Between The Lines:

Hillary Clinton sure looks and sounds like a candidate.

But you should believe her when she says she hasn't decided whether to run again for president.

She does not have to decide yet and probably shouldn't.

The 2016 presidential election is more than two years away, or several lifetimes in political terms. In the meantime, a lot of things could factor into whether a Hillary Clinton candidacy -- or presidency -- is right for her or the country.

She can wait, as she suggested this week, at least until year's end or early 2015 to make any formal announcement.

Nevertheless, the launch on Tuesday of Clinton's new book, "Hard Choices," has triggered new speculation about the potential candidacy of this former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state.

She is definitely out there, resetting the conversation about her possible candidacy, her health, her tenure as secretary of state and all the other issues that could be part of a tough campaign.

Plus, plenty of others have been at work for months, preparing for a possible Clinton race. Ready for Hillary, the super PAC organized to encourage her candidacy, claims 2 million supporters and at least 55,000 donors. They've contributed nearly $6 million to the cause and they will be Hillary's army, if she runs.

Actually, they're already out, laying groundwork for the primary, in Iowa and New Hampshire and all the other places where a campaign must take root.

Her foes are organized, too, well funded and ready to pounce.

Presidential wannabes in both the Democratic and Republican parties are all too aware that Clinton is a juggernaut of a candidate. Some, like Republican Rand Paul, are clearly testing attack lines to see what might unhinge her campaign. Their best chance to beat her is to keep her out of the race.

Karl Rove, the former Bush administration advisor, raised the health question, attempting to weaken her with suggestions that a concussion she sustained has somehow disabled her.

And, of course, she is constantly challenged about how she handled the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, in her role as secretary of state.

In fact, most of the Hillary-related public discourse of late had come from Clinton's foes.

Now, with the book launch, she is out there, too.

Her appearance alone refutes any challenge about her health. She looks rested, hale, as confident as ever and ready to engage her critics and rally her friends.

It may not be a parallel campaign launch, but this book speaks for her record and will guide much of the future discussion about her and whether she'll be the one to break what she calls the "highest, hardest glass ceiling of American politics."

On Monday, Clinton sat for a no-holds-barred, prime-time interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, the first of several scheduled in the initial days of a national book tour.

She answered the questions about Benghazi, acknowledging the tragic event and the loss of American lives but suggesting continued investigation diverts congressional attention from the nation's current and future challenges.

She deflected a rehash of President Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky, asserting that she has moved on and the country should, too.

Those were the obvious questions and she handled both as she apparently will from now on. She is putting the past in the past and focusing on the future, what needs to be done and how she might be a part of it.

Her only apparent misstep related to a statement that the Clintons left the White House "dead broke" and in debt, struggling to get mortgages and fund their daughter's education.

The comment gave those Republican foes something to talk about the next day, painting her as "out of touch" with average people and pointing to the wealth she and her husband gathered in the years since.

The book tour, the reactions that will follow -- all will be strong reminders of her experience in 2008. There will be difficult days as well as days that encourage her to try again.

Remember, Clinton was in that 2008 race to win it and she will double down if she tries again. She has the resources and as clear a shot for nomination as may be possible.

She also knows better than most what's in store for her if she runs and if she wins. She believes she can do the job but must be sure the decision is right for her and the nation.

The question Hillary Clinton really seems to be pondering is not whether to run but whether not to run. It will be another hard choice and she'll make it when she is ready.

BRENDA BLAGG IS A FREELANCE COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME JOURNALIST IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

Commentary on 06/11/2014

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