What do you think Clinton will do next?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

Hillary Clinton's performance as Secretary of State appears to have met with generally high approval, and the fact that Obama offered her a top job and she agreed to serve under him appears to have largely patched over the rift between them, at least publically, which suggests that after being Secretary of State she's likely to be in a good position vis a vis senior positions in the Democratic party.

And that's not likely to be more than a few years in the future - there's only been one 8-year SOS since the second world war. This isn't so much for political reasons as due to the strain of the job - the SOS spends even more time travelling than the President, and Clinton has already stated that she's unlikely to do it for more than four years.

So does anyone have any thoughts as to what she might do after that?

[jefferson_dem]

1. I know people have argued against it ... citing age and supposed lack of qualification

but I would love to hear this one day: "Supreme Court Justice Hillary Rodham Clinton".

If not, I see her doing distinguishable public service through foundations and such. I bet that she's through with politics.

[karynnj]

19. Although it is not absolutely needed, she has no judicial record and this does not appear

to be her interest area. Go look up the Senate record and read the various speeches on Alito, hers is not one of the ones that analyzes his judicial record most insightfully. If you wanted a Senator, Leahy, Levin, Kerry and Feingold all seem more interested in Constitutional issues than she is - and I would not think picking any of them a good idea.

[mediaman007]

2. Well Obama neatly sidelined her in the State Department, while

he creates a health care nightmare and dismantles public education. We were as stupid as the people who elected Bush*. At least Hillary had a track record.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Why even go there?

Do you really want to re-open the primary fight?

By the way, that's awfully dismissive of you ... claiming that Clinton's work as SoS amounts to her being "sidelined".

[karynnj]

20. On healthcare? - she failed

The healthcare achievement in the 1990s was SCHIP. This was initiated in the Senate. It started as Kerry/Kennedy, which was based on a MA program and then was made bipartisan with Kennedy and Hatch.

He has yet to do much on public education - which has not been dismantled.

[Greyhound]

4. We could, and likely will, do a lot worse.

Why would someone unrec so innocuous a thread?

[Ozymanithrax]

5. I think she will retire and work with her husband.

[Hekate]

6. Pres. Obama made her SOS in spite of the Big Dog, and she's doing very well. SCOTUS next?

Hillary Clinton is an exceptional woman -- I don't know how old her parents got to be, but her overall health seems good, and we could see some longevity on the Court from her, with luck.

According to the book "Game Change" the adversarial relationship between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seems to have been a product of the campaign and not something they felt beforehand -- she admired him and helped him out in politics before they were rivals for the presidency, and I think it speaks well of both of their maturity levels that they have become partners in this new administration.

Hekate

[Donald Ian Rankin]

9. I hope not SCOTUS

Hillary Clinton is a lawyer and a great woman, but putting those together does not make a great lawyer, and in general I think that appointing former politicians to the SCOTUS is a bad precedent.

[sharesunited]

7. How presumptuous to suggest that she won't primary Obama himself.

Her party needs her. And I was a total Obama supporter in '08!

[quinnox]

10. I'm on board

Its time for Hillary to go for it one more time! Lets get it right this time.

[cali]

13. of course you are, dear. you've never let the primary bitterness go.

[quinnox]

14. Can you blame me

I don't think you are so hot on Obama either. Its becoming more and more clear we made a huge mistake in the primaries back then. Time to get it right this time! Hillary 2012

[cali]

15. yes. I think it's ridiculous. and no, I'm not Obama's biggest supporter.

[bigwillq]

11. I wouldn't mind a primary challenge in 2012

I, for one, feel all incumbents should face a primary challenge, and let the best man/women win.

But if someone were to primary Obama, I feel it needs to be someone that is not already a part of the team. Why would someone from inside the team feel they can do a better job then their boss, who they take orders from? Why should we believe they can, since they're already a part of the team? If you're part of the team, you are partly to blame or to applaud for the job that was done by the person you want to challenge. Sorry, for the rambling. Hope that makes sense.

[cali]

12. she won't.

she's far too smart for that.

[Change Happens]

8. Be a VP after Biden leaves to be the new Ambassador to the UN!

[blue_onyx]

16. My guess is she serves one term as SoS

and then retires. She may do charity work, speaking engagements, etc (like retired Presidents do) but I don't see her running for election again.

[DainBramaged]

17. Replace Biden for the 2012 campaign, and then run in 2016

MAYBE we'll have squashed the Reich-wing bugs by then.....

[karynnj]

18. Join the Clinton Foundation which is doing a lot of work that she

supports.