Conventional wisdom aside, what are the SIGNS that Hillary will run

[npincus]

for President in 2008? It seems to be all the pollsters and pundits can talk about: Hillary as the Dem front runner in 2008. Well, where's the beef?

What are the (unmistakable) signs that she really is going to run, aside from media speculation and (some) wishful thinking, as it would be an interesting scenario for journalists to cover?

Hmmmmmm?

[TomClash]

1. A better question is

why sould we vote for her

[npincus]

2. oh please, we'll get there

I DO NOT want Hillary as our nominee, I'm not debating that one. But WILL she run? Why is this being talked up constantly- is there any 'there' there?

Does anyone know?

[TomClash]

13. She's the Republicans favorite candidate

That's why.

and I like Hillary - but I don't think she can win.

[incapsulated]

3. She's got a PAC and she's raising money for it

That's a big sign.

She's positioning herself as far to the right as she can because no matter what we think of her, the rest of the country still thinks she's some sort of flaming liberal.

That is also a sign.

The rest is just talk, rumor and gossip but I believe it. The people talking aren't just right-wing pundits, there are plenty of Dems talking off the record. Which is also a sign, in it's own way. Stealth campaigning.

[npincus]

7. i guess the next question would be

is she 'invincible'? (God, I hope not) The stinking Republicans would like nothing better. Their tattered ranks would mobilize, unite, and all the Clinton-hating religious Bible-thumping fringe-freaks would run to the polls like cockroaches... all that aside from her pro-Iraq war, complete-the-mission crap...

she's a fine Senator.

[incapsulated]

8. Well...

If she runs she will have lots and lots of free media coverage. They are already obsessed with her, they can't wait. In addition to that, it is going to be a crowded field and I'm afraid that with all the attention Hillary would get the others will get very little because it will be spread so thin. I'm afraid they will choose someone to be the "anti-Hillary" for competition and ignore the rest.

She will also stomp everyone else in the money department, she's already got a big war-chest.

I don't know. Nothing is inevitable, no one can predict a Dean type of candidate coming out of nowhere and stealing her thunder. I'll remind everyone that the "favorite" going into a party nomination rarely wins, if that's any consolation.

[Pithy Cherub]

4. $$$$$$$, Bill, $$$$$$$, name recognition, $$$$$$$$$,

allegiance from the Black community, $$$$$$$$, a megaphone of massive proportions, $$$$$$$$$$$$, and a professional and (currently quiet) solid organization in 50 states, $$$$$$$$$$.

In all seriousness do not underestimate the Big Dog. If she's his pick then please tell me how any other candidate can match the turnout he can get separate from her and they both can raise cash. He would also be precluded from assisting other candidates like he did Kerry last year. That is formidable. But the money game is really what gets the toungues wagging in the political media.

[skipos]

5. She would lose to almost any Repub in the G.E.

[NanceGreggs]

6. I don't think she'll run ...

... and I hope she doesn't. She's a smart woman, and she'll take her cue from the public chatter about her. Right now (and I don't see this changing) Repugs wouldn't cross over and vote for her any more than a Dem would vote for Ann Coulter. The right-wing don't just disagree with her -- they LOATHE her.

She's also no longer appealing to a lot of Dems, even former supporters (like myself), because she's bent so far over to please the right. She's gone too far, IMHO, especially in her position on Iraq.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. I always feel beat over the head with Hillary

On all the talking head shows she is always the one raised as the potential candidate. I want a complete break with the past with our new Presidential candidate (which hurts because I really would like Al Gore, I think he would be a great candidate), but for the sake of the country, I think we need a completely fresh face and hope that we can actually run someone to heal and unify this country.

[Geek_Girl]

10. A couple of months ago she sent out a survey

asking democrats what issues they care most about. There was nothing in the survey about Iraq. I just through mine in the garbage. Any serious candidate has got to have a plan to get us out of Iraq as soon as possible. If they don't they're not getting my vote.

[leetrisck]

11. No sign other than republican drum beat acting

like they really hope it's her - believe me, they are scared to death of her because they know she could win. She is a very intelligent woman, accomplished attorney, wife, mother, First Lady, Senator, fund raiser, etc If we want to keep believing the right wing spin about her, we will lose. I would vote for her definitely, but we do have a lot of accomplished candidates who would be great also. I'll never sell Hillary short. If she wanted to grab all the attention out there, she could do it right now - she doesn't. You don't see her on every talk show in the country - she works.

[Yupster]

12. Just started reading "The Case For Hillary"

by Susan Estrich. Early in the book she addresses the question, but is she running?

Here's her answer...

"Nobody's trying to cnvince us that Hillary's NY constituents are flocking to vacation in Mn, Wi, Oh, three states she visited recently."

"Nobody really believes it's essential to have a state chair in Georgia when you're running for senator from New York."

"She has the best possible guy in her California chair..."

"Hillary made headlines recently by inviting her Iowa spporters to her Washington home..."

"In politics there are steps you take when you're running for Senate, and steps you take when you're running for President. When you're running for president, you put together a presidential-caliber PAC run by a veteran presidential-caliber campaign chief like Ann Lewis; you start hiring national organizers, you amass a bigger war chest than any other senator who is up for reelection, even before you have an opponent, you put your people in place in the apropriate think tanks, media groups, state parties and consulting firms, so everybody is ready to go. All of which senatorial candidate Hillary Clinton has done."

So Estrich is sure she's running, and she's a party insider for the last 30 years.

PS - One interesting tid-bit from the book is that during the entire Monica mess, Estrich knew Clinton was lying about having the affair with Monica. The reason she knew is that he had told her the truth early on. I wonder how many others knew?