Clinton Needs a Rip Van Winkle Strategy

John Dickerson: “Most presidential candidates strain for attention. They rush to Iowa, write books, or take extreme positions on controversial issues. Clinton has to do the opposite, trying to flee from the circus ready to chase her down the grocery store aisle. But she’s in a bind. If she makes too much news this far ahead of the 2016 presidential election, there’s a chance people will tire of her candidacy… If she steps back, though, the unstoppable flow of Clinton stories will come anyway…”

“Clinton is perhaps the first presidential candidate of the modern age who needs a Rip Van Winkle strategy–a disappearing act that removes her from the witless swirl of speculation and gossip that preserves her presidential options. But what is this strategy?”

Joan Walsh: “This week is full of reminders that Clinton brings a long résumé and huge approval ratings and 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling to the table, if she runs. But she also brings a lot of baggage, with longtime associates who’ve cut ethical corners and/or enriched themselves thanks to their Clinton ties.”