This is all really interesting. I think HRC will run in 2016 no matter what happens. As the author of a book about the Club, my fondest dream is an intra-Club smackdown in four years: a Bush (Jeb) vs a Clinton (Hillary.) Sign me up for that show. It couldn't be more greek. And I think Pookie is right that Clinton may be laying the predicate for failure just a little bit. But I don't think he is rooting for Obama to lose, whatever their history as rivals in the Democratic pantheon...

Nancy and I are grateful to Peter for his careful read of the book and the smart clarity of his questions -- just what you'd expect from someone who worked in the White House and watched presidents up close.

What i think for the record? Carter's worst moment is his sabotage of Bush I's Gulf War coalition, a covert campaign of letter writing in 1990-91 to dozens of middle eastern leaders that Bush aides still believe was a likely violation of the Logan Act. (His moves on North Korea on Clinton's behalf were by comparison, mild. Unbelievable, but mild.) 

We say in the book that Nixon tended by contrast to do his sabotage in public, and on less critical foreign policy issues; he was also less operational than Jimmy. But I included RN in the answer to PR's question because Nixon made life unpleasant for both Ford and Reagan at times and his own campaign against Bush in 1992 on Russia was a clever campaign to change a president's mind that not only worked but was its own gift to the Democrat Party. 

And Nixon's partnership with Clinton still makes my head spin. 

Of course, I meant "red" when I wrote "blue." Wisconsin hasn't gone Republican since 1984. Sigh. Another sign of hopeless MSM behavior. Apologies to all. (And thanks, Peter, for the chance to try and hold my own here.  )

Here's one view from the mostly ignorant, late-to-the-party, MSM: If Walker wins, even by one vote, its a huge, huge deal. He has been both careful in the way he crafted his measure (compared to, perhaps, his counterparts in Ohio) and shrewd about going on the offensive early and staying there.   And by charging at his critics all year, he has seized an opportunity with both hands and helped put a state that hasn't gone bluesince 1984 up for grabs this fall. That's a huge-r deal.