Common Sense

Barack Obama coming up on the outside has forced her to begin her run earlier than she wanted. I never quite understood the purpose of not announcing early and playing coy about a presidential bid. If you want to run, then make it clear to the voters that you want the job and you’ll war hard to get it. If you want to get drafted to run, well, you have to be somebody that everyone likes. The only person who would start a Draft Hillary campaign is Hillary herself.

That whole “I’m not sure, I’ll have to think about some more” thing just looks like you’re playing politics and I don’t like it anymore than the average voter does.

How do we know she’s definitely going to run? According to the National Ledger, she’s hired a national fundraising director and national campaign spokeman. You don’t need those people unless your running a national campaign.

Because Obama is testing the waters and talking to donors in New York and New Hampshire, I’m sure, then she has to move fast or forget it. If I were advising him, right now my advice would be to look as calm about running as possible, announce in January and leak it that you think Hillary as running mate would be a great idea. That might be why Obama said:

“I have the utmost respect for Hillary Clinton,” the Illinois senator told reporters after a speech at a children’s charity benefit in Midtown. He added: “I think she is tough. I think she is disciplined. I think she is smart. I am not one of those people who believe that she can’t win. I think she could win if she ran, and she is an extraordinarily able person.”

I know I would want to say good things about the person I was planning on overthrowing and then asking to be my vice president.

Personally, I think she spent too much money on her Senate race, she will need to fundraise to be able to look unbeatable to the likes of Evan Bayh and John Edwards. Even Kerry could match her in spending right now. I think he has gotten realistic about “Comeback Kerry’s” chances and won’t be seeking the nomination.

Obama has got the charisma right now to outraise everyone and make it a real race. The question is, how far does that charisma go?