Trump-Clinton 2024 Rematch May Cement Hillary's Reputation as a Three-Time Loser, Analyst Says
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If Hillary Clinton runs for the presidency in 2024, she is likely to face yet another profound defeat, believes Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel, explaining why the former Democratic hopeful may seek to win the White House again.
The idea that former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may throw her hat into the 2024 elections is making the rounds in the media. Former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on 14 December suggested that Clinton "wants to run for president again" since she "knows the Biden administration is falling apart."
The very next day, American journalist Joe Concha presumed in his op-ed for The Hill that "2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is an interesting prospect to consider when looking for a viable candidate, particularly if an 80-something President Biden decides not to seek a second term."
Hillary is suddenly popping up on a media tour just as polling is showing the Democratic Party is out a viable presidential candidate for ‘24.
— Emma-Jo Morris (@EmmaJoNYC) December 13, 2021
Wonder what that’s about.
In early December, the former secretary of state launched an online class eloquently titled the "Power of Resilience," on the online learning platform MasterClass and read a portion of the victory speech she planned to give after the 2016 election. On 12 December, she gave an interview to NBC’s Willie Geist warning that if Trump or anyone from his entourage wins in 2024 it will be the end of democracy in the US. "Hillary Clinton is doing all this media suddenly because she honestly thinks she can mount a comeback," US journalist Jack Posobiec suggested last Monday on Twitter, adding that Clinton had reportedly "called more than one donor."
2024: Hillary Vs Trump?
"Hillary Clinton arguably has seen herself as a viable if not preferred candidate to be US president for decades in spite of being a poor manager of every effort she has led through a long effort in the public eye," says Wall Street analyst and investigative journalist Charles Ortel. "One thing she and her family have done well is to milk the political donor class for contributions and business opportunities, and then reward donors with political appointments and favours."
According to Ortel, Hillary has never accepted her loss to Barack Obama in 2008 and the one to Donald Trump in 2016. Furthermore, to her wide circle of loyalists she seems like a viable contender in 2024, he suggests.
Meanwhile, as Trump teases a potential re-run in 2024, observers forecast that Hillary and Donald may cross swords in the political arena one more time.
Ortel projects that "a Trump Clinton rematch will cement Hillary's reputation as a three-time loser." At the same time, he does not rule out that Trump may elect to step back and play kingmaker. "Were [Hillary] wise, she too would let other, much younger candidates battle the Republican nominee, whoever that might be," the analyst adds.
"Hillary Clinton will not attract genuine enthusiasm for a third presidential run," he says. "The Biden Harris record is already appallingly awful and likely will get worse, particularly after conservatives in both political parties increase their power in the US House and Senate following the 2022 midterm elections."
President George W. Bush and wife Laura Bush greets President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter, and Rosalynn Carter during a State Funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington.
© AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster
Michelle Obama Seems Better Pick Than Hillary or Kamala
A November Hill-HarrisX survey revealed that Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Michelle Obama are the top two potential picks for the Democratic presidential nomination. However, the vice president cannot boast good approval ratings. Last month, a Suffolk poll put her approval at 28% and disapproval at 51%.
In early December, a Rasmussen survey found that just 39% of likely voters have a favorable impression of Harris, while 57% have an unfavorable view of her. To complicate matters further, there’s been an exodus of high-level staffers from Kamala's team, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Washington Post revealed that Harris has refused "to wade into briefing materials prepared by staff members" and would "then berate employees when she appeared unprepared." In late November, CNN hinted that Harris could not make it to the Oval Office in 2024, suggesting that Joe Biden's abrupt decision to run again had been prompted by his veep's bad polling.
24 November 2021, 13:14 GMT
Under these circumstances, it's Michelle Obama, not Hillary Clinton, who could be a potential alternative for the Dems, according to Ortel.
"Whether Trump, Pompeo or DeSantis clinch the 2024 nomination, Michelle Obama strikes me as the strongest possible Democrat candidate for president," the analyst says. "Her candidacy would be all the more viable if she selected Valerie Jarrett to be Vice President. Together, they credibly can argue experience in the White House from January 2009 through January 2017, and many Americans will value the prospect of Barack Obama being 'First Lad'."
Still, Ortel highlights that "the Democrat brand is being soiled daily by the arrogance, incompetence and aloofness of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Adam Schiff," which will seriously affect the Dems' election odds in 2022 and 2024.
6 November 2021, 05:36 GMT
Hillary's Potential 2024 Bid and Clinton Foundation
Hillary Clinton's alleged desire to run could be prompted not by the need to "save" democracy from Trump, but Hillary's intent to re-establish her status as a power broker, according to the Wall Street analyst. During Clinton's tenure as secretary of state and in the course of her presidential campaign, the Clinton Foundation received multi-million donations from domestic and foreign donors. However, after Hillary's sweeping defeat in 2016, the amount of donations to the Clintons' charity started to shrink steadily.
According to Axios, donations to the charity plummeted to $16 million in 2020, down nearly 75% from the non-profit's peak when Clinton was running for president in 2016. For comparison's sake, in 2019 the charity took in $29.6 million, while in 2016 it received $62.9 million.
"Many have noticed the plunge in Clinton Foundation revenues from peak levels when Hillary seemed a frontrunner to become president," Ortel says. "It has taken many years longer than first expected but most informed persons understand that the 'Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation' has never complied with applicable laws concerning its supposed organisation as a 'public charity' or in its botched attempts to provide truthful reports to the public concerning its financial results and activities."
29 October 2021, 19:03 GMT
Ortel, who has conducted a private investigation into the Clintons' network of charities, believes that the Clinton Foundation is "the largest unprosecuted fraud."
"That said, other presidential foundations especially including Bush charities and The Barack Obama Foundation also have arguably failed to comply with relevant and important laws," he remarks.
The analyst notes that during his probe into the handling of the Trump-Russia investigation by the FBI, DoJ Special Counsel John Durham also examined matters concerning the Clinton charity and reportedly talked to the Foundation's whistleblowers Larry Doyle and John Moynihan.
"As Durham progresses, we will soon learn whether former presidents, unlike other US citizens, are not vulnerable to investigation and to prosecution when charities operated in their names trade donations for political influence or when donors provide above market, indefensibly high compensation to dynastic political families," Ortel says. "Well before the 2023/24 campaign cycle begins we will either learn that Team Durham found what Team Obama and Team Clinton remain so desperate to cover up or we regrettably conclude that the Washington DC swamp reliably will protect its own."
