In a measure of her overwhelming popularity among Democratic Party faithful, Mrs. Clinton is backed by 30 percent of the Democrats--those Democrats who, according to the latest Time/CNN poll, now look to Hillary to reclaim the White House from President Bush and resume the Clinton dynasty.

The nation's most celebrated elected Democrat garnered more support than her two nearest competitors combined, U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman and John Kerry, who tied at a meager 13 percent each. Other Democratic presidential hopefuls, such as media favorite U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-NC) and congressional leaders Tom Daschle and Dick Gephardt, remained mired in single digits.

Hillary Clinton has repeatedly denied she will make a run for the White House in 2004, promising her New York constituents that she will serve out her full six year term in the U.S. Senate. But her husband told reporters last summer that a "Hillary for President" campaign was a matter of "when, not if." As for her denials, before jumping into the Senate race three years ago, she told reporters she had no intention of running for public office ever.

Like Mrs. Clinton, ex-President Bill Clinton promised Arkansans that he'd serve out his full four-year term as governor when seeking reelection in 1990. He maintained that he would honor the promise and did so until September, 1991, when, with just 14 months to go before the 1992 election, he announced he would seek the White House.

Political observer William Kristol believes Mrs. Clinton is setting herself up for a draft.

"Look, she's not going to say she's running at this point," Kristol told Fox News Chan- nel in July, well before Gore dropped out. "She's going to be very visible. And I suspect what will happen is that, around October-November of 2003, people might look at the field and think: There's Gore again, there's Gephardt, there's Kerry. People aren't too enthusiastic about any of them."

Disheartened Democrats are likely to turn to Hillary to rescue their party, the GOP expert said.

"There will be a little bit of a draft-Clinton bandwagon the way there was for [Colin] Powell in 1995. Or the way there was for Mario Cuomo in 1991. Now, Cuomo chose not to get in at the last minute. But I don't rule out Mrs. Clinton getting in."

And if she does, said Kristol, "she will be a formidable candidate."

Time/CNN conducted the survey of 1,006 Americans, 18 and older, on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 17 and 18. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, according to the Associated Press.

This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics, civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.

POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS

POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE

Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.

Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs, International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests, Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy

INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

---

THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA

An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis

Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor

Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic, Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues

Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity