She may just be president someday!

[BM]

I made a poll about this a few months ago.  The choices were just off the top of my head, so I'd add/remove some options if I redid it.

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=86481.0

For some reason everyone's randomly excited about Herseth-Sandlin.  She'll probably be governor in 2 years so I guess it's feasible someday.

And is Caroline's political career over before it began? I remember reading some posts indicating fear of her being on a ticket in 2016. lol

[The Mikado]

I'd want to hear more about her views on the nuts and bolts of the economy first.

[tmthforu94]

Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Jennifer Granholm, and Kathleen Sebelius are the most likely women to run for President, and actually have a chance.

[Psychic Octopus]

Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Jennifer Granholm, and Kathleen Sebelius are the most likely women to run for President, and actually have a chance.

Sarah Palin: politically half-dead, and if she runs in 2012, forever lost in the world of media scrutiny.

Jennifer Granholm: Born in Canada

Hillary Clinton: The most likely to run and the most ambitous, but if Obama serves two terms, she will be an old hag in 2016. 2012 is her last shot, and it is against a President of her own party. not likely

Kathleen Sebelius: Old Hag in 2016, 2008 was her only shot but didn't run.

[BM]

Here's a video of Susan Collins discussing Geithner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIr8zeGI8Bk

You can see communication would be a major problem. I like and admire her, but her speaking style isn't exactly the most appealing for a national spotlight.

[Beet]

I was very happy that Gov. Paterson chose to give Gillibrand a chance, and separately, that he did not choose Caroline Kennedy, although I do feel bad for the leaks at the end. I think Caroline will be fine. She is liked, and her reputation will recover.

I have been sobered up on the Gillibrand pick though. She is an outsider to about 50% or more of the Democratic party in New York, and regardless of how much she reaches out, it will in the end be up to the City to decide whether or not they can trust her. She needs to spend a big majority of her time from now on winning the trust of her constituents in the City and its surrounding suburbs, and convincing them that a huge part of her voting record and positions were as her responsibility to represent the views of her more conservative district, and that she will not be the same as Senator. If she cannot win the trust of the City, she will lose. Whether she can do that is not only up to her but up to them. I am wishing her the best, really.

[Nicodeme Depape]

I was very happy that Gov. Paterson chose to give Gillibrand a chance, and separately, that he did not choose Caroline Kennedy, although I do feel bad for the leaks at the end. I think Caroline will be fine. She is liked, and her reputation will recover.

I have been sobered up on the Gillibrand pick though. She is an outsider to about 50% or more of the Democratic party in New York, and regardless of how much she reaches out, it will in the end be up to the City to decide whether or not they can trust her. She needs to spend a big majority of her time from now on winning the trust of her constituents in the City and its surrounding suburbs, and convincing them that a huge part of her voting record and positions were as her responsibility to represent the views of her more conservative district, and that she will not be the same as Senator. If she cannot win the trust of the City, she will lose. Whether she can do that is not only up to her but up to them. I am wishing her the best, really.

No! NYC always decides these things. I'm so sick of upstate being ignored, which is why I actually support upstate making our own state. I'm happy we finally have an upstater elected to state-wide office.

[Psychic Octopus]

Kirsten Gillibrand looks a lot like Hillary Clinton. Without the craziness though.

[Ogre Mage]

I was very happy that Gov. Paterson chose to give Gillibrand a chance, and separately, that he did not choose Caroline Kennedy, although I do feel bad for the leaks at the end. I think Caroline will be fine. She is liked, and her reputation will recover.

Very doubtful, at least in terms of her potential future in politics.  Once a rollout is botched and undermined as badly as hers was in such a high profile way, it is exceedingly difficult to undo that first impression.  If she tries to run for (a non-appointed) office, she will be openly derided.

[Brittain33]

Susan Collins doesn't have the personality or temperament, even without the conservative primary voters issue. 

She is also hindered by a stammer that makes public speaking difficult.

[Smash255]

I was very happy that Gov. Paterson chose to give Gillibrand a chance, and separately, that he did not choose Caroline Kennedy, although I do feel bad for the leaks at the end. I think Caroline will be fine. She is liked, and her reputation will recover.

I have been sobered up on the Gillibrand pick though. She is an outsider to about 50% or more of the Democratic party in New York, and regardless of how much she reaches out, it will in the end be up to the City to decide whether or not they can trust her. She needs to spend a big majority of her time from now on winning the trust of her constituents in the City and its surrounding suburbs, and convincing them that a huge part of her voting record and positions were as her responsibility to represent the views of her more conservative district, and that she will not be the same as Senator. If she cannot win the trust of the City, she will lose. Whether she can do that is not only up to her but up to them. I am wishing her the best, really.

No! NYC always decides these things. I'm so sick of upstate being ignored, which is why I actually support upstate making our own state. I'm happy we finally have an upstater elected to state-wide office.

if upstate became its own state they would be in dire economic straits.   Keep in mind upstate NY gets far more tax dollars than it actually pays in on the state level. 

Fact of the matter is Gillibrand is going to have to change her image a bit and fit it better with the rest of the state if she is going to have any chance at a prolonged future in the state.  Keep in mind almost 65% of the state's population is within NYC, Long Island, Westchester & Rockland counties.  She is going to have to reach out to this part of the state.  She has started to take some steps in the right direction, but if she winds up keeping her more conservative record she had in the House, she will have some problems.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Downstate would love it if you upstaters had your own state instead of relying on our taxes.

Like Smash said ifGillibrand ignores 65% of the state's populations and our problem, she will lose in 2010.  She probably realizes that now, but when she was introduced by Paterson she said that she will work for all NYers and mentioned the dairy farmers and other upstaters but no mention of NYC.

[pragmatic liberal]

I agree.

Depending on how their careers go over the next few years, I think that Lisa Madigan (IL) and Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) are two very likely candidates for president or vice president in 2016. They'll be at the ideal ages (50) and, if they can get elected governor and senator, respectively, they'll have been elected by large electorates.

I also think that in 2016, there will be enormous pressure to name a woman to the Democratic ticket, given Hillary's near-miss this year and Sarah Palin's VP candidacy. So a woman will likely either lead the Democratic ticket or be the running mate.