Dynastic Politics a Liability for Hilary Clinton?

Robert Cohen asks the question of whether Hillary Clinton's last name is a political liability? New York Times Article. (Sorry it requires a subscription to get the whole article)

By the time our next President is sworn in to office we will have had 20 solid years of Bush, Clinton, and Bush, actually 28 if you include George Bush Sr.s 8 years as Vice President. The thought of another 8 years of a Clinton potentially followed by another 8 years of Jeb Bush is certainlytiresome to many and doesnt exactly seem American.

That being said, it should be starting to be obvious to anyone watching that whatever liability that the Clinton name may bring Hillary is overcome by the political fundraising and operational network she inherits.

As a result of her powerful name most of the rest of the field is being discounted by the press, special interest groups and voters, all compounding her immense financial advantage. The establishment likes to be with a winner and is afraid to take a stand for the candidate that best represents their interest in a primary out of fear of political retribution should their candidate lose. As a result, new voices face incredible obstacles to ever be considered viable candidates in the face of an entrenched political family. This is perhaps the biggest problem with dynasties.

Consider the case of Hassan Menazee. Hassan Nemazee is a very powerful Democratic fund-raiser. As one of the premiere money people in a pivotal check-writing town, Mr. Nemazees apartment has been the site of visit after visit by prospective 2008 candidates hoping for a taste of his homemade Chinese food and considerable financial influence. Practically since the day the 2004 race ended, he has obliged, arranging small audiences of key donors on a regular basis. Thats all over now. Just three days after Hillary Clinton officially entered the race by announcing the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, Mr. Nemazee winnowed his dinner list down to her alone. You basically dont want to deal with this stuff anymore, because you are taking too much time out of your day, Mr. Nemazee told The Observer. I mean, youve seen all these people. Just sit down in the last 24 hours and make your decisionand just go with it. Fundraising Article

Hillary Clinton is a bright, capable and experience leader and may very well make a great President, but it is critical that if we are to elect the most capable people to lead our country, many voices need to be heard and considered. The democratic process is stronger when it provides a platform for new voices and ideas from people like Barak Obama, John Edwards, and our own Jeff Smith.