Clinton: White House Run Unlikely

WASHINGTON — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton puts the chances of her running for president again at near zero _ slightly higher than the chances she gives for becoming Senate majority leader or a Supreme Court justice.

In an interview aired Tuesday on "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Channel, Clinton, D-N.Y., was asked the chances, on a scale of 1 to 10, that she would be the next majority leader in the Senate.

"Oh, probably zero," she said. "I'm not seeking any other position than to be the best senator from New York that I can be."

Being nominated to the Supreme Court?

"Zero," Clinton said. "I have no interest in doing that."

Running for president again?

"Probably close to zero," she said. "There's an old saying: Bloom where you're planted."

The former first lady, who was elected to the Senate in 2000 and re-elected in 2006, said she looked forward to working as a senator with a Barack Obama administration.

Comments

[Rapid Ray]

Although I never considered voting for Hillary Clinton, I was never unaware that she has a very distinct understanding of who she is.
As time passes, it would not surprise me to see her continue to serve in Congress and do some great things there. If I took a stab at the future, I could see her as a US ambassador to the United Nations. She already has many of the qualifications from both her Senate and First lady experiences.

[odoreida]

Why would she want a position that Obama could remove her from any time he needed to scapegoat somebody? As Senator from New York, she doesn't have to deal with the ego problems of somebody who has shown time and time again that he can't handle anybody who steals his limelight.

[txgal44]

You're delusional. She doesn't even compare. Ever heard of Peter Paul? Google it genius.

[HillaryGoAway]

I obviously never wanted to see HRC as president, she is too divisive a politician. She ran a disgusting and dishonorable campaign against Barack Obama. I honestly wanted to like and respect her but she went into the gutter and stayed there out of desperation (kind of like McCain). I am very relieved her presidential prospects are unlikely. What she and many other 2nd wave feminists didn't realize is that this is a generational change campaign and unfortunately for the Baby-Boomer feminists, time has run out. That is part of the reason why so many Pumas are mad as hell. They are angry because they never got their chance to have one of their own in the WH. Instead of realizing that the timing was just off for them, they decided to take it out in hate filled rants against Obama. Obama's time is now. Not only because of the leadership he can provide but because it's now time to pass the torch to the next generation. In this case, the Post-Boomer generation. Sorry but the Boomers - male or female - can't be in the main spot-light forever.

[UncommonSenz]

I was critical of her campaign. I didn't like it... one little bit.

But it is long since over. Ever since, she has lived up to everything that she promised to do. Given how hard that loss must have been, she has acted with class and grace- which is rare in an environment as charged as this one is.

I think attacking her at this point makes you as guilty of ranting as you charge the PUMAs etc. with.

If you think her time is done, then just say that. Argue the point on the merits. But psycho-analyzing her supporters and bashing them around again is just as wrong as it was when they did it.

[nellie]

Hillary and women like her struggled very hard to give women the broad opportunities they have today—you might consider being grateful that women like Hillary waded through a big sh*tpile so you wouldn't have to.

Take a look at the series Mad Men if you want to see what life was like even for *privileged* women in this country as recently as the 1960s.

[UncommonSenz]

Love that show. It does show overt sexism in an unvarnished way.

[txgal44]

You're right. "Mad Men" shows exactly what it was like for women. But the thing is, Hillary is the wrong example to use. I don't look at her as someone who paved the way for me as a woman. I think she lied and manipulated her way into many of the situations she's enjoying now. I think her husband's popularity help her too. You're going to have to find somebody else to use as an example for "our" struggles. Hillary has no integrity. Just look at were the Clinton's reputation is now.

[kevinw]

Nice Republican line. Try to stir up the divisions

[dudervision]

Ted Kennedy's days as the "lion" of the Senate are sadly numbered. I personally think the only Senator great enough to carry that flame is Hillary. I honestly agree with her that her place is in the senate as the champion of the liberal voice and the Democrats. With Obama as President, and Hillary as the true leader of the Senate, I think it would be an unbeatable team!!!

Long Live Hillary!!!

Obama/Biden
Yes, We Can
Yes, We MUST

[democrattotheend]

I agree. Of all the paths I have seen mentioned for her, the one I think is most likely is for her to take on Kennedy's mantle in the Senate and lead the fight for universal healthcare.

