the Democratic Party. The people who expected more from him in this political climate are dreaming…and form the core of what is wrong with liberalism in this country.

But don’t despair. All the griping and moaning and bitching from the left is working. Obama will lose next year—and it won’t be Hillary Clinton who will be taking his place in the Oval Office. If you are lucky…VERY, VERY, VERY LUCKY…it will be someone like Romney or Jeb Bush. But more likely it will be someone who will make George W. Bush look like an enlightened intellectual determined to steer a course meant to strengthen the humanity of our country!

When are you folks going to wake up? You are better than this, Mary Ann!

Walter...I think so do...let's carry it forward!!

Kenny- I did the same thing...a lot of us did. And I DO like him and his family. I also agree with Frank- the president HAS been handed a lousy hand. But I just think that even at that she would have had more spunk to make lemonade out of those lemons.

Frank- Thanks for the compliment but it is because I'm NOT politically naive that I make this proposal. The Dems are never jumping ship...Not many people are likely to vote against Obama so they can elect Sarah Palin or Ron Paul (maybe we should push for Ru Paul instead.) There is too much Democrat stock in the incumbent to drive them away. Remember, in the end they are all whores, on both sides of the aisle. Hillary just has the right stuff to do a better job, beyond the ambition, in my humble opinion.

Thanks all for taking the time to read and comment.

Hillary and Obama have both done good jobs... given the mess they inherited. I think Hillary will change her mind a few years down the road and throw her hat into the ring in '16.

Mary Ann, what if Hillary Clinton is correct? As Secretary of State, she has seen the global issues of war, human rights and a myriad of other problems from a unique perspective. Perhaps, in her self assessment, she does not have the "fire" to deal with such endless difficulties day after day after day.

Of course you raise an excellent point, Catherine. But I have met this woman on several occasions (from my radio days.) and one-on-one she just doesn't seem to be someone who would ever give up on the possibility of a good outcome-- whatever she's tackling. I'm not naive-- as you know-- but somehow I think we'd have a better shot at a better world with her at the helm than anyone else in the field right now-- or likely to join it. I appreciate what you're saying, however, and no one could blame her of she did get to that point. Thanks for commenting.

Hillary keeps calling me at 3am!

Oh, Larry...she's just jealous because she knows I sent that stripper over to your trailer the other day...

Give her a break!

I think Obama has been just about one card short of an entire deck sell-out, and the majority of congressional Dems have been, too. Staying with the status quo, of which Hillary is a member, will only reap the status quo. We need new blood from top to bottom if we are to see any meaningful change. Staying with the current game is pointless.

Rick, You're treading on dangerous ground here. I fear that You will soon be accused of not giving obambi enough time, or eating Your young.

"When are You folks going to wake up?"

Mary Ann, I respect and understand your opinion in this matter. In a real sense, we are on the same side. I, too, want to see more of the initiatives that help the less fortunate to exist in a world that becomes harder and harder for those “less fortunate” to navigate every day.

But we disagree on the “how to do.”

One can demand that leaders elected as progressives (or liberals or Democrats) get all this stuff done in “wave of the wand” fashion—but that just is not how things work in this world.

As a “for instance”—yes, you could argue that Obama could have demanded that every American soldier (or a majority of American soldiers) stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq immediately be brought back to the United States.

But the right wing of America would have turned him—and anyone who acquiesced to or abetted his insistence—into cannon fodder. They would have skewered him.

Fact is, the conservatives of America have outplayed the liberals in every instance and in every way for decades now. That has much less to do with liberal leadership…and nearly everything to do with the grassroots element of American liberalism.

Liberals are simply unwilling to look at the whole picture—to see the political realities of the country as those realities now exist. Liberals continue to insist on irrational, unachievable goals and agenda items from their politicians. They are unwilling to acknowledge the hard, incremental work that leads to victory. They simply want victory. They want to “win the war” without worrying about fighting the battles—or the strategy involved in fighting battles.

In any case, the American right has not won clout and power over the American agenda—the left, through incompetence and impatience, has lost it—has ceded it to the right.

Mary Ann, your use of the “making lemonade from lemons” comment is especially significant in that it applies more to folks like you and other liberal types than to Obama or Hillary. Liberals, progressives, Democrats in general—do have some lemons on their plate right now, but instead of talking about how sour they are, you ought all BE MAKING LEMONADE! And talk about throwing Obama under a bus is not making lemonade.

It really doesn’t matter if Hillary might have done a better job with the lemons. To use another of those kinds of saying: You should be more concerned with dancing with the date you took to the prom than looking around for other pickings. Doing so is merely shooting yourselves in the foot—aiding and abetting the enemy.

When obama entered office, it is generally agreed that we were engaged in two wars. Now, it seems we are engaged in six (depending on how one parses covert ops).

There has never been a clearly defined exit strategy for these new obama initiated wars.

The promise to close Guantanamo has gone by the wayside and Bagram now, serves a far greater purpose than ever before.

The obama cabinet is stocked with corporatists, heavily skewed with ex-Goldman Sachs lackeys.

Economists on both sides of the spectrum admit that the administrations economic policies lack coherence.

So, we have here a situation where neither his foreign policy, nor his economic policy seems to be well-thought out.

