Clinton's 2016 push

It's a foregone conclusion that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2016. The sole obstacle in her path would be a health issue because, rest assured, any potential missteps on her part would never make their way into the mainstream media.

Her minions in Iowa formed this past weekend to assure that the disaster of 2008 is not repeated.

Lest you forget, the former First Lady at the time was widely viewed as the presumptive nominee going into the first primary in Iowa until a freshman senator from Illinois scored the upset and paved the way for bigger and better ambitions.

Both Hillary and Bill are wiser now and their game plan this time around is vastly different.

In 2008, the Democrats had a handful of potential nominees from Obama to Biden to John Edwards and Bill Richardson.

This time around, the Clintons are working overtime to dissuade any and all challengers.

And there's a very smart political reason -- other than a costly financial primary fight.

If another Democrat brought up Benghazi in the primary, Mrs. Clinton would be obligated to provide some much-needed clarity to her earlier offensive, arrogant and dismissive characterization of the disaster.

If a Republican challenger were to bring up the touchy subject, it would be instantly labeled a purely partisan attack on a subject that should have long been closed.

But the Clinton/Obama media also is a part of this growing momentum. Since many polls and pundits have turned in favor of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as a solid and legitimate contender to the former Secretary of State, his latest woes captured much more airtime on the mainstream networks than all of Clinton's past deeds combined.

The GOP is not in shambles, but it's far less organized and talented in the art of campaigning. And unless another shoe is to fall -- lots of things can happen in the next two-plus years -- Hillary has the momentum, the money and the media -- the three "m's" of modern politics.

Though I am reluctant to say it publicly, if Mrs. Clinton were elected, her brand of liberalism is far more palatable than the socialism masquerading as progressivism in the Obama definition of liberal.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.