Each week, we explore Hillary Clinton's universe, gleaning insights from rumor-mongers, pundits, pollsters, political writers and more. Yes, the election is still a bazillion years away, but when it comes to the story of the potential first female president ever (!!), it's never too early to start the conversation.
Uh-Oh! Hills Compares Putin to Hitler
The big to-do this week is Hillary's remarks that Putin's justification for moving into Crimea echoes those of Hitler when he pushed into Poland, Czechoslovakia and other parts of Europe. The comments led to significant blowback, with mostly hawkish Republicans jumping to her side as John Kerry was tasked with "cleaning up the mess." Still, Clinton has largely stood by her remarks, while making clear her point is less stark than "Putin and Hitler are the same person!" (ah, but that comparison is so much more titillating!).
So, will this impact Hillary? Eh, probably not. The public isn't exactly quick to defend Putin at the moment, and honestly, people have never responded much to gaffes involving complex geopolitics or foreign policy. Also, some have pointed out that her actual point is pretty accurate. She'll likely survive just fine.
Bush v. Clinton, 2016?
The GOP, having realized its pickings for president are very slim indeed, is reportedly hot on getting Jeb Bush on the ticket. This, naturally, has the punditry finger-wagging over a "what year is it again?" Bush-Clinton battle. On Sunday, The New York Times' Maureen Dowd, never one to pull a Hillary punch, ripped into this possibility, while eventually going down a rabbit hole of Hillary vitriol. Of course, we have no idea how things are going to shake out, but the potential for another Bush taking on another Clinton is interesting indeed.
Poll Shows Hillary Up in Respect and Likability
A new poll brought good news to the Hillary camp amid the Putin kerfuffle: a healthy bump in respect and likability ratings. The latter is particularly important, considering her long struggle to connect with the electorate and pass the all-important "would I have a beer with this candidate?" test. (Who could forget Obama's snarky "You're likeable enough, Hillary" comment at the '08 debates?)
The Lowdown
The Putin controversy dominated the week, and it's too soon to tell for sure if this will lead to a lasting backlash from the public. But for now, her momentum remains strong. In a poll asking people about a presumptive showdown with Jeb, Hills handily kicked ass.
What will happen next week in Hillary's universe? Stay tuned for our next roundup!
Image: Senate.gov
