Tina Brown to Hillary: Don't run for president

Tina Brown to Hillary: Don&#039;t run for president — (Image credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Over at The Daily Beast, that site's co-founder, Tina Brown, is urging Hillary Clinton to skip a presidential run — for her own good.

The argument seems to be that the actual job of the presidency isn't all it's cracked up to be (that's no doubt true for everyone who aspires to the office), and that — unlike candidates who might need a presidential run as a stepping stone — Hillary already enjoys the spoils of victory.

This is cynical in that it implies one runs for office based primarily on personal advancement (you know, as opposed to the notion that you actually want to do something for the American people) — but that's only one reason to despise this advice.

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This relatively short column manages to be borderline offensive in multiple ways. First, consider this argument for why Hillary shouldn't run — that she wouldn't live long enough to really enjoy the post-presidency:

For Obama and Michelle it will be fantastic, because they are young enough to have a long, massive, wildly interesting presidential afterlife. While sitting presidents become more and more despised, ex-presidents become more and more popular. [The Daily Beast]

Second, consider this line, which some might perceive as a suggestion that Hillary ought to, I don't know, stay home and bake cookies:

Now that Chelsea is pregnant, and life for Hillary can get so deeply familial and pleasant, she can have her glory-filled post-presidency now, without actually having to deal with the miseries of the office itself. [The Daily Beast]

It's not clear to me why Brown decided to go in this direction, but it is feels like an example of concern trolling — a terrific way to bring up all of Hillary Clinton's weaknesses, while cloaking them in sincere concern for her best interest.

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Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.