New York Daily News columnist Sarah Elizabeth Cupp has put at least a kitten among the pigeons with her suggestion yesterday that Hillary Clinton run against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination in 2012.

I have heard numerous suggestions along those lines in my own circle so it was not entirely surprising to see it break into print.

Cupp writes that following a heated political discussion among her friends one fact emerged..." for my friends - three thirtysomething left-of-center moderates who voted for Obama in 2008 - only one name would make them consider pulling the lever for someone else: Hillary Clinton."

Cupp admits she herself is a Republican but that "two years of Obama has even me seeing Clinton in a much different light than in 2008, when I thought the only thing worse than a new President named Obama was another one named Clinton."

There is no question that Hillary has been the star of the Obama cabinet. Her work as Secretary of State has been assured and professional.

Her latest venture in the Middle East will have a massive pay off if it succeeds.

The Bill Clinton days are looked on now as rosier than ever. Balanced budget check, economic prosperity --check -- no morale sapping long war - check.

But Obama has played the Hillary card very cleverly making it next to impossible for her to run against him.

By making her Secretary of State he stood by the old motto, "hold your friends close and your enemies closer"

He knew that only Hillary could have been a viable challenger against him in 2012.

I'm not saying that was his only consideration, but it made sense as part of the equation for hiring her.

Right now there is no way that Hillary will challenge Obama in 2012. It is not even on the radar.

However, if the polls continue to plummet, and Democrats have a disastrous mid-term election, then who knows what the next 18 months might bring.

Stranger things have happened.