Don’t go out and place all your money on a Hillary Clinton presidency just yet.
Polls show Hillary with a solid lead over her potential 2016 Republican opponents and an outrageously large lead over her potential Democratic primary challengers. But much can happen on the way to the coronation. Here are 3 things you ought to consider:
1.) She may not even run!
For all the talk about a potential Hillary Clinton presidency, we forget sometimes that she has not yet declared her candidacy. And though she is acting like someone who is planning a presidential run, there is a real possibility she will forgo a campaign altogether. After all, a presidential campaign is a grueling process, even for the frontrunner. Hillary will turn 69 in 2016. The only person older to win the White House was Ronald Reagan, who was inaugurated just a couple weeks shy of his 70th birthday. And let’s not forget, Hillary had health problems during her last weeks at the State Department. Could it be possible that her condition was worse than what has been reported? I hope it’s not, but it’s certainly possible.
2.) There’s still lots to vet
Having been in the glare of the spotlight for over 20 years, the Clintons may be the most vetted family in America. And yet, as we learned Monday with Alana Goodman’s report in the Washington Free Beacon, there is still a lot more out there on the Clintons that needs to be sorted though. Who knows what will be found? Maybe nothing big. Maybe something substantial. But don’t think for a moment that all that’s known about the Clintons is all that’s to be known.
The Weekly Standard’s Daniel Halper is releasing a book in June on the Clintons’ post-White House business dealings and political machine. One can expect many more articles and perhaps books on that topic alone. Then there are topics like Benghazi and Hillary’s role in the State Department’s failure to secure the consulate there. And that’s just for starters.
3.) What are her actual accomplishments?
Hillary Clinton has a sterling resume — on paper. But what exactly did she accomplish from her positions of power? Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt has been asking Democrats and former Clinton advisers who appear on his show to list her accomplishments as secretary of state. Nothing compelling has so far been provided. Besides traveling a lot, the fact of the matter is she didn’t do anything remarkable as America’s top diplomat. What’s more, during her tenure at Foggy Bottom, America’s position in the world didn’t exactly fare all too well. Just look at the Middle East. It’s on fire and America’s influence in the region is rock bottom. These are the type of things she will have to answer for if she decides to run for president.
None of this is to dismiss Hillary as a formidable contender. If she decides to run, she will certainly start as the frontrunner. But she hasn’t been elected yet. She’s not invincible — the Hillary Clinton of 2008 knows that all too well.