From a political standpoint, Hillary also has a limited window of opportunity. If she doesn't run now, she may not get the chance in the future. Ironic as it seems, the Monica Lewinsky affair has made Hillary's run for the Senate possible. She represented feminism, and to many in this country that is a very deep threat. Now she is in the easier role, the totally unthreatening role of victim.
Some people accept their pain, others fight it, but the politically savvy exploit it.
And if Hillary is going to put the agony known as Monica to some use, she has to do it before the public turns the channel to the next scandal. It gives you the kind of muscle tone you need to be able to survive the rough and tumble world of New York politics. And the rougher the better, the current theory goes. The more the Republicans and the press beat on Hillary, the more they bring up the past, the more an object of sympathy she becomes. I don't think New York can be any worse.