Barack Obama should make way for Hillary Clinton to run for president next year, two top Democratic pollsters claimed today.
Despite the Secretary of State's insistence that she has no plans to try again, her supporters claim she would now be the clear choice to unite the party and be a more effective leader.
Writing in today's Wall Street Journal, Doug Schoen, a former Bill Clinton aide, and Pat Caddell, who worked for Jimmy Carter, claimed there were precedents for Mr Obama stepping down after one term in the White House.
Both Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson both decided not to run again
'He should abandon his candidacy for re-election in favor of a clear alternative, one capable not only of saving the Democratic Party, but more important, of governing effectively and in a way that preserves the most important of the president's accomplishments.
'He should step aside for the one candidate who would become, by acclamation, the nominee of the Democratic Party: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,' they wrote.
The Democrats first raised the argument in the Washington Post a year ago, even before the president's approval figures started plunging in the polls.
They claim that Mr. Obama would be ineffective in his second term because he will be forced to run a negative campaign to win.
By going down the re-election road and into partisan mode, the president has effectively guaranteed that the remainder of his term will be marred by the resentment and division that have eroded our national identity, common purpose, and most of all, our economic strength,' they wrote.
Not only is Mrs. Clinton better positioned to win in 2012 than Mr. Obama, but she is better positioned to govern if she does,' they added.
They claim the switch would leave the Republicans more vulnerable.
If President Obama were to withdraw, he would put great pressure on the Republicans to come to the table and negotiate--especially if the president singularly focused in the way we have suggested on the economy, job creation, and debt and deficit reduction.
By taking himself out of the campaign, he would change the dynamic from who is more to blame--George W. Bush or Barack Obama?--to a more constructive dialogue about our nation's future,' they wrote.
They insisted they were not betraying their party. 'We write as patriots and Democrats--concerned about the fate of our party and, most of all, our country. We do not write as people who have been in contact with Mrs. Clinton or her political operation. Nor would we expect to be directly involved in any Clinton campaign,' they added.
The former First Lady has repeatedly said she plans to leave the State Department after one term, but she is not contemplating a presidential run. There was also speculation that she would oust Vice President Joe Biden to form a 'dream team' with Mr Obama.
Asked last week on CBS if she would run for president again, Mrs Clinton said "no, no.
I had a great run, I was very grateful that I could do that. I felt just really good about the experience but that was then and this is now and I'm looking forward,' she said.
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