This Sounds Good

The Washington Note reports on an idea I really like:

First of all, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, whom most give high marks for the manner in which he has stewarded the Dems in the Senate despite the absence of a clear Democratic Party chief, has sent private signals to Senator Hillary Clinton and other stalwarts of the party that he "would like to" step down from his post in early 2009. Reid has not stated definitively that he will -- but he apparently prefers "whipping" the Party from behind and the side rather than serving as commander-in-chief on the Senate floor.

What Reid is offering Senator Hillary Clinton is his total, robust support to succeed him as Senate Majority Leader if she elects not to pursue the Democratic nomination for President.

Many are realizing that the electoral map is not something one can wave a magic wand over and reverse the views of 42% of Americans who believe that they know Hillary Clinton well and have strongly formed views of her and will not vote for her under any conditions -- according to recent polls. Reports are that Senator Clinton herself knows this and that her own enthusiasm for running actually trails that of her husband, her advisors, and her staff -- whose enthusiasm for the race is ranked in that order with Hillary the least enthusiastic.

I like Harry Reid. Well, I guess I just think that Harry Reid has done a decent job lately. Either way, I feel no malice towards him and if he wants to do his work outside of the spotlight, I can respect that.

I also like Hillary Clinton. I just don't want her to run for President. Not because she wouldn't be a good President (on top of the fact that this country desperately needs a woman to be elected President) but because she won't win. We're not in a position where we have the luxury to run a candidate with no real chance of winning.

Now, granted, most of that 42% was never going to vote for a Democratic candidate anyway, but if Hillary is that Democratic candidate, I can guarantee you that every one of them will be at the voting both in November making a vote against her. Even if the Republicans were running a Neanderthal who was unfrozen in mid-October.

But Senate Majority Leader would be an excellent use of Mrs. Clinton's considerable skills. Even if I disagree with some of her positions (cough, cough, flag-burning, cough) I would gladly accept her as Majority Leader if it meant that the Democrats could run a candidate for President with a chance of winning.

Additionally, if this announcement was made, say, sometime after the 2006 elections, it would open wide the race for the Democratic nomination for President. The party could really use some internal debate about its own nature and its course towards the future. Hillary Clinton's presumed nomination stifles that.

If this actually happened, only good could come from it.

Hillary Clinton Harry Reid Democrats 2008 Election