The latest polls, taken Friday seem to indicate that the bulk of the american people are becoming aware of this.

"Friday, June 24, 2011

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Thirty-nine percent (39%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -16."

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Nevertheless, one person, deigns to assume the position that he, and he, alone is capable of discerning the big picture, despite all evidence to the contrary.

After two and one half years, this arrogant pig-headed attitude has become more and more and stale with each passing day.

I agree with you. I voted for Hillary in the primary. I only voted for Obama (in the general election) as the "lesser evil," which is exactly what he's shown himself to be. It's time to get a Democrat with real guts into the White House!

As many of you know, I am a newspaper columnist whose job-- as I see it-- is to get people thinking. I feel gratified about this post because clearly it has gotten a lot of you thinking about the next election in -- I hope-- a way that can really matter come 2012.

I appreciate all the thoughtful comments and thank you all for your reads and dialogue here.

Brilliant! Now we just need her to agree to run. I really do think she is tired and just wants to go to pasture.

I would prefer that she stay in an job where she can still be effective, which is not fighting the far right wing over things like appointing judges or even voting on anything they are in office to do. I remembered voting for her during the primary, noting that it was likely the last time I would get to vote for her in office. I knew that for many liberal men, they preferred having a male in office. I didn't really trust Obama to come through, though I like him enough. Sorry his presidency has had the troubles it has had, I don't think she would have been able to get as much done as he has, which isn't saying much. It's a partisan world and at least she is getting something done in her office.

Thanks Oryoki Bowl, I appreciate your taking the time to read and comment

Can't back you on this one, Mary Ann. From a strictly pragmatic standpoint, Ms. Clinton is in my humble opinion too polarizing a figure to carry the election.

And I was a perfect Cassandra three years ago trying to tell everyone that Obama will not live up to the hype. It is so disappointing that with all of the talented people in this country--men and women of all colors and backgrounds--the best candidates that the Democrats can put forward are people like President Obama and Secretary Clinton.

I mean no slight to them; I simply suspect that the Left overlooks lots of talent.

Rated all the same. This is a necessary discussion.

Thanks Paul..I think the reason both parties have such a hard time convincing great people to run is because candidates have to risk being publicly wrecked if they smoked a joint in college or had an affair at some point. America needs to grow up.

Agreed! Well put.

Well I supported Hillary over Obama but the prospect of an internecine Dem battle can only further the Repubs prospects and I think that's the worst of all possible outcomes. No thanks.

Thanks and Welcome, Abrawang,

I, too, am disappointed in Obama, but I suspect that's becasue my expectations for him were too high. I know how politics works, and I somehow thought Obama could transcend it--even though I had read early one that he was a pragmatic incrementalist. I like his ideas, though, and tend to lame the oafish, ideologiy-addled louts who obstruct them not because they are bad ideas but because they have thrown civic vurtue overboard to win in 2012.

Jerry, as you can see above here, others have expressed similar concerns, but I'm not convinced nominating Hillary wouldn't bring MORE independents and Democrats under the same tent than an Obama run will. She might even bring in a few moderate Republicans! Anyway, I love to read your posts and thanks for reading mine.

Bill Clinton did more to further the Republican (mercinary) agenda than any Republican could have gotten away with at that time. Hillary would be an incredible Republican president, but I really don't think we can stand another Republican in sheeps clothing in office. And as someone else has suggested, maybe Hillary is correct - she doesn't have the fire for another tour of duty (signs of mercy!) She has been particulary well suited to the office she has held but I agree with Obama - it is time America addresses one of the most devisted countries around - the US, and focus on our infrastructure, our schools, rotten judiciary, whored democracy and put that oxygen mask on us before we export more toxins into the rest of the world.

Mary Ann:

My name is Steve Rosinski. I was on the Clinton/Gore Advance Team from 1993 until 1998. In 2008, I was a Hillary Clinton supporter. Like you, I begrudgingly voted for Barack Obama because my hand, too, would have fallen off if I voted for McCain. I very much enjoyed your Draft Hillary 2012 article. It summed up how many of us in the base are feeling.

Not too long ago, I started a Hillary 2012 Petition. We have many of the PUMAs, Clintonistas, and "Hillary 300" Convention Delegates from 2008 on board. In addition, we have the support of Cher's son, Chaz Bono.

We are looking for ways to promote our Petition. This is our third attempt at a Petition, because we were hacked a number of times by our opponents' dirty tricks and lost 1000s of names. One of our old petitions is still up, but Change.org cut off our access to it because of political pressure by DNC Vice Chair Donna Brazile.

Frankly, we need your help to promote the Petition. We know the support is out there, but we need to get the word out. Also, we need your vantage point of being in the first primary state, as we want to engage in a massive write-in campaign like that of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, in the event the President doesn't drop out like LBJ in 1968. I am a California resident now, but have roots in Massachusetts, so I can be bi-coastal if need be for the Primary.

I have included links to our Petition site, Facebook page, Twitter site and email in a private message to you, as posting them here registered as spam.

Whatever help you can give this mutual cause is greatly appreciated!

Together we all can be a part of HER-story!

Warm regards,

Steve Rosinski