Hillary 2008 is OK

Joe Klein’s viewpoint in Time Online last Sunday that Hillary Clinton shouldn’t run for president in 2008 has some very good points. Among them is that her candidacy would polarize the country; attacks by the right-wing opposition would be ugly and bad for our image; she isn’t a warm person.

A republican acquaintance who works for the government told me if Hillary were to declare her candidacy, the wallets and purses would open in a flood of contributions to the GOP. That’s how much they despise her. You mean they could raise more than the record-breaking $360 million Bush got for the 2004 campaign? No kidding.

Here’s the bottom line: if Hillary can withstand the immense pressures from mudslinging and scrutiny and other major attacks against her gender and her abilities, then wouldn’t that temperament be good to have as president during times of crisis? She also comes with a very close expert personal adviser. For every reason Klein says she shouldn’t run, that’s exactly the reason she should. Compared to the train wreck we have as president now, wouldn’t Hillary Clinton provide a breath of fresh leadership? The fear of those who would convince us that a Hillary candidacy is detrimental, is that she might win in a huge landslide carrying a bunch of democratic legislators with her. Maybe it’s time the GOP started to re-think ditching the filibuster rule. It could come in handy for them in 2009.