Poll Shows Americans More Likely to Vote for Clinton

I found this article on the AOL website, which is from USA Today. The title is Majority Say They'd Be Likely to Vote for Clinton. Here is the link:

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050527084509990001

It is a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll where a majority of Americans say they are more likely to vote for New York Senator Hillary Clinton if she were to run for president in 2008. In the poll, 29% were "very likely" to vote for Clinton for president, 24% were "somewhat likely," while seven percent were "not very likely," and 39% were "not at all likely" to vote for her.

This is an interesting situation for the Democrats. Hillary Clinton is the strongest front-runner in the field with the greatest name recognition--not only on the Democratic side, but also the Republican side as well. This name recognition is a powerful asset for her if she chooses to run. It is also a powerful rallying cry for opposition groups and hard-lined conservatives. But as the Clinton years fade into the past, people will either start to forget some of the issues of the Clinton Presidency, or they will remember them with some fondness. The USA Today story certainly notes this.

If there is to ever be a woman president for this country, then Hillary Clinton is certainly the best chance for it. She has the name recognition. She has the experience--not only as the former first lady, but also as the senator from New York. She has the education as a lawyer. And she's still young enough to make a difference in the race. If Clinton runs, she will completely energize the Democratic Party--a qualified woman running for president. The Democratic Party has been in a complete shambles since Bill Clinton had finished his term in office. The party has not proposed any bold, sweeping ideas or vision of where to lead the country. The last two presidential candidates of Gore and Kerry have been dull and uninspiring--not the kind of people you would want to go up against Karl Rove's political machine. The 2008 race is now wide open. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist--who's possibly Karl Rove's new apprentice for the post-Bush White House--is currently aligning himself with the Religious Right on the issue of judicial selection. The Republican Party itself has tilted further to the right as a result of the intense lobbying by the religious conservatives. This is alienating the moderate and independent elements of the Republican Party. Could Hillary Clinton steal away those votes from the Republican Party in 2008? It could be a possibility if there is continued rancor in Congress where Republicans try to push their own agenda on the Democrats without any real bipartisan compromise. And if a Supreme Court position opens up in the next three years, it could really turn ugly in the political arena.

It will be fun to watch and see.