Posted 10:46 PM by Robert

A Rather Basic Question

It is widely believed that Hillary Clinton wants and expects to run for the Presidency in 2008.

If a Democrat is elected President in 2004, then Hillary probably will not be able to claim the nomination of her party in 2008 - it will probably belong to the incumbent.

It follows as the night the day that Hillary Clinton's ambitions are inconsistent with a Democrat being elected President in 2004 (unless she's it, but that's another story).

And if a Democrat is not elected to the Presidency in 2004, the effect of that failure on the Democratic Congressional efforts will be seriously negative. Which means that Hillary Clinton's ambitions are also inconsistent with Democratic Congressional aspirations in 2004 (again, unless she's the nominee, but again that's another story).

So why are so many of the Democrats and especially Democratic Presidential contenders seeking advice from Hillary and Bill Clinton - including with respect to the contenders' efforts to obtain the Presidency? As the Washington Post puts it:

Thirty months after leaving the White House draped in controversy, the Clintons are again dominating Democratic politics in Washington and beyond. Former president Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) are ... doling out political advice to all who will listen, which includes most of the leading candidates to challenge President Bush in 2004. ... At the same time, top officials from the Clinton administration are taking, or tightening, control over several of the party's most influential political groups.

One can almost understand the need of the Democratic Party to coddle the Clintons, since the Clintons can raise money, although history has clearly shown that money obtained through such Clinton involvement is way too expensive for the Democrats - other than the Clintons, of course.

But advice? Democrats are taking advice from two people whose personal agendas are completely inconsistent with Democratic success at either the Presidential or Congressional levels in 2004 - and who were personally responsible for the loss of both Congress and the Presidency?

Advice? Are such Democrats really that stupid?