Hillary Clinton Looks Like a 2008 Candidate

Feb. 18, 2006 — -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., simultaneously one of the most revered and reviled people in the country, is the subject of perhaps the most burning question in politics: Will she run for president?

There are more than 20 people, Republicans and Democrats, laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run in 2008. Some of them are open about it.

Clinton, however, insists she hasn't made up her mind, but she's sure acting like a presidential candidate. This month, Clinton, who's up for re-election in New York in nine months, will be campaigning -- in Florida.

A few weeks back, it was California, Oregon and Washington state. Before that it was Michigan, Kentucky, New Orleans and Massachusetts.

Slamming the GOP

Clinton also is ramping up the anti-Republican rhetoric.

Among her recent quotes:

"I predict this administration will go down in history as one of the worst that has ever governed our country."

"When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run, [it's] like a plantation. And you know what I'm talking about."

"Contrary to … Franklin Roosevelt, who had nothing to fear but fear itself, this [GOP] crowd is all: '[What] we got is fear, and we're going to keep playing the fear card.' "

The Republican Party already is developing its anti-Hillary talking points.

"Whether it's comments about the plantation or the worst administration in history, Hillary Clinton seems to have a lot of anger," Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said on ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" recently.

First lady Laura Bush has reacted to Clinton's recent comments.

"I think it's out of bounds," she said, "but also about politics."

Clues?

All the tough talk and travel looks to many like a presidential campaign in all but name.

Even President Bush acknowledged the possibility. When CBS News' Bob Schieffer said: "You know, if Sen. Clinton becomes president …" Bush said: "Yeah: Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton," referring to his father, former President Clinton, himself, and Hillary Clinton.

But Clinton says she's undecided. And of late, when asked, her response has been simply to chuckle. She declined to talk to ABC News for this story.

Clinton may not want to declare her intentions because she doesn't want to confirm suspicions that she's using New York as a launching pad for her presidential ambitions.

But the hints keep coming.

At Coretta Scott King's funeral, former President Clinton said: "I'm honored to be here with my president, and my former presidents."

Then someone yelled: "And future president."

A Good Candidate?

Political analysts say Clinton will be hard to stop in the Democratic primaries, but may struggle to win in the general election.

"There's gonna be one question on the table," Joe Klein said. "'What's he going to do? What's Bill Clinton's role in your administration going to be?' And I don't think there's a very good answer to that."

Added ABC News' political director Mark Halperin: "Hillary Clinton stands for what a lot [of] Democrats stand for: They're against George Bush. She doesn't have a set of ideas that clearly say: 'This is why I should be president.'"

Said Klein: "The first woman president … is going to have to be both strong and likeable. In other words, she's gonna have to be a genius politician. I think Hillary Clinton is pretty good, but I don't think she's a genius politician."

ABC News' Dan Harris originally reported this story for "World News Tonight" on Feb. 12, 2006