[BassMent]

Nobody ever says, "Oooh, yeah, I wanna be Senate Majority Leader!! Gimme gimme gimme!!!!" It's like saying you want to be VP... it's just not done. The political protocol is to feign disinterest.

But let's be realistic. Hillary Clinton is a terrific senator. She's likely to get better, and become one of the leading voices in the resurgent Democratic party. If we get our filibuster-proof majority in the senate, there are a whole lot of good things that she can do and that the party can do if they don't screw up and continue selling out our nation to the highest bidder.

So in that kind of environment, why wouldn't she be an excellent choice for Senate Majority Leader? She would definitely be an improvement of that appeaser Reid.

[blueskybigstar]

When has Hillary once called for impeachment? There is something deeply wrong with that.

[kevinw]

Maybe she is a Republican? or maybe you are.

[klondiker]

Whatever you may think of her, you cannot deny that she is an extraordinarily resilient person. She has been subjected to levels of hardships and scrutiny and hatred and disappointment that many of us cannot even fathom. Yet, she continues to thrive.

That's not a bad quality to have in a leader.

[txgal44]

"subjected to levels of hardships and scrutiny and hatred and disappointment" many of which she created herself.

[Whinger]

Time alone will tell, but if you do, make very certain Bill takes an extended vacation on the moon!

[independentgal]

I understand why she would not want to be on the Supreme Court. It would be too confining and, yes, most likely too boring for her. Obama will pick great justices. It seems that Hillary would be best in a position that is more active and more action oriented.

[madzippy]

Loves me some Hillary!

[MotherGinSling]

If she would reconsider the prospect of Supreme Court Justice, I think she would be immensely valuable for her judgment and commitment to and protection of noble causes. Prior to being a politically active First Lady and a U.S. Senator, she was an attorney, so she's abundantly qualified.

[UncommonSenz]

Agreed. The Supreme Court is in desperate need of a strong mind. One capable of actual reason. I think, absent of politics and the need to pander for votes, she would be terrific in that role.

I admired Sandra Day because she took great pains to follow a line of logic, and not go on ideology. I liked that you could never predict what her response would be, or what her reasoning would be (but afterwards, it made sense, even if I didn't agree with it). I could write the Thomas opinion for any court case coming up because there is no reasoning going on there- no wrestling with all sides.

I think, with no election to worry about, she would act the same way she does policy- which is to get a firm grasp of the issue, and reason from there.

[Turningfool]

If being an attorney was abundant qualification for the Supreme Court, there would be hundreds of thousands of qualified persons. What really counts is familiarity with some rather obscure issues of Federal court jurisdiction and consititutional law (which goes way beyond the Bill of Rights issues familiar to most voters). Hillary may be a good lawyer, but she has no particular expertise needed by a good Supreme Court justice.

[kevinw]

Right that is why they selected Clarence Thomas.

[JohnShank]

And she would be another female voice on the bench. So it would be her and Scalia! J/K. But, I think she would be great as a SCJ.

[dbarberdem1]

I think that Hillary can/will be a major force to reckon with in the future. I for one am looking forward to seeing what her legacy will be when she is done. She can help to make the Obama presidency one ot the most effective and powerful of all time.

[JohnShank]

She should work to help the United States of America. Not just Barack Obama. I know a lot of you people on this site think he's the ONLY person in the country. He ain't. There are surprisingly more of us. I hope that if he's elected he will at least see that the most important thing is helping the United States and not himself.

[UncommonSenz]

Cheezus John,

Nobody is saying that she NOT represent the United States of America.

There are a lot of people who think that Obama's policies are good for America. Hillary Clinton is one of them. Her policies were almost identical with his. So, if she helps to change those policies from ideas to concrete, that would be good for America. That is all many of us here are saying.

Of course she is her own person. Of course she should stand up if she truly disagrees with any policies. But, once you strip the politics away, they agree on an awful lot of the most important stuff- so quit trying to force a choice (follow her ideas, or cave to Obama) that isn't really there.

