Mending Fences with Hillary

 

With some interest I saw an advertisement for Hillary 2016 in the Sunday NY Times of December 1. Of course it was disguised as a real news story about how Madam Hilary is trying to assuage the bad feelings with the African-American community  from her last  presidential run.

It seems unfathomable in hindsight  that the Clintons actually thought the African-American community would support Hillary when then Sen. Obama was running with her neck and neck in the primaries. As soon as the smallest excuse arose, in this case, a nebulous characterization by former President Clinton about Mr. Obama’s anti-war stance being  “a fairy tale”  and an allusion that Jesse Jackson had won the South Carolina primary twice, a frisson developed. So her first order of business is to mend fences with the African-American community.

It’s inevitable that no group can be mad had the Clintons for too long. Looking to repair the bad feelings caused by some of her husband’s statements during the 2008 campaign, Hillary is out in front of the pack trying to position herself for 2016. It’s too early to declare but you can bet she’ll run. If you had as stellar a record as Secretary of State like Madam Clinton wouldn’t you think you deserve to be president and return the country to the halcyon days of her husband.

She has supported  President Obama  since he was elected. But as his poll numbers continue to sink, will she stand by him or will she distance herself. If she decides on the latter, will it hurt her with the black community and open up opportunities for possible candidates within the administration  like Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Kerry; or, perhaps as some people have intimated, Sen. Warren of Massachusetts. All three figure to stick with the president to the very end.

A lot, obviously, will have to do with fundraising .The Hollywood money machine already seem ready to back Madam Clinton. But the success of Hillary and the Democrats with all constituencies will depend on the success or fallout from the Affordable Care Act and  the outcome  of immigration reform – very dicey issues moving forward.