At Newsweek, Jonathan Alter writes that he has the (off the record) reporting to support an idea I've been mulling over since the day of David Paterson's swearing in: that Hillary Clinton could be the next governor of New York State. Paterson, who admitted on his first day as Governor to an extramarital affair with a state employee, has since been hit by a barrage of evidence that infidelity and favor-trading were, er, habitual parts of his professional and personal life. A new day in Albany hasn't exactly dawned. And if Paterson makes it through Elliot Spitzer's term to 2010, he may be too beaten and bruised to run for reelection.
Enter Hillary. Looking forward to a gubernatorial run could ease her wrenching departure from the Democratic primary, Alter writes. His sources tell him that while Hillary has considered the idea, Bill Clinton categorically rejects it. But let's look beyond the political question of whether serving as Governor could position Hillary for a potential second White House run. (I believe such a run is highly unlikely.) Rather, what appeals to me about the idea is that being a governor would truly play to Hillary's strengths as a wonk on issues such as health care, family medical leave, and children's welfare. These are all policy areas in which states can make real strides, creating programs that push the national debate in a more progressive direction.
--Dana Goldstein
