Plouffe Calls Clinton ‘Probably The Strongest’ 2016 Candidate...

[ProSense]

Plouffe Calls Clinton ‘Probably The Strongest’ 2016 Candidate (VIDEO)

David Plouffe, the former top adviser to President Barack Obama, said Sunday that Hillary Clinton is "by far the most interesting" and "probably the strongest" prospective 2016 presidential candidate in either party.

During an interview with PBS's Jeff Greenfield at the 92nd Street Y in New York, Plouffe, who rose to political stardom after helping guide Obama's successful 2008 campaign, reflected on the marquee Democratic primary clash that began more than four years ago.

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Plouffe said he has the "highest degree of admiration" for Clinton, who he pegged as the prohibitive favorite in the next presidential race.

"She is in both parties right now by far I think the most interesting candidate, probably the strongest candidate," Plouffe said. "But she has right now the opportunity to take some well deserved and rare time for her with her family and figure things out."

- more -

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/plouffe-calls-clinton-probably-strongest-2016-candidate-in

Seems like a Hillary run is inevitable.

[1-Old-Man]

1. Not a chance

[MadHound]

2. Well that's depressing news,

Guess I'll have to find an alternate somewhere, because I'm not going to vote for Clinton.

[ProSense]

6. Take heart

2016 is a long way off.

[MadHound]

8. That is the good news

However I hate that they are already starting to push this shit now, nearly four years off. Can we at least get through 2014 before the horserace starts?

[davidpdx]

35. Very true

We still don't who will run. 75% of the DU seems to be lining up behind her 2 1/2 years before anything happens.

[Nye Bevan]

30. Don't you see her policies as broadly similar to Obama's? (nt)

[amandabeech]

32. Some of us to the left wish that Obama's policies were

more to the left.

I would never consider voting for anyone now sporting the Republican brand, but that does not mean that I am in total support of Obama's policies, either.

I have been very critical of Obama's economic policies, particularly those toward the large financial institutions and with putting the Social Security cost-of-living index on the table before much of anything else. Indeed, I am not convinced by historical and current evidence that the federal deficit is the big problem at this time, as it seems that Obama is. He is not a student of history; I was and continue to be interested in history at his level (public and private ivy) so I do not automatically cede him and his advisers this intellectual ground. There are others here like me.

I hope that someone to the left of the President will challenge Sec. Clinton, but if Sec. Clinton obtains the nomination, there is no way that I would vote for a Republican challenger, anywhere. If I were in a solid blue state, I might consider a protest vote, either 3rd party or write-in, but I would never consider a vote that would put anyone acceptable to the Republican party in office.

Unfortunately, due to my commitment to my elderly mother which comes before anything (and she will vote Democratic absentee if she is cognizant), I do not expect to have time and energy to devote to the 2016 election myself. Other economic populists will have to fill in for me in the meantime, and I encourage them to do so. I'll be able to participate again once my mom has gone to her well-earned reward. There really is a time and place for everything.

[MadHound]

33. You say that like it's a good thing,

Obama governs from the center right, approximately from the same position as Eisenhower. Clinton, like her husband, is another in that same mold. I would like to see somebody who actually governs from the left.

[graham4anything]

3. I would love if Axelrod and Plouffe run or work with Hillary in 2016 and her reelection in 2020

as they have a vested interest in Michelle in 2024 and 2028, it is in their interest to keep
President Obama's agenda going forward, and seeing him elevated to the US Supreme Court in 2018 or 2019.( a job he was born for, and do the same as Taft did).

[Robbins]

5. That would make Tea party heads explode

Hillary In white house with Obama on supreme court.

Her comment on gay marriage says to me she Is running or planning to run.Why make a political statement now so soon after leaving SoS office.

[monmouth3]

10. Michelle????? Lordy, there's a stretch...n/t

[graham4anything]

11. Future Illinois Senator Michelle Obama

[monmouth3]

12. LOL....

[dsc]

20. sadly not a chance in Hell

she has literally no interest at all in running for public office in her own right. It is a real shame but I don't blame her one bit.

[graham4anything]

22. Why?

Ms. Obama would certainly not say so now.
Of course, her own appointment to the court would be even better.

Many said Hillary wouldn't either(and still do).

