Hillary Clinton Moves From Celebrity to Politician – It’s Painful

Hillary Clinton has said she will decide to run or not for president at the end of the year. The rollout
of the book will give her six months to remember what presidential hardball politics is like.

Clinton’s last experience of day in and day out political battle was in the 2008 primaries with Barack Obama. She lost and it was brutal. But, four years as Secretary of State provided a more neutral space and high favorability. She gained celebrity status without the partisan’s edge.

But, the seeming inevitability of her run and the campaign quality of the book tour remind people of the partisan Hillary. Her favorability rating is starting to slide as Democrats continue to rate her in the ‘90s, but the Republican rating drops in half (41% from mid-2012 to 21%) and independent voters put on a more cynical lens (65% to 49%).

She must also contend with a president whose favorability has declined from 58 percent in late 2012 to 47 percent today, respond to nearly daily foreign and domestic crises, and get through a midterm November election that could damage the Democratic brand and leave the party in disarray.

It will provide a stiff challenge to successfully maneuver and a lot for her to think about between now and yearend.

See:

Gallup: Americans’ ratings of President Obama’s image at new lows

Gallup: Smaller majority of Americans view Hillary Clinton favorably
The Buzz: The Clinton Challenge