Each week, we explore Hillary Clinton's universe, gleaning insights from rumor-mongers, pundits, pollsters, 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.
Grandma Hillary!
Chelsea Clinton announced this week that she's preggers, which means Hill and Bill are set to become first-time grandparents. Naturally, this has led to all sorts of speculation about how (most importantly!) this will impact Hillary's presumed presidential run. While some have wondered if this will make Hillary less likely to enter the race, we see it as a potential asset that will help her win support among a key part of the voting bloc: proud grandmas. Plus, what better role model could a grandkid have than a grandma who runs the country? Grandmas for Hillary 2016!
Let the Conspiracy Theories Begin: Did Hillary Plan the Shoe Throw?!
The conservative media's ability to summon bullshit storms out of thin air never fails to confound. This week, the reliable wackos of right-wing punditry were busy crafting far-out theories about Hillary's recent brush with a flying shoe.
On a Fox commentator's website (but of course!), a blog post questioned if Hillary staged the shoe throw to make herself appear more "presidential." Which is odd, because last we checked, "having shoe thrown at head" didn't scream "leader of the free world."
For his part, Rush Limbaugh (but of course!) noted that Clinton's reaction "wasn't natural" and even managed to tie in Benghazi—creative!—saying:
I don't know why anybody would be throwing a shoe at Hillary unless—maybe it's an attempt to make the Benghazi people look like nuts and lunatics and wackos.
Also, according to conservatives, the liberal media went too easy on Hills for not pointing out that—unlike Dubya when he had a shoe thrown at him—she didn't anticipate and dodge the attack.
Sigh. What will the conservative conspiracy chorus think of next? If only we never had to find out . . .
Hillary's Book Name Revealed
Hillary's hotly anticipated upcoming memoir now has an official name, and it's . . . pretty decent! While not particularly thrilling, the title, Hard Choices, does emphasize toughness and grit—which is probably a wise choice for a woman potentially running for president. The tome comes out in June, and you can bet we'll be reading it and sharing information with you all when it does.
Quote of the Week: Hillary Takes a Stand on Illegal Immigration
Cool! Proving once again that women's issues remain an important cause, Hillary participated this week in a panel event for the Clinton Foundation-supported No Ceilings organization, which promotes gender equality. Cooler yet: at the event, when an undocumented teen girl spoke tearfully about her limited opportunities, Hillary didn't shy away from the controversial issue of immigration reform, saying:
I believe strongly we are missing a great opportunity by not welcoming people like you and 11 million others who have made contributions to our country into a legal status.
Will Congress finally make strides to tackle this important issue? Let's just say we're not holding our breath.
The Lowdown
Once again, this was a pretty good week for Hills, with no major gaffes or embarrassments. One exception: a Hillary bundler who pled guilty to illegal contributions. But this is probably too far removed from Hillary to pose any real threat.
In terms of the numbers, a new poll also reveals some discouraging news: her lowest favorability ratings since 2008. But considering the poll was conducted by Fox News, we're taking this with a grain (or salt shaker's worth) of salt. Other polls by the more reliably unbiased sources McClatchy-Marist and Rasmussen Reports find her in a still-dominant position among potential contenders.
What will happen next week in the wild world of Hillary? Stay tuned for our next roundup!
Image: Wikimedia Commons
