Some here claim Hillary will be "more of the same"...that was the absurd argument Nader supporters gave of Gore vs. Bush...we saw how ridiculous and consequently dangerous that argument was. We have soldiers dying for the difference between Gore and Bush. Hillary or Rudy...more of the same...if you think they would be the same, I have a bridge I can sell you...remember, Hillary kicked Rudy's ass before, and she would do it again. Romney would be destroyed by her...I was just in Mormon country, Salt Lake City. What a scary, bizarre place...

I really think the only reason people talk about "Hillary" is because "Clinton is running for President" would be confusing. None of the terms used to distinguish the Presidents Bush, e.g. "Daddy Bush" and "Baby Bush," are any more respectful (not that either of them deserves much respect, but that's another matter) and I don't remember anyone talking about the "Mondale-Geraldine ticket" back in 1984.

Anyway, call her what you will, I'll vote for her if she gets the nomination, because she is guaranteed to be better than anyone the Republicans are going to nominate. Seriously. She's way too far to the right for my tastes, but Clinton vs. Giuliani or McCain or Romney or Thompson or any of those nutcases is like your annoying neighbor vs. Joe Stalin.

I cringe a bit every time I hear "Hillary" instead of Clinton. I do think it is diminutive. But I understand first that she is trying to differentiate herself from her husband and second that she is fashioning herself as a brand. Given her rather stuffy image, I can see how she might embrace the diminutive whenever possible. She's not the first to do it: plenty of folks liked "Ike" when "Eisenhower" was an unmanageable and uncomfortably German sounding name.

I think, however, that in the end this will backfire for her. Perhaps it's a deficit of imagination on my part, but I find it very hard to envision a President "Hillary" representing our nation at a G-8 summit or delivering a State of the Union address. I can't conceive of a President "Hillary" Memorial Library or a statue of "Hillary" gracing the lawns of the capitol. If she's going to embrace the diminutive to brand herself for the election, she's going to have to make sure it doesn't keep its grip on her long after she's ready for it go away. And given that women start out with a disadvantage in that arena, it seems quite a gamble indeed to me.

I am the first person to admit that what we need is expertise. Likeability shouldn't be a factor.

But the fact is, Hillary is NOT more qualified than the other candidates. The ONLY advantage she has in my mind over the others is that she'd bring Bill with her. I would vote for him in a second and really, I would very much appreciate having them as a twofer.

However, if I could get Al Gore in the white house, there would be no contest. Hillary even with Bill is not an Al Gore.

The problem with ALL presidential candidates is that they have become so blatantly opportunistic that they reek with the stench of ambition. It causes an immediate and extreme revulsion. I know few well educated, independent smart women (a major demographic these days) who would vote for Hillary-- her positions on Israel and on the Iraq War have made her unsupportable. Unfortunately, John Edwards and Barack Obama can be tarred with the self-promoting brush as well (though Barack had the good sense to oppose the ridiculous "war"). And of course, each of the republicans is more nakedly ambitious than all of the Democrats combined. Having been abused as we have by Bush and Rove and their ilk for the last 8 years (though I never voted for the idiot), will even the most ethnocentric, ignorant Americans tolerate endlessly blind ambition again?

ONLY Al Gore can emerge from this mess as being someone truly dedicated to the idea of public service. He was raised to be president, it's true ---- but he was raised to be president in a different time and place, with different ideals. He was raised to be president by parents who believed he had something to offer and who believed politics was a noble profession involving sacrifice and courage, not opportunities for wealth, prestige and fame.

None of this matters of course, because when Stockholm casts their vote for president by giving Al the Nobel Prize this fall, the election will pretty much be decided. ALL Americans are dazzled by the Nobel Prize. It's the absolute proof that you are smart and good and worthy. And the contrast to the idiocy of Bush will be overwhelming. When the country is brought to its knees by incompetent leadership, will it be possible to resist the promise of Gore? He'll run, and he'll win and the horrors of the Bush administration will somehow have begun to be set right. Hillary and Barack and John can sit back and plan future fundraising efforts. Al will work on fixing things. There will be a redemption. We can only hope.

Wally pitched a few nice slow ones for hillary to swing at. I guess he's angling for a job.

It's also interesting that they're dredging up the electability kool-aid again. As was noted in these forums some time back, a sandwich is electable. kerry was electable until he (arguably) lost. bush was electable, even in 2006, having (arguably) won twice. It isn't a particularly high bar to pass.

Support her, if you must, because you believe in her but not because you think it is the clever stance.

...I note the complete lack of BS. Her factually based, level headed common sense could play very well in the election. This is not something that either Kerry or Gore had to any degree.

It would be notable if Hillary Clinton were not the consumate political professional by now.

The real questions are: how much change does the electorate desire and how much change does our survival and prosperity require?

If we only need to shift our bearings by degree, she's probably just as good or slightly better than McCain or Thompson.

But let it not be said that her candidacy heralds any kind of momentous sea-change from the policies and preferences of the Bush administration.

The greatest distinctions between George W. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton have been those of intelligence and competence.