Hillary’s Long View

The What-does-Hillary-want vigil continues, and now the two rivals have met to discuss her plans, at least the ones she talks about. As she publicly retreats from the push for the vice presidency, and her supporters continue it, one thing is clear: Clinton didn’t come this far (inches from the nomination) to pack it up forever.

If you listened to Clinton recently, you could hear this intention — her popular vote, electoral vote, swing state argument. Then there was the appeal this week to her voters, to go to her website and tell her what to do. In my column this week, I wrote that Clinton is only two ifs away from being the president — if she genuinely helps Barack Obama and if he goes on to lose. If she can earnestly, enthusiastically campaign for Obama, keeping her own supporters engaged and excited, she would be there to pick up the pieces in 2012 if he lost. Clinton knows all of this.

In that scenario, her operation would be in place to begin again immediately — the right way. And who in the party could stop her this time?

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