A majority of Americans now say they're likely to vote for Hillary. In the last year, her strong support has jumped by 8% and strong opposition has dropped by 5%. This doesn't mean you should vote for her, but the whispers of giant anti-Hillary armies populating the heartland and preparing to take over the country come the kickoff of a Hillary candidacy are simply false. She's legitimately well-liked now, with 53% saying they want to vote for her and only 39% saying they simply won't vote for her, which is about the same number that'd sooner push a Democrat off a cliff than hand him a favorable ballot.
All of this means it's time to start evaluating a Hillary candidacy on its own merits rather than as a function of the enormous hatred we're certain she engenders. Unlike us in Blogland or those signed to a Regnery publishing contract, few folks remain stepped in the passion of the Clinton years, and a fewer still have focused their long-term attentions on the then-First Lady. All this means that my soon-to-be-editor Mike Tomasky would be wise to rerelease Hillary's Turn, his account of Hillary's senate race with a new afterword and a healthy markup. I have a sneaking suspicion that, sooner than later, there's going to be quite a clamor for an account of how Hillary managed such a stunning turnaround, and whether her skills are likely to extend to presidential politics.
