Sunday Open Thread [4.12.15]

New York Times: “He defeated her in a grueling Democratic nomination battle. Then she pursued his agenda across the world as secretary of state. Now, the delicate relationship between Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Obama is about to get even more complicated.”

“For months, Mrs. Clinton and her team have pored over Mr. Obama’s poll ratings, policies and constituencies, seeking to solve a central riddle for the campaign she is about to begin: How can she run for president as her own person, without criticizing the sitting president she served — while her Republican opponents will be working to demonize them both?”

Dan Balz: “Her every step will be analyzed for signs of change or continuity. Has she learned from her loss to then-candidate Barack Obama in the 2008 primaries? If so, what? Does she act entitled or hungry? Has she shifted on foreign policy issues since she was Obama’s secretary of state?”

On Twitter, Hillary has been quite glowing about the President’s accomplishments, especially in the areas of Equality and Obamacare. She may go more hawkish on ISIS, but she will term it as doing more. I think she knows that it will hurt her on the left flank to create too much distance between herself and her former boss. That was the lesson of 2000, and the Clintons then thought Gore should have used them much more. She will not now agree with Al Gore on being her own candidate.