[dsc]

23. She went on either the view or Ellen

and directly said she had neither the desire, nor the tempriment for such a run.

[graham4anything]

25. so?

When one is playing 10 steps ahead, who in the world would give anyone a clue so many years in advance?

Noone reveals a playbook.It's all part of the game of politics.

Every single politician in the nation who was actually seriously considered being able to win,
would announce things that many years in advance.

Adlai Stevenson twice said he did not want to be nominated, and twice he was.
Shame of course that he lost to Reagan1. Imagine life in the US had AES won twice!

[dsc]

26. you can also look at both of their lives before and during their first ladyships

Hillary was much more public on issues when she could be and in her early life was clearly attracted to political types of things. Michelle on the other hand, has been much more private and has kept her public persona to traditional first lady things. she also wasn't into politics during or after her college years.

[graham4anything]

28. This is the modern world. Things impossible in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,80s,90s, are now happening

they are two separate people.

Michelle has actually been the 3rd most political first lady ever.

One could say Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King was not political either.

And of course, it goes without saying that when Michelle was in college, who would have thought Barack could be President, let alone a woman? It was unheard of back in those days to even think so.

Had he not been killed, I would bet Dr. King himself would have been President or ran for it,
and one can truly say he would never have thought that possible, nor would have thought
Rev. Jackson came within inches of being vice-President and/or President.

This is a whole different world.

Who would have thought people would actually be talking realistically of two women as President and Vice President?

I am sure Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin never once thought they would have been on a Presidential ticket either.

I bet if Richard Nixon were here, he would have assuredly disbelieved 2 Bush's would become President, and a 3rd is going to be nominated (especially after Nixon did all he could to make sure 41 was not vice President with him).

This is the modern world.

[TwilightGardener]

4. I fail to see what's "interesting". I see a retread.

[ProSense]

7. Don't you find

"I fail to see what's 'interesting'. I see a retread."

...the inevitable creep "interesting"?

[TwilightGardener]

9. I guess it's to be expected. Maybe Plouffe is looking for upcoming employment, as well.

[woo me with science]

13. Of course she is. The corporations and bankers love her.

The way the system is structured right now around money, no one but a corporatist and warmonger has a chance at a major party candidacy.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Hurricanes and earthquakes are inevitable. But, it doesn't mean I have to vote for them.

[randome]

15. Heh.

The good news is that if they're pushing Hillary this early, we have time to find someone else.

[woo me with science]

16. Without reform of the system,

we will get another corporatist and warmonger, no matter what.

Our candidates are chosen by corporations and bankers now, not by the people.

That will not change until we are serious about getting the money out of the system.

[randome]

18. Not enough time to do that before 2016.

But maybe we can overcome that with a huge groundswell of support for someone else?

What about Julian Castro? Is there anyone else? Obama's support will be critical, I think. I truly don't think he'd be behind Hillary for next President.

[woo me with science]

19. Why on earth would any Democrat argue against working for change now?

Last edited Mon Mar 18, 2013, 10:35 PM - Edit history (3)

The last election just ended. There is no better time to start screaming bloody murder about how our elections are run than now.

We need to be focusing ALL of our energy on changing the system now, because we will continue to be given corporate Trojan horses to vote for until we do.

[Le Taz Hot]

34. The problem, of course, is that

the people who have the power to eliminate big money from the campaigns are the very people benefiting from it and they're not about to turn off the spigot. It will have to be a grass-roots campaign (ala Dean) but be ready and KNOW the corporate/Vichy Dems will be going after that candidate with claws and teeth bared.

[Ikonoklast]

17. I'm fairly certain the preliminaries to a run are inevitable, as the flags are already being raised.

Her nomination, not so much.

[Enrique]

24. wow what a bombshell

people pay to go see these people say these things at the 92nd street Y, right?

[krhines]

27. Warren

[Nye Bevan]

29. If Hillary decides to run, it's hard to imagine any other remotely credible Democrat running

against her. If she is healthy, barring any unpleasant surprises, she will be the nominee. I expect her to spend the next couple of years hitting the gym, getting into her best shape in years, catching up on her sleep, and emerging relaxed and rested and ready for the campaign.

[woo me with science]

31. The country is sick of corporatists and warmongers.

But you're right on one thing. No credible candidate will be able to run until we get the corporate money out of the system.