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The Hillary Effect

One presence looms large over the 2020 race, and she's not even involved in it.

By Edward AndersonPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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Donald Trump lost the popular vote to her. Democrats once saw her as their messiah that would help them retain power and keep the White House under their control. Many have called her the most qualified person to ever run for the office of President. Her name is Hillary Clinton, and the group of Democratic Presidential hopefuls are either trying to tie themselves to her legacy or get as far away from a tarnished last name as possible.

The New York Times has a great writeup of how the current candidates running for the Democratic nomination are reacting to their precursor—the woman who should be President. Most are trying to get in good with her, in the hopes of gaining an advantage in fundraising and in the hopes of converting the more than 65 million citizens who voted for her to their side. Clinton offers a great deal of influence when it comes to those who admire her, and it is worth noting that there are a great deal of people who would love nothing more than for her to hit the campaign trail one more time to unseat her 2016 rival and ascend to the position that they believe is rightfully hers.

Just as many think that she needs to stay a private citizen and leave the politicking to the new class. Senator Bernie Sanders is one of only two current candidates that have not reached out to Hillary in the hopes of gaining knowledge or understanding of the enemy they will be facing in 2020. The other is Senator Kristen Gillibrand—who used to be a close ally of Clinton, but in recent months has made comments that have made her persona non grata. Sanders for his part doesn't seem to be interested in playing politics as usual and has no inclination to talk to his former friend (and 2016 rival for the nomination) because he appears to be riding the wave that brought congresswomen like AOC into office.

What benefit could Hillary offer someone on the far-left like Sanders? She is out of touch with what the people want currently, in terms of politicians not playing by the old guard rules. Trump has made that almost impossible, and AOC has taken the game up a notch by calling out Mitch McConnell when a vote was desperately needed in the Senate to end the government shutdown, she started the hashtag #wheresmitch. It was a viral sensation and upped her already high profile. This was a new wave of politicians that were not afraid of being deemed unprofessional, especially when the behavior of others is appalling. Something that Clinton could have done in 2016 if she hadn't chosen to play by the old rules.

The other side of the coin is that Clinton has the weight of experience behind her. Not only her eight years as a Senator and eight more as First Lady, but also her time as Secretary of State. Then there's the little matter that she is the only person who has gone against Trump (and technically won) in a Presidential race. She knows his moves and can lend a hand to whoever the eventual nominee is, even if it ends up being Sanders or Gillibrand. And while there is a presumption that some of the hopefuls may be wanting a Clinton endorsement to help bolster their chances, don't count on one coming. She has taken herself out of the endorsement business for the primaries, perhaps because she is weighing one more time in the hot seat?

The likelihood of a Trump/Clinton rematch is enticing for those that are "With Her," but no one should get their hopes up for it. After being Trump's punching bag for most of 2016, and then again for angry Democrats after the election, Hillary probably has decided that her chance at the Presidency has waned. And of course, there is the Biden of it all. Uncle Joe has postponed his decision in the 2020 race now for more than a year, though every poll shows him being the Dem's nominee and the one with a clear shot at puncturing Trump's hold on midwest states.

Plus we all need a break from the nickname Crooked Hillary, which will be used nonstop from a man who has committed treason in front of the world. Maybe it is time to let Hillary and her legacy of service rest and ride the AOC wave to a brighter future.

opinion
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About the Creator

Edward Anderson

Edward has written hundreds of acclaimed true crime articles and has won numerous awards for his short stories.

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