Hillary Clinton's Future: Senate Majority Leader?

At 9:56 pm Thursday night, Clinton Campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson sent out this statement about Hillary's concluding, cheer-generating comments at the UT Austin debate:

What we saw in the final moments in that debate is why Hillary Clinton is the next President of the United States. Her strength, her life experience, her compassion. She's tested and ready. It was the moment she retook the reins of this race and showed women and men why she is the best choice.

Sitting with other senior stakeholders in Hillaryland, I heard Hillary essentially concede to Obama -- and in a magnanimous, gracious way. Many with me that night agreed.

I happen to think that Barack Obama should offer Hillary the Vice President slot. His "win" that seems to be in the making is impressive -- but not definitive, and there are substantial parts of the Democratic party that are still clinging to the Clinton franchise.

If Obama can acquire the Clinton infrastructure and consolidate it with the Kennedy franchise and then fasten in the many newcomers to his "movement", he'd then be creating something quite new and different -- and sustainable.

Some of Obama's supporters can't imagine a ticket with both of them on it -- but the reality of American politics is that power is built through amassing building blocks of influence. The Kennedy franchise is second only to the Clinton's in its structural resilience. Obama was given the keys to the many thousands who owe the Kennedy machine for the jobs, favors, policy work, and the like that the Kennedys have disbursed over decades.

With all due respect to the currents that are fueling Obama's primary victory, his supporters are not part of a well-organized franchise and their engagement and involvement may only seem deep but are really just a function the moment. As Howard Fineman wrote recently, Hillary Clinton is running against Obama's "wind". Sounds good in one sense -- but in another, winds die down.

Obama would be a fool to not jump at the opportunity to build-in the Clinton's followers into his political superstructure.

But even if Hillary Clinton is not offered the Vice Presidential slot, she will be a major force in American politics -- and rumors are afoot that "her friends" are paving the way for her to ascend to Senate Majority Leader. Some tried to engineer this before her decision to run. Now they are at it again.

And to some degree, I am hearing from senior Democrats that this move would be welcomed by most in the party -- by just about everyone except the John Bolton-hugging Chuck Schumer, who wants the Majority Leader position himself. But in a contest, Clinton would beat Schumer.

Durbin also wants the job and is close to Barack Obama, but Obama needs Clinton's support and cooperation if he takes the nomination and eventually the White House -- and that can only happen if he puts her on his ticket as VP or helps engineer her move to Senate Majority Leader.

For those who think that there may yet be a surprise in Ohio and Texas and that Hillary's moving final comments in the debates will pull off another New Hampsire-like outcome, all I can say is that I have learned that a senior Clinton campaign adviser -- not on the political side -- is already out looking for a job.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[editorjuno]

I think Senator Dodd would be far better as Majority Leader -- but certainly Senator Clinton would also be a viable choice for the job. The spineless milquetoast Reid has to go, regardless of who's president!

[DoninJoisey]

Agree Reid is useless. My only objection to Billary is that she sees all republicans as evil - for us to break deadlock we need someone who can compromise and isn't so polarizing.

Republicans can NEVER warm to Billary.

[SamThornton]

I'm guessing the only way Sen. Clinton can be elected Senate Majority Leader is if she is able to broker a deal with husband Bill to STFU until the end of festivities in November 2008, allowing some possibility of a Democratic sweep.

I could be wrong, of course.

[Liss]

Hillary as VP is a terrible idea - why take on that baggage, and prompt so many fruitful avenues of attack from the right? Get Mike Bloomberg on the case, and you have the detail-oriented, self-made business man to go along with the gifted natural leader of the people.

[nomobull]

no

[Ides]

"Obama would be a fool to not jump at the opportunity to build-in the Clinton's followers into his political superstruc­ture."


Obama would be a fool to tie himself to the Hillary Clinton anchor.


And Hillary's not qualified to be the Senate Majority Leader, she's a legislative light weight with no real accomplishments running on name recognition alone and there are several WOMEN in line before her, so she can go jump.

[anfractuous]

I had to rack my brain for who is the CURRENT Majority leader, so effectively has Reid faded into the woodwork.

[stsparky]

This makes sense to me, it is the way forward. Obama/Clinton plays to the strength of both.

[Independent voter]

bill will do a Foster to get hillary the job he promised her.

[GLU]

The thing is, if we wanted the Clinton Machine we would have voted for Clinton...

[Independent voter]

Exactly!

[pottylikearockstar]

From the first day she announced her candidacy for the Office of the President of the United States she has said she is "in it to win it." Now that the race is tight, people are shocked Hillary won't lie down and quit. From the beginning of the race until the end, the fact remains that Superdelegates are a part of the nomination process and will have an impact in a close race. Obama should have prepared for this scenario. Hillary has prepping for this scenario for years and should not be penalized for having foresight.

[GLU]

Prepared by not having operations on the ground in any of the post-Feb 5 states?

[DoninJoisey]

"From the first day she announced her candidacy" -
c'mon - it was way before that - the NY senate race was the first step in the plan for a third Clinton term.

Just because they mapped it out doesn't make it wise for America.

[stsparky]

This makes sense to me, it is the way forward. Obama/Clinton plays to the strength of both.

[stsparky]

This makes sense to me, it is the way forward. Obama/Clinton plays to the strength of both.

[stsparky]

This makes sense to me, it is the way forward. Obama/Clinton plays to the strength of both.

[jmpurser]

While I agree that Reid has to GO I really have no enthusiasm for Hillary in ANY leadership position within the Democratic party. Really.

[stsparky]

Obama/Clinton makes sense.

[nomobull]

stop please nobody buying what you are selling

[AnotherunhappyDemocrat]

While I see nothing wrong with Obama offering Clinton the VP slot - and indeed I think it would be the best way to build a force that would crush the Republicans this fall (and wouldn't that be nice!) - I don't see her accepting this offer. Not sure what I think about her becoming Senate Majority Leader. As long as there is a Democrat in the White House, I'd have no issues with her being Majority Leader, but, should we have a Republican President anytime soon, I'd want the leader of the Senate Democrats to be a fighter (as in not Harry Reid). One reason why Clinton is not coasting her way to the Democratic nomination is that she hasn't led any spirited defenses against Bush these last seven + years.

[youngec]

Hillary as VP? OK. Hillary as majority leader?
Not bad. Durbin as majority leader -- better. Dodd as majority leader -- best. Dodd, of all the recent candidates seems to me to be the most committed to returning the constitution to its rightful place after the trashing it is undergoing. His recent book on his father's experience in Nuremberg makes this clear.