Can I Ask The Brave Among Us To Answer A Question ???

[Algernon Moncrieff]

48. First and foremost, I like and respect her: she's smart and tough

Second, as I said elsewhere, Bill Clinton was easily the best President in my lifetime (caveat: Barack Obama cant be fully judged until a few years after he leaves office, IMO -- so far I largely approve of what he's done), and I think she'll use Bill's abilities to her advantage.

Third, she's been SecState, Senator, and a more than passing participant in the operations of the White House and the Arkansas governors mansion. Nobody on either side has that résumé.

Fourth, I don't see anybody else on the Democratic side of the political equation at this time who can win over the independent middle. To be sure, when you get out of Christie/Bush/Romney, the Republicans have identical issues with folks like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Elizabeth Warren is a very good Senator, but in a national election she'll be beaten over the head with the Native American thing; shown up for having no meaningful foreign policy experience; and pressed on why she had a change of heart after being a Republican in the 1990s. Bernie Sanders has indicated himself to be a democratic socialist, and that will be a deal breaker for about 2/3 of the country. Martin O'Malley should go take Barbara Mikulski's seat in the Senate.

Fifth, the IWR vote is not a deal-breaker for me. I think, as the junior senator from NY, politically she had no choice. Schumer voted for it as well, In any event, I blame the Iraq War squarely on Bush/Cheney, who falsified and exaggerated intelligence to lead us into war.