Jay GreesonIn the least shocking development of the spring this side of Chattanooga weather being completely unpredictable, Hillary Clinton announced her intention to run for president.
The former first lady, former U.S. senator and former secretary of state made it official Sunday. She is the clear-cut favorite to gain the Democratic Party's nomination. In fact, Republican Sen. Bob Corker, in a visit last week to the Times Free Press, wondered if the Democrats would even have a primary. The better question is who the Democrats will pick to run with Hillary rather than if she gets the nomination.
With that clarity, Clinton had little reason Sunday to trot out much about her platforms or policies. That's understandable and signifies her decided edge looking toward 2016.
If she has no party challenger, the well-financed Clinton -- her family foundation has generated money in the billions and has received donations from international bodies that have been known to support terrorism -- can focus on winning the election rather than the nomination.
As the Republican contenders hurl questions and zingers at each other over who is far enough right, rather than who is the right choice for the nomination, Clinton can allow them to eat away at each other.
The two things sure to be part of the early Clinton rallying cries are her attempts to help the middle class and an appeal for her supporters to be part of history.
"Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times, but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top," Clinton said at the end of her announcement video on hillaryclinton.com. "Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion so you can do more than just get by."
It's an easy arrow to shoot for Democrats, but their truth of helping the middle class by lifting the poor is flawed. That does not aid the middle class more than simply muddling the bell curve.
And it's a virtual certainty Hillary will appeal to the "historic" nature of being part of the process of electing the first woman president.
President Barack Obama voiced his support of Clinton on Saturday, saying she is his "friend" and would be "an excellent president." Much like our current commander in chief did eight years ago, the rallying cry of being part of history can swing casual voters, especially in this time of political discomfort and anti-establishment fervor.
Hey, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the working definition of insanity. So the angst and venom against incumbents by voters wanting better are understandable.
But please can we avoid the "be part of history" rhetoric on the front end?
This is not to say women should not be part of the presidential candidate discussion. Quite the contrary. Women absolutely should be at the forefront of the debate and the discourse.
More women than men are graduating college. More women are running companies than ever before. Women are raising the next generation -- sadly, all too often by themselves, mind you -- and have every right and reason to be president.
There are more female leaders across our society than ever, and they are there by qualifications or necessity. Let's view the top job in America the same way. Focus more on political leadership and vision and less on genetic code when casting your ballot.
Electing someone for the most important job on the planet should not be hooked to a casual, "Hey, we've never done this before" type of thinking. That's why you try a new Chinese restaurant, not a reason to elect the leader of the free world.
History's view of our presidents should be decided by their actions and tenure rather than pre-election footnotes.
Jay Greeson's column appears on Page A2 on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. His sports columns run Tuesdays and Fridays. You can read his online column the 5-at-10 Monday through Friday at timesfreepress.com after 10 a.m. Contact him at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @ jgreesontfp.