[Opt1musPr1me]

Hil would make a great president. However if Obama wins, he has already made clear that he would run for a second term which would put her up against him again. Age would also be working against her as well come 2012. As far as a Cabinet position, i don't see it but ya never know.

[NevaforLeadership]

Hillary Clinton will never be president or vice-president of the United States.

Obama will win the election. He will be a two-term president. Hillary Clinton is 61 in October. That puts her at 69 at the end of Obama's presidency. At 69 she will be too old. At 69 luncheon-crowd pant suits will no longer hide the years. Many of the women who voted for her this time around know very little about her. When she's 69 women will know less about her and care very little.

The only reason Hillary Clinton has joined Obama's campaign at the eleventh hour is the harshness of reality. It's sinking in that her political options are few. She wants to improve her chances of a cabinet position on Barack Obama's team -- Barack Obama, the man to whom she hurled her nasty, untrue politics of diversion, now so viciously taken up by Sarah Palin.

And that brings us to Sarah Palin. Could it be that another woman as vice-president is too much for Hillary Clinton to bear? Could that explain her last-minute support for Barack Obama?

Barack Obama is everything Hillary Clinton is not. Barack Obama is overflowing with honesty and integrity. We all know Hillary's record when it comes to honesty and integrity. Hillary Clinton does not fit into his vision of change.

From a woman who loves to see qualified women succeed. Neither Hillary nor Sarah belong in the category of qualified.

[EarthToZoey]

Are you a Republican stoking the fires of disunity among Democrats? If not, you may want to tamper your bitterness with a dose of psychotherapy.

[JohnShank]

That's the type of progressive, liberal, kind, Barack-or-nobody thinking that makes the Obama supporters so loved among Hillary supporters. Believe me, your gloating, whining and mean-spirited, name-calling attitude toward Hillary even after she had basically conceded defeat AND pledged to support Obama, would have turned a lot of people John McCain's way had it not been for the sheer volume of ignorance shown by Sarah Palin.

Grow up. She isn't a candidate for President. Your precious chosen one is in line. You won. Stop rubbing it in. You c lown.

[UncommonSenz]

Just look through the comments on this posting.

There are maybe 2 or 3 Clinton bashers posting here. The rest pretty much say she is certainly "qualified" for any number of positions (from Sec of State to Majority Leader to Supreme Court).

I don't think the above post represents the typical Obama supporter (or even the typical Obama poster here on the boards, which probably skews a little more hardcore than average)

[dbarberdem1]

I have been a Barack supporter from the beginning and I admit that I have had some hard feelings towards Hillary and Bill Clinton but I have come to respect them. She has been a major asset to Barack's campaign in spite of the feelings she must have about losing the nomination. I wish her, her family and all of her supporters only the very best and I hope that she will come to be seen as a great American.

[Beagle]

I get why Hillary Clinton might have wanted a higher office at one point. Who doesn't understand ambition? But I'm not sure why anyone else would want it for her. That's not to say she isn't qualified to do something else. I'm sure she is. But damn, we need great senators. And she is good at it. Why look for new jobs for her? For now, let her be the best senator she can be. I'll bet she accomplishes a larger portion of her agenda by remaining in the senate than she would had she been elected to the presidency, and more than if she holds any other position in government.

[JohnShank]

I don't think she should take a position in a possible Obama administration. She should be her own person in the Senate. She is not in Washington to make the President look good no matter which party he/she is in. She is there to represent the people of New York and the country at large.

[dbarberdem1]

I believe she could be a much stronger force in an cabinet or court position than she could in the senate.

[Speakupper]

The most important item on the agenda right now is to get Obama/Biden elected. No one will have to worry about what position Sen. Clinton takes in an Obama administration UNTIL THERE IS ONE!

This is not the time for "measuring the drapes". There is still so much work to do to insure an Obama Biden victory in 20 days.

If we take our eye off the ball and McCain wins, Sen. Clinton will be just fine. I am much more worried about the rest of us. Obama Biden '08!

[UncommonSenz]

I think most people can multi-task enough to have an opinion on what Hilary's future may entail. It isn't doing anything to distract from Obama's campaign.

[Speakupper]

Hope you're right. From your mouse to God's ears :)