Is this amazing or what?
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has gained support for president in 2008 from a majority of Americans for the first time, according to a Gallup Poll released Friday.Fifty-three percent of those polled said they were "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to back the former first lady to succeed President Bush ? up 11 percentage points during the past 23 months.
...opposition dropped by 10 percentage points since June 2003.
...Fifty-five percent of the 1,006 adults surveyed by Gallup by telephone between May 20-22 said they had a favorable opinion of Clinton ? up from 44 percent who said they felt that way in March 2001.
Who woulda thunk it? Not me, that's for sure. Until now, I've been certain that Hillary Clinton was a complete non-starter for the Presidency in 2008. At best, I thought, she could win the Democratic nomination, then get crushed in the general election by a tsunami of vicious attack ads and negativity from the Karl Roves, Scott Howells, and Frank Luntzes of the world.
Now, I'm not so sure. Could the next blockbuster Clinton movie be titled, "The Comeback Kid: Part Deux? Or how about, continuing with the movie theme:
* "Bill and Hill's Excellent Adventure Continues"
* "The Rodham Redemption"
* "The Clinton Renaissance: Part II"
* "Playboy President: Part II"
* "Bride of Bubba"
* "Starr Wars: Revenge of the Kith (and Kin)
or just
*"That's Entertainment," because a Clinton run in 2008 will certainly be entertaining if nothing else.
Of course, for right-wing Clinton haters out there, the movie choices might be more like:
* "Apocalypse Now"
* "12 (Million) Angry Men"
* "The Worst Years of Our Lives"
* "Alien"
* "Back to the Future"
* "Vertigo"
or, of course, the Elton John song, "The Bitch is Back."
Whatever movie or song title you choose, the bottom line here is that Hillary Clinton is looking more and more like a 2008 Presidential candidate every day. Even more than that, she's looking like she could actually become President three years from now. As I said, I never thought I'd be writing those words.
Anyway, if Hillary Clinton does end up running and winning back the White House, I just wonder: will people look back at the period when her husband Bill apparently became best buddies with the Bushes? When Florida Gov. Jeb Bush started referring to Bill as "bro?" When President George H.W. Bush "41" started engaging in Freudian psychobabble about Bill, musing, emotionally,"Maybe I'm the father he never had." When Dubya (Bush "43") started joking about how, when Bill woke up from his heart surgery, "...he was surrounded by his loved ones: Hillary, Chelsea and my Dad?" Or when Hillary Clinton and none-other-than Newt Gingrich bonded over health care?"
I'll tell you, American politics never ceases to amaze me. Especially the Clintons. Here I was, all ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work for Clark/Warner, or Warner/Clark, and now I'm looking at the serious possibility of Clinton/Clark or Clinton/Warner.
Whatever happens here, the lesson regarding the Clintons is simple: never underestimate "The Comeback Kid(s)," "The Revenge of the Kith (and Kin)," "The Rodham Redemption," or any other movie starring Bill and Hillary Clinton. If you do, you run the risk of missing a great "New York Story."