Hillary Clinton is the Biggest Threat to Republicans in 2012

If she chooses to run against Obama, at this point she would win and we'd probably be on our way to the first woman president and four more years of runaway liberalism.  Pete du Pont, former Republican Senator, is actually promoting her for president in today's Wall Street Journal:

So what can be done to change America's policies and make our economy stronger? For one thing, we could elect a president with different thinking. Almost any Republican candidate would have that, and, as we will see in a moment, there is one obvious Democrat who would change our course too.

I have to stop him right there - why does he think that Hillary's policies would be any different than Obama's? She might be more effective in communicating and working with Congress, and she'd have close counsel from the former president, but the net effect would be the same.

Du Pont gives some reasons why he thinks Hillary would be a good choice:

First, as Peggy Noonan wrote earlier this month, the conclusion one hears from most "normal" American people is that the president "is in over his head, and out of his depth." Even most progressives agree that "the Obama presidency has been a big disappointment," according to Eric Alterman of The Nation. That means there's a big opportunity for Mrs. Clinton.

Second, she is physically and intellectually strong enough to take on a difficult campaign. She showed that running against Obama two years ago.

Third, she is one of the most experienced prospective candidates the Democratic Party has had in a long while: wife of a governor, U.S. first lady, senator and now secretary of state. This is a good record to run on as someone who knows how the government works.

Fourth, she is an experienced foreign-policy adviser who understands the threats to our national security: unresolved conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, rising threats of nuclear capability in Iran and North Korea, and uncertainties in Pakistan.

Fifth, experience will be even more important to voters in the 2012 presidential election, whose 2008 gamble on someone with little experience is proving costly.

Finally, Washington's deadly left-liberal policies that have propelled the American economy in a very bad direction can be turned around. If Mrs. Clinton made the case that America must get rid of the huge debt the current administration has created, must create much better economic growth with lower tax rates, and must strongly assist employer job creation, she would appeal to a broad voter coalition.

Let's not forget that a major reason Hillary's husband was able to have a relatively successful presidency is that he governed during a fairly quiet time in the world (he successfully ignored several terror attacks against U.S. targets), and he had a Republican congress for the last six years that got spending under control while an economic bubble grew...but then burst shortly before he left office. Since George Bush didn't spend all his time blaming Clinton for it (and the media wouldn't report it if he did), Bush took most of the hits for the economic mess he inherited.

I think Du Pont is being very generous to suggest that Hillary has the same political gifts as her husband.  She may have him hanging around chasing interns, but she would be a very different president.

Du Pont goes on in his article to suggest that Obama can stop this challenge by making her his VP candidate in 2012.  I don't think that will happen because I don't think she'd take the job.  Why be saddled to Obama who at this point looks like a loser?  Having her in the 2nd spot would not convince voters to give Obama another four years.

Back on January 5th I offered a prediction of what I think Hillary's future will look like.  I still think this is a very likely scenario:

Here's a scenario that I think may become more realistic as the year unfolds. Should Obama and the Dems continue to slide, and especially if the Dems take a bloodbath in November, I look for Hillary to resign the Secretary of State's job sometime in early 2011. Nobody will believe she wants to "spend more time with her family" so she'll have to come up with another excuse. In reality, she'll be setting the table for a primary challenge to Obama in 2012.

And she'll be very popular. She barely lost the nomination in 2008 and given Obama's performance and her work as Secretary of State, her star probably shines brighter today than ever. For one thing, she hasn't been in the news all that much and we haven't had to listen to her. That's gotta help.

So, with Hillary out of the Secretary of State's office, who will Obama choose to replace her? Here's where the scenario becomes even more interesting - Joe Biden. Biden's many years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be cited as the main reason to move him to SoS, though the real reason will have more to do with the fact that Biden will be a drag on the 2012 ticket. He's not seen as a viable future candidate for 2016 and frankly people are a little bit afraid that something will happen to Obama and we'll get stuck with President Biden.

This will give Obama and his political crew the opportunity to choose his potential successor, someone younger and more attractive as a 2016 candidate. Confirmation could be a bit problematic should the GOP pick up a bunch of Senate seats this year, but I don't know if they will have the stomach to filibuster a vice presidential nominee.

Meanwhile Hillary will be the Ted Kennedy of 2012, challenging the sitting president the way Kennedy challenged Carter in 1980 - only she'll win. The nomination, that is, but not necessarily the White House. That will depend on both the GOP nominee and voter feelings about Democrats in general. After four years of unbridled liberalism the voters may not be willing to take a chance that Hillary will be any better. Her history certainly suggests she just as much a lefty as Obama, though possibly more competent.

Keep your eyes on Hillary - she could be the early warning sign of what's to come for Obama and the Democrats.

It's looking more likely every day.