Hillary Watch

I was not a fan of Hillary Clinton and would have voted for Rudy opposite her in the Senate race (though I think he'd make a better governor than Senator and this was before his hard-right turn). But I have to include myself among the vast majority of New Yorkers who have been won over by Clinton's hard work, focus on the essentials and canny political moves. She's done a bang-up job as Senator and honestly I was NOT expecting that. She's also making every right move in preparing for her (first?) run at the White House.

When NYC made a final push towards the Olympics, Clinton was an offhand last minute addition. She turned out to be the biggest draw -- by far -- for the international community. Clinton was far more popular than world leaders like Chirac and Blair and even the biggest sports stars in the world, including soccer's David Beckham. We've also seen numerous polls showing how Clinton has won over virtually ALL the undecideds in New York with her fine job. Yes, there's a minority that can't stand her, just as there's a minority that will always hate any politico, whether it's Reagan or Bush or Clinton, Bill or whomever.

Now the NYT has a strong, fascinating look at Clinton's evolution politically and professionally, worth checking out for anyone who wants a reality check about the fears Clinton is going too far to the right/mainstream with some of her positions. I think this shows her being true to her beliefs while being savvy in how she frames them. Well worth reading. I'm not sure I'd support her in the primaries or what kind of President she'd make. But I feel a lot better about her now than I did 4 years ago. And I KNOW Bill would make an awesome First Husband.