Will Hillary Run Again in 2020? Signs Say It Could Happen
Hillary Clinton wants to run for president again, according to a new report.
“Hillary Clinton is up to something,” columnist Michael Goodwin wrote in the New York Post on Saturday.
Hillary-watching has been a prime sport of pundits and prognosticators who want to know whether her 2016 defeat at the hands of President Donald Trump is really the final chapter in the decades of political prominence of the Clinton clan.
Her recent activity has ramped up speculation that she sees an opportunity in 2020. For example, she will be making a public appearance at the Ozy Fest July 21-22 in New York City, according to Britain’s Daily Mail.
In his column, Goodwin pieces together stray bits of Hillary Clinton’s public comments and finds a pattern that he thinks is laying the groundwork for 2020.
To begin with, he notes the frequency of the attacks on Trump from Clinton’s Super PAC, which has taken an aggressive tone in opposition to Trump’s immigration policies and is funding small groups that are also opposed to Trump.
Goodwin wrote that her actions are those of “a mother hen to the fledgling activists drawn to politics by their hatred of Trump.”
He noted that although the groups might have backed Bernie Sanders in 2016, “by helping to fund them now, she is putting them in her debt for later.”
His speculation caused many ripples on Twitter.
“Is Hillary Clinton secretly planning to run in 2020?”
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN🙏🙏🙏 #maga https://t.co/IpFFzL1JQI
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 8, 2018
If there is a God… https://t.co/rACEm2c67k
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) July 8, 2018
Antjuan Seawright: “I seriously doubt that Secretary Clinton will make another run for president in 2020. However, I do think she will play a tremendous role going forward in helping the Democrats take our country back.” pic.twitter.com/mNyx4YT2jO
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 9, 2018
Goodwin admitted that the standard thinking is that the Clinton era is over, and the best role former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton can have is kingmakers in the Democratic Party. He wrote that if they are raising money, it is for their own purposes.
“When it comes to money and power, the Clintons assume charity begins at home,” he wrote.
Goodwin’s logic is based on the fact that the Democratic Party remains leaderless, giving Clinton a certain standing. In a crowded 2020 field, he argued, she could be unbeatable in the same way Trump fended off 16 GOP challengers in 2016.
He also argued that in key states, such as California and New York, Clinton would easily defeat home-grown candidates such as Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York.
Goodwin admitted things can change. Clinton’s health could emerge as an issue, for example, or a new party favorite could emerge and put her into the shadows.
“For now, I am convinced Clinton wants to go for it. Doubters should recall the line about pols who get the presidential itch: There are only two cures — election or death. Besides, the third time could be the charm,” he wrote.
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