Since retiring from her position as Secretary of State under the Obama administration, Hillary Rodham Clinton has been out of the public spotlight. Yet most of the political world still wants to know if Clinton will run for President in 2016.
I can’t answer that, but I can say if she did, she would win.
Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskil recently organized a potential 2016 Clinton presidential campaign.
“Regardless of who you supported for president back then, we can all agree today that there is nobody better equipped to be our next president than Hillary Clinton,” said McCaskil.
In addition, there are multiple websites, Facebook pages, Tumblr and Twitter accounts with the sole purpose to get Clinton elected. A recent Washington Post poll found that 57 percent of the nation would support Clinton as a 2016 presidential candidate.
Many prominent Republicans have even stated that she is a formidable candidate. The GOP Chair of Texas, Steve Munisteri, stated that if Clinton ran she would turn Texas into a battleground state.
In a recent interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Former Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich spoke about Clinton and the 2016 presidential race.
“The Republican Party is incapable of competing at that level,” said Gingrich. She’s a very competent person. She’s married to the most popular Democrat in the country; they both think [it] would be good for her to be president. It makes it virtually impossible to stop her for the nomination.”
So what does Clinton have that potential candidates including Rubio, Christie, Biden or Booker lack?
Firstly, she is already a household name. Half of the presidential election is getting your name out to the public, especially people who are not necessarily politically engaged.
Hillary Clinton has been in American households since her husband, Bill Clinton, was governor of Arkansas but more prominently when he served in the oval office from 1993 until 2001. After a stint at first lady she served as a Senator of New York from January 3, 2001, until January 21, 2009.
She also has experience to boot. One of the major critiques of President Barack Obama and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the 2008 election was lack of experience, especially in foreign affairs. This would not be the case for Clinton.
She’s got top marks as Secretary of State. She worked diligently on multiple international crises and sought to repair the United States’ reputation among the world by visiting 112 countries. According to the Wall Street Journal, she exited her position as with a 69% approval rating despite some major critiques from Republicans on her handling of the situation in Benghazi.
Plus, she has a partner in crime. Former President Clinton had an extremely successful presidency, minus Monica Lewinsky, and for the last decade he has been a force on the political front. He focused on building strong relationships with leading American and global leaders and entrepreneurs and has strong understanding of global economics.
It’s basically like getting two leaders for the price of one. In addition, Bill Clinton is a great campaigner and fundraiser. It’s one of the reasons he spoke at last year’s Democratic National Convention.
Finally, Hillary Clinton is a game changer. She has the potential to make history as the first female president. A woman in office is long overdue, and Clinton’s win could be a huge step for women in this nation.
At a commencement address at Wellesley College in 1990, former first lady Barbara Bush said, “And who knows? Somewhere out there in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the president’s spouse. I wish him well!” So if Clinton does decide to run, good luck, Bill.
Elizabeth Garcia is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Greensboro, N.C.
