Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations September 8, 2010 in Washington, DC.
(Mark Wilson/Getty)
Just like in 1992, we've got a sluggish economy, restless independent voters, and a president who hasn't been able to translate his foreign policy successes into solid approval ratings. And now, there's gossip about a Bush and a Clinton in the race.
Read. Argue. Listen. Act.
MoreThat's the fantasy scenario possible if the Jeb whisper campaign meets the Hillary Clinton robocall campaign.
Grousing about Obama's presidency among Hillary Clinton supporters have stoked 2012 chatter for months, including here on It's A Free County. This week, Clinton backers are stepping up the talk with a robocall campaign. The calls, first reported by Politico, ask recipients to sign a petition at the website RunHillary2012.net.
Here's the audio, passed on by a source here in New York City who got the call:
Hello, this is a message from Run Hillary 2012.net. America would be better off today if HC was our president. The Wall Street robber barons would be jailed, young people could afford college and find jobs. And 6 million home owners wouldn't face foreclosure. We need to change course. Please sign our petition to draft Hillary Clinton for President. Visit Run Hillary 2012.net. In 2012 we can elect Hillary Clinton President of the United States.
At the site, the petition is blunt. "Let’s get right to the point. Hillary Rodham Clinton, you need to run for the Presidency of the United States in 2012," it reads in part. "Despite the best of intentions, for millions of unemployed Americans, Hope and Change has meant disappointment and the status quo."
For her part, Secretary of State Clinton has roundly dismissed any 2012 talk. "I have absolutely no interest, and no reason for doing anything other than just dismissing these stories and moving on because we have no time. We have so much to do," she told CNN in October. "And I think both of us are very happy doing what we're doing."
On the Republican side, New York Times columnist David Brooks has floated the possibility of former Florida governor Jeb Bush's entry in the raceif former House Speaker Newt Gingrich leads after early primary contests.
I'm not holding out hope, but I do think it's a remote possibility," Brooks said on NPR last Friday. "I do think the Republican Party is not going to nominate Newt Gingrich. If he emerges from the early primaries as the front-runner, someone's going to step in."
Anna Sale covers politics for WNYC, including the 2013 mayoral race. During the 2012 presidential election, she traveled the country to tell the stories of voters in early primary battlegrounds and swing states. She has hosted The Brian Lehrer Show and The Takeaway and contributed to NPR, Marketplace, PBS Newshour, the BBC, Slate, WGBH World Channel, Current TV, and NY1.
Comments [3]
Hillary,
Please DON'T run for President. If your economic policies are no better than your husband's we're in deeper doo...We don't need another NAFTA or MFN for China that the GOP denudes of parity.
Mr. Obama DOES need some opposition to toughen up his game before any debates with Mr. Who-the-hell-knows. His re-election isn't a given and he had better not be ready for anything less than the fight of his life.
Hillary, your country needs you now more than ever before. Please run in 2012. My son and I campaigned for you in 2008, and my entire family did write in votes for you in the general election. Like many people, we do not want Obama four more years. If Democrats don't vote, there could well be a right wing sweep like 1980. That would be a total nightmare.
We still believe in you, and all that you said about never giving up. Don't give up now. You are America's hope.
I would love to see Hillary in this race, but don't see anything but rumors so far. She'd have my vote for sure.
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