Hillary Clinton is a political giant

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last updated 8 January 2015

As Hillary Clinton mulls another run for president in 2016 and gears up for a national book tour next month, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows what a dominant political figure she's become.

An astonishing 55 percent of survey respondents — a clear majority — say they support Clinton making a White House bid. That's remarkable considering our fiercely polarized politics.

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It's no wonder no Democrats have stepped up to challenge her in a possible Democratic primary. It would seem to be a political suicide mission.

Interestingly, having Bill Clinton at her side has also never been more positive. His favorable-unfavorable rating stands at 63 percent to 32 percent— the highest it has been since his presidency ended nearly 15 years ago.

Just as President Obama found in 2012, having Bill Clinton on the campaign trail can be a big asset for any presidential candidate.

Obama benefited tremendously by the excitement of the possibility that America could elect its first black president. African-Americans came out in record numbers in 2008 to make that possibility a reality.

But at this rate, the excitement of elevating a woman to the most powerful office in the land might dwarf the excitement of the 2008 campaign several times over.

Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political websites. He also runs Wonk Wire and the Political Dictionary. Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and COO of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. senator and governor. Goddard is also co-author of You Won â€” Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including The Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Christian Science Monitor. Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.