Rumor has it that Hillary Clinton might opt out of running for presidency in the 2008 Democratic elections and settle to leading her party in the Senate. The former first lady and New York senator was optimistic about returning to the White House with husband and former president Bill Clinton. Last week she said America would soon have a woman president and told Americans to “stay tuned”.

However, a leading Democratic party insider said, “I would not be surprised if she were to decide that the best contribution she can make to her country is to forget about being president and become a consensus-maker in the Senate.” He continued, “She believes there is no trust between the two political sides and that we can’t function as a democracy without it.”

It’s been said that Clinton is more able to cross party lines as a senator than she could as president. Clinton’s forge alliances with leading Republicans including Senator John McCain and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives. However, she is considered a “potentially divisive figure” by electorates. While a Time magazine poll showed that although 53% of voters thought of Clinton in a positive way, a full 53% of independent voters said they would not vote for her. Time concluded, “The early line is that Hillary would be unstoppable in a Democratic primary but unelectable in a general election.”

According to the The Washington Note, Harry Reid privately told Clinton that the “job was hers if she gave up her presidential ambitions”. The statement was denied by the Senate minority leader’s office. Mrs. Clinton, who managed to raise around $33m for her Senate re-election campaign in New York, is still poised to use the leftover money to fund a presidential bid. Her final decision is expected to be made next spring. With tons of money, Bill campaigning for her, and a rabid fan base, some think the temptation to stay in may be too tempting to resist.

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