Why Hillary Clinton would make a good president -- and maybe even a great one . 
Hillary Clinton
But on important issues -- from opposing new settlement building in the Occupied Territories , to supporting the nuclear framework with Iran -- Clinton has not taken the hawkish side , as so many of her liberal critics fear she would do if she becomes president . 
None of this is to suggest that Clinton will be Robin to Obama 's Batman . 
Then there are the issues of wage stagnation and income inequality , two longstanding trends that will likely be at the heart of Clinton 's pitch to voters . 
A recent report drafted by Clinton allies , including Neera Tanden and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers , laid out what David Leonhardt at The New York Times described as the "first draft" of a Clinton economic platform : a mix of improving education , providing direct aid to the lower and middle classes , bolstering child care , strengthening financial regulation , raising taxes on the wealthy , and cutting taxes on the middle class . 
Then there are three issues -- gay marriage , women 's rights , and immigration reform -- that are of immense ideological and electoral importance to the Democratic Party , and can expect an ardent champion in Clinton . 
It depends on whether you see Obama 's foreign policy , which is so entwined with Clinton 's tenure at the State Department , as a disaster for which the U.S. is primarily responsible or the result of organic crises erupting in the Middle East and elsewhere that are largely beyond the administration 's control . 
The fear is that a President Clinton , likely facing a Republican-controlled Congress , will not be content to be the safeguard of Obama 's legacy ; that she will foolishly trade away Democratic priorities like entitlements in some ill-conceived Grand Bargain ; that she will succumb to the many demons whispering in her ear , whether they be Wall Street bankers , neoliberal triangulators , purveyors of hoary Beltway wisdom , or the Wormtongue-like advisers that are always hovering around Clintonland . 
But if Clinton is smart , and I believe she is , she will realize that the days of repealing Glass-Steagall are over , and that her ticket to a historical legacy is to be part of a great era of policy reorientation away from the conservative-neoliberal consensus that has produced decades of middle-class stagnation and one huge financial crisis . 
In contrast , Hillary Clinton , who officially announced her campaign for president on Sunday , will not face the same array of challenges should she be elected -- which is another way of saying that she will have fewer opportunities to remake the political landscape in her image . 
To that end , there are ways Clinton could be a far more effective president than Obama . 
But there is still plenty for Clinton and the Democratic Party to do -- and plenty of space to leave her mark . 
She is also better at greasing her own side with the kind of glad-handing and thank-you-card-writing that Obama constitutionally dislikes -- my guess is that another President Clinton would have an easier time getting her side to fall in line on , say , the Iran deal than President Obama . 
First , simply by virtue of being elected , Clinton could consolidate the gains that Democrats have made in the Obama era . 
At the very least , Clinton would face pressure from her party and her base to protect those reforms . 
Many critics have accused Clinton of helping turn Libya into a failed state , and note that her support for U.S. intervention echoed her support for the Iraq War . 
It is worth remembering that in 2008 , Clinton actually ran to Obama 's left on the issue , which should give progressives hope that policies like the public option and greater subsidies will be on Clinton 's 2016 agenda .
But on important issues -- from opposing new settlement building in the Occupied Territories , to supporting the nuclear framework with Iran -- [TGT] has not taken the hawkish side , as so many of [TGT] liberal critics fear [TGT] would do if [TGT] becomes president . 
None of this is to suggest that [TGT] will be Robin to Obama 's Batman . 
Then there are the issues of wage stagnation and income inequality , two longstanding trends that will likely be at the heart of [TGT] 's pitch to voters . 
A recent report drafted by [TGT] allies , including Neera Tanden and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers , laid out what David Leonhardt at The New York Times described as the "first draft" of a [TGT] economic platform : a mix of improving education , providing direct aid to the lower and middle classes , bolstering child care , strengthening financial regulation , raising taxes on the wealthy , and cutting taxes on the middle class . 
Then there are three issues -- gay marriage , women 's rights , and immigration reform -- that are of immense ideological and electoral importance to the Democratic Party , and can expect an ardent champion in [TGT] . 
It depends on whether you see Obama 's foreign policy , which is so entwined with [TGT] 's tenure at the State Department , as a disaster for which the U.S. is primarily responsible or the result of organic crises erupting in the Middle East and elsewhere that are largely beyond the administration 's control . 
The fear is that a President Clinton , likely facing a Republican-controlled Congress , will not be content to be the safeguard of Obama 's legacy ; that she will foolishly trade away Democratic priorities like entitlements in some ill-conceived Grand Bargain ; that she will succumb to the many demons whispering in her ear , whether they be Wall Street bankers , neoliberal triangulators , purveyors of hoary Beltway wisdom , or the Wormtongue-like advisers that are always hovering around Clintonland . 
But if [TGT] is smart , and I believe [TGT] is , [TGT] will realize that the days of repealing Glass-Steagall are over , and that [TGT] ticket to a historical legacy is to be part of a great era of policy reorientation away from the conservative-neoliberal consensus that has produced decades of middle-class stagnation and one huge financial crisis . 
In contrast , Hillary Clinton , who officially announced [TGT] campaign for president on Sunday , will not face the same array of challenges should [TGT] be elected -- which is another way of saying that [TGT] will have fewer opportunities to remake the political landscape in [TGT] image . 
To that end , there are ways [TGT] could be a far more effective president than Obama . 
But there is still plenty for [TGT] and the Democratic Party to do -- and plenty of space to leave [TGT] mark . 
[TGT] is also better at greasing [TGT] own side with the kind of glad-handing and thank-you-card-writing that Obama constitutionally dislikes -- my guess is that another President Clinton would have an easier time getting [TGT] side to fall in line on , say , the Iran deal than President Obama . 
First , simply by virtue of being elected , [TGT] could consolidate the gains that Democrats have made in the Obama era . 
At the very least , [TGT] would face pressure from [TGT] party and [TGT] base to protect those reforms . 
Many critics have accused [TGT] of helping turn Libya into a failed state , and note that [TGT] support for U.S. intervention echoed [TGT] support for the Iraq War . 
It is worth remembering that in 2008 , [TGT] actually ran to Obama 's left on the issue , which should give progressives hope that policies like the public option and greater subsidies will be on [TGT] 's 2016 agenda .