Is Hillary Haunted by What Might Have Been?

Persistent rumors of Hillary Clinton’s 2020 presidential aspirations are not sitting well with the left-wing media.

Politico’s Matt Latimer claims he can prove that Hillary is “running again”:

And the facts are clear that the former secretary of state is doing everything she needs to do to run for the White House one more time. If she finds a path to do so, she will take it. And I can prove it.

Latimer’s “proof” is largely circumstantial ­– the Clinton Global Initiative has “scaled back,” but not shut down, Mrs. Clinton is writing another book, and she didn’t close the door in her concession speech.

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Latimer also notes Hillary’s tweeting “3-0” “to gloat over” the judicial rebuke of the president’s immigration executive order:

Most defeated rivals disappear after their loss. Instead, Clinton sounded very much like she was still on the campaign trail. (Because, of course, she is.)

The Politico piece notes that “in another era,” Mrs. Clinton’s “political career might have been seen as having passed its expiration date” but then goes on to suggest a motivation for a Clinton reboot:

Besides, consider the alternative: having a chance to run for a third time – and squandering it.

Observing that Al Gore and Mitt Romney both passed on a third run at the presidency, when either man could “wonder what might have happened had he pursued a rematch,” Latimer says of Clinton (italics in original):

Clinton is not going to want to spend the rest of her life haunted by the question of “What if?” What if I could run again – and win?Besides, seeking the White House has been her aspiration for decades. What else is there for her to do?

Yes, barring some calamity, Clinton is running.

Latimer adds that Hillary “has 100 percent name ID, a personal fortune and a bastion of loyalists,” and he suggests as a strategy that she hold back and enter the race, “at the behest of the people, of course.”

The Washington Post takes umbrage at the entire notion of Hillary running again, with Chris Cillizza pushing back at the “purposely provocative” Politico piece:

Clinton has now lost twice in runs for the White House. And they were defeats of the devastating variety.

… One loss like that would be more than enough for most politicians. Two is approaching Greek tragedy levels.

… Why commit to spending – at least – two years more away from your family on an activity that has brought you nothing but heartache for the past decade?

Cillizza maintains further that the party should steer clear of another Clinton run:

The second she started to show interest in running for president again, people would remember all of the things they didn’t like about her. The same trust and likability issues would dog her.

… The best way for Democrats to beat Trump, to my mind, is to not allow him to claim the outsider mantle again. Nominating Clinton would do just that.

… Democrats would be foolish to, again, place all their bets on Clinton. That time has passed.

Not to be outdone, H.A. Goodman at The Huffington Post claims that if Politico is “publishing this type of headline, Clinton’s future campaign is more than just hyperbole.”

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