To Hill and Back

While Hillary Clinton is still going through the motions, there are clear signs that it has started to sink in that divine destiny has not ordained her our next president.

If she was preparing anything but an exit strategy, her campaign advisers would have already had her out there in the hollows, telling the people of West Virginia she had just discovered she was a coal miner’s daughter and that she really did love Tammy Wynette’s music.

But, other than her comment in USA Today that she has more appeal to white voters than does Barack Obama, she’s kept the pandering to a minimum. Her heart’s obviously not in this anymore. Which raises the question: What’s next?

Of course, the most exotic speculation concerns the so-called “Dream Ticket.” Frankly, I believe it’s an improbable dream for reasons that have been widely discussed, not the least of which is that it hands the racist-misogynist majority to the Republicans (come to think of it, they probably have a lock on that vote anyway).

Assuming I’m correct, what do the Clintons get as a face-saver?

As Bill slinks off to repair his reputation again and make scads more money from benefactors of varying repute, whither goes Hillary?

There has been some talk that she might be put on a fast track to become the next Senate majority leader. It would certainly be a powerful position where she could keep her public profile high, as the logical successor while she privately worked to undermine the next president, whoever he is. The problem is that in the Senate, there is no such thing as a fast track, so she can’t count on a scenario like that. Besides, she could do that as the vice president.

Sometime in the future, PBS will probably commission a series called “The Clinton Sagas,” a unique American family’s high drama. It’s a remarkable story, but it will have to wait. It’s not over yet.