This early political observers here say that Hillary is “the most impressive politician” among potential rivals like John Edwards, who, by the way, lost his bid for the vice presidency in 2004, among other Democratic aspirants for the White House. Actually, there are, as yet, no announced candidates for the Democratic nomination, and even Hillary and those others expected to run may not make their final decision before this year ends. The same goes as well for the Republicans. Still, it is being bruited in political circles here, Hillary is expected to be a virtually “unstoppable force,” with party leaders falling in line behind her. Others, while they are desperate for Democratic victory in 2008 over the Republicans, appear hesitant and feel that Hillary might be too divisive a candidate to take back the White House. This is why they are shopping for a candidate who can beat Clinton during the party convention. And this could very well mean that there may be room for two serious candidates -Hillary and an anti-Hillary. There are some speculations in Democratic circles, but none has publicly avowed his/her intention to run against Hillary. Now, if Hillary Clinton decides to run for president (actually she has said she is seeking a second term as senator in this year’s mid-term election), we are informed that she will begin with “institutional advantages”, meaning, to cite one, she has “the money”, some $17 million in the bank for her reelection campaign in New York which may not be spent at all because she does not have a serious opponent for the Senate post. Not only this, if she eventually decides to run in 2008 she already has a build-in base of voters in the early primaries. And she can also count on the endorsements of most of the local elected officials and interest groups. So, if the obstacles to challenging Hillary are so formidable, it is said, even those Democrats who think she is not the best candidate may in all likelihood work for her, just to be on the safe and winning side.

Nonetheless, the talk in this city as well as in Washington circles is whether Hillary Clinton is an “electable” Democratic candidate for the American presidency. And, do not forget, who is going to be fielded by the Republican Party against Hillary as the Democratic Party’s candidate? At all events, with almost two years to go before the crucial 2008 presidential polls, anything can happen in politics be it here in America or there in the Philippines. The Republicans, for all we know, may also field their own woman candidate for the presidency. And those Democrats, who still have doubts about Hillary, can continue dreaming of finding a candidate who has the national profile and possibly be stronger, if also more exciting, than Hillary Clinton. If they fail and Hillary Clinton runs and wins, then hallelujah, the Democrats would then recapture the White House and send the Republicans packing and reassembling for the next presidential derby in four years time. Indeed, who knows, the American people might finally realize that they have had enough of bungling leaders, and decide for the time in history that they want a change, a most drastic changing of the guard by electing the first woman president of the United States of America. Hillary Clinton, who else!