Many observers have stated that, in a sense, we have two “royal families” in our midst–the Bushes and the Clintons!
Years ago, it was thought that the Kennedys were a “royal family”, with John F. Kennedy in the White House, Robert Kennedy as Attorney General, and Ted Kennedy in the US Senate!
But then President Kennedy was murdered; Robert Kennedy, after being elected to the Senate and running for President, was also assassinated; and Ted Kennedy “self destructed” as far as the Presidency was concerned, as a result of the Chappaquiddick tragedy, although he served a long, distinguished career in the Senate!
But the Bush Family saw George H. W. Bush serve one term as President, and son George W. serve two terms in the White House!
The Clinton Family saw Bill Clinton serve two terms as President, and wife Hillary seek the position as the first serious woman candidate in 2008, and then end up as Secretary of State under her rival, Barack Obama!
The rumor mill now has it that Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, brother of George W., and younger son of George H. W., will seek the White House in 2012 to reassert the Bush reputation and please his parents, in their high 80s but hoping to live to see a second son become President of the United States! This rumor, the author would say, is quite valid and more expected now than even a few months ago, as the Presidential nomination season comes closer to its start after the midterm elections!
Meanwhile, Bill Clinton has been restoring his reputation as a political “genius”, the most active former President ever to get involved in electing others of his party! The former President has become “gold” to candidates, most notably home state Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, who received tremendous campaign support from Clinton in her winning primary challenge! Bill Clinton is actively pursuing helping others as well, and sometimes in various primaries, has endorsed someone other than who the Obama Administration supports! If the Democrats retain much of their margin in Congress and the state governorships, Bill Clinton will gain a lot of the credit!
But there are still rumors that the Clintons and Obama do not like each other very much, despite the fact that Hillary Clinton has been a loyal, hard working Secretary of State for the President. Â So rumors have it that Obama may not run, and Hillary will run in his place for the Presidency in 2012; or that Hillary will switch positions with Joe Biden, and become the Vice Presidential running! mate for 2012, giving her an edge for the 2016 Presidential nomination; or that Bill and Hillary will repudiate Obama after expected disastrous midterm election results, and that Hillary will resign from the cabinet, and challenge Obama in the 2012 Presidential primaries!
It seems to the author that the first rumor, that Obama will not run, is highly unlikely, although Obama did say once he would rather be a good one term President than a mediocre two term President!
The second rumor seems more possible, that Hillary and Biden might switch roles for the 2012 election, putting Biden in a position that he certainly fits into very well!
The third rumor is preposterous on its face, as Presidents regularly see repudiation in midterm elections, and still come back to win another term handily, as did Harry Truman in 1948, Ronald Reagan in 1984, and Bill Clinton in 1996! Since Hillary agrees with most of what Obama has tried to do, for her to challenge him would only weaken the Democratic Party, divide it, and lead to a GOP victory for the White House in 2012!
Remember that every time in the last century that a sitting President has been challenged for renomination, he has overcome the opponent, but then lost reelection–William Howard Taft vs. Theodore Roosevelt in 1912; Gerald Ford vs. Ronald Reagan in 1976; Jimmy Carter vs Ted Kennedy in 1980; and George H. W. Bush vs Pat Buchanan in 1992!
So likely, the Bush rumor is true, and the second Clinton rumor might be true, while the first Clinton rumor is highly unlikely, and the last Clinton rumor is extremely preposterous on its face!