Is Hillary the Martha Coakley of national Democrats?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

19. She was able to get elected to the Senate, which is more than Coakley could do.

At the moment she'd likely be favored over every known, likely GOP candidate, simply because she's better known and has higher favorables. Will that be true in 15 -18 months? It depends on who the Republicans look likely to nominate. I think Hillary whips Ted Cruz or Mitt Romney. OTOH, Scott Walker or Chris Christie present problems. Jeb Bush? Unknown - is he remembered as a former Florida governor, or as W.Bush's brother who's likely to be just as bad.

Surveys show that most people (by which I don't mean most people on DU) look back at the Clinton years very positively. The same cannot be said of the Bushes.

Other unknowns: a majority of voters say they don't feel represented by either party? Does an independent, like a Jon Huntsman or a Bernie Sanders (if he runs "I" as opposed to "D&quot come along and capture some of those votes? If Christie or Romney get nominated, does the Cruz/Palin wing of the party break away and take about half the party with it?