It is hard to believe that in 2007-2008, Barack Obama was involved in a heated “war” with Hillary and Bill Clinton, as Hillary sought the Democratic Presidential nomination, her husband became intimately involved, and bad words and thoughts and accusations reigned on a regular basis between the rivals.
But then, Barack Obama made the smartest move of his Presidency, selecting Hillary to be his Secretary of State, taking a page from Abraham Lincoln, who picked his leading rival in 1860, Senator William Seward of New York, to be his Secretary of State.
So a political leader from Illinois selected a political rival from New York in both circumstances, and now we can say that in both cases, it made a dramatic difference in the success of the Lincoln and Obama Presidencies!
Seward was massively important to Lincoln in the trials of the Civil War, in conducting diplomacy with Great Britain and France to keep them out of the Civil War.
Hillary Clinton has been very important as an equally loyal supporter of Barack Obama, sharing the burdens of foreign policy with the President, and becoming closer to him as a result.
And then last week, Bill Clinton, who seemed to hate Barack Obama in 2007-2008, made the most effective speech possible to help Barack Obama, at the Democratic National Convention, and now Obama has gained in every public opinion poll imaginable, and just as that occurs, the crisis in the Middle East has joined the President and Hillary together emotionally and physically as they have dealt with the crisis, and presided today over the return of the four victims to the United States in a dignified way.
Obama and Hillary Clinton are dealing together with the issues involved in the Middle East, as well as the irresponsible Republican Party opposition, in a very dignified and sophisticated manner.
The performance of Hillary Clinton makes her more than ever someone who must be considered for President in 2016, even though she professes weariness, and desire to retire from politics completely next year.
But if she changes her mind about running to succeed Obama, one has to wonder how Obama would deal with the obvious conflict that might result. That is, should Obama be loyal to her candidacy, or instead be loyal to his honorable, committed team mate, Vice President Joe Biden?
This may be the ultimate quandary for President Obama in 2015 and 2016, depending on events!