Hillary ’16, Obama ’14

There is a powerful and profound convergence of interest between Team Obama, Team Clinton and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate.

The prime directive for the leadership strata of Democrats in Washington and the Democratic base nationally is clear and well understood by most national political players, if not yet the political media. This three-stage convergence of interest is as follows:

{mosads}First, the goal is to elect a Democratic House and preserve the Democratic Senate in 2014. This would effectively power-start a third term for President Obama that would begin after the election of a Democratic House and Senate in 2014 and conclude with the inauguration of the next president in January 2017, which would set the stage for a ground-shaking, history-making and FDR-magnitude-realigning Democratic campaign in 2016 and a power-started Hillary Clinton presidency with even more House and Senate Democrats by January 2017.

What is striking about the political situation in April 2013 is the magnitude of the convergence of interests between all leading Democratic players, and the fact that this convergence is informally but widely understood and increasingly being acted upon by leading Democratic players.

The internal dynamics of Republican politics, which drive the GOP far to the right of mainstream America, alienating the center and motivating the left, are custom-designed to cement and energize the Democratic convergence of interests as well.

For example, Obama has publicly stated his strong commitment to elect a Democratic House in 2014. I can report, from my own information based on long experience working for Democratic leaders and from recent conversations with those privy to their current thinking, that House Democratic leaders are exceptionally pleased with the support they are receiving from the president.

There is much discussion about Obama having “limited time” to achieve goals that would define his legacy. This is not necessarily true. If a Democratic House and Senate are elected in 2014, it would re-empower Obama for one of the strongest closing two years of an eight-year presidency in modern history, which could avoid lame-duck status almost entirely with what historians would ultimately describe as “Obama’s third term.”

Obama and his advisers are wise to act on this convergence of interest and go all-out to elect a Democratic House and Senate in 2014.

This convergence is equally clear for Clinton, who, if she is runs in 2016, wants the enthusiastic support of Obama and his faithful, and if she is elected, wants a Democratic Congress to enact her agenda.

If the Democratic scenario prevails in 2014, historians will divide the Obama presidency into three distinct mini-terms. The first lasted from January 2009 until Election Day 2010, the second from January 2011 until Election Day 2014, and the third Obama term would last from the swearing-in of the next Congress in January 2015 until the inauguration of the next president in January 2017.

For these reasons I formally endorse Hillary Clinton for president. I endorse pro-Hillary super-PACs and grassroots movements, call for Clinton to be nominated by acclamation, and advise the excellent Democrats who would run if she does not to formally do the same.

Now is the time for the women to lead; 2016 will be the time for THIS woman to lead.

The prime directive is not idle Hillary chatter by the pundit class counting the months before the Iowa caucus. It is to understand the convergence of interests, seize the historic moment, elect a Democratic Congress and lift our sights, raise our vision, elevate our aspirations and escalate our actions — beginning now, through 2014, through 2015 and through 2016. 

It is time to pass the torch from the extremism, division and obstruction of Republicans to the leadership of opportunity and aspiration that was ignited with the election of Obama — and would be culminated by the election of President Hillary Clinton.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and Bill Alexander, then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. He can be read on The Hill’s Pundits Blog and reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.