Hillary Clinton rules out run for presidency -- is she actually happy in her work?

For years, even decades, she was the feminist emblem of ambition, a political figure whose smarts, work ethic and connections (largely through her husband, political rock star Bill Clinton) marked her for historic firsts.

And she has certainly piled them on -- the first former first lady to become a U.S. senator, the first female candidate with a serious shot at the presidency.

But now, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insists that she is not planning to run for president again. Ever.

Asked about a future bid during an interview on NBC's "Today" program, Clinton laughed. ''No,'' she said. ''No, I mean, this is a great job. It is a 24/7 job, and I'm looking forward to retirement at some point.''

It is tempting for some to cling to hope, and their Hillary for President buttons. But most commentators see in the statement a glimmer of inner peace, as if Barack Obama's former rival for the presidency has actually found contentment in her role as the chief diplomat in his administration.

"It’s as if she has checked out of that tiresome phallic competition and acknowledged what’s different — and valuable — about her own female nature, wrote one of her biggest fans, the Daily Beast's Tina Brown.

And if you listen to her words, Clinton does, as one Australian outlet put it, give "a pretty good impersonation of a person who is happy with her lot."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Asked about reports that she's been marginalized at the State Department, she called them "absurd" and added, "Maybe there is some misunderstanding which needs to be clarified. I'm not one of these people who feels I've got to have my face in the front of the newspaper or on TV every moment of the day. Maybe that is a woman's thing. Maybe I'm totally secure and feel absolutely no need to go running around for people to see what I'm doing. It's just the way I am.''

A woman's thing? Happy in life? Not running for president again?

We take her at her word. After all, this could be the first time she's even raised the prospect of retirement.

Still, not everyone agrees. Said hotair.com: "Dude, she's totally running."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo credit: Getty Images

Click here for Twitter alerts of each Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot. We're also on Facebook.

Comments

[K]

If Hillary Clinton was a Republican she'd run again. Historically the Democrats don't pick a losing candidate in one election to run again. For example, Ronald Reagan ran in 1976, lost and came back and ran in 1980, and won as a Republican. I don't think a Democrat has run twice like that since Adlai Stevenson.

[SC]

Gore lost, ran again and was chosen as a VP candidate by Bill Clinton, and then ran again when Clinton's tenure as President was done. Just one example.

[nan]

I think hillary will run for president again, but why would she reveal that 8 years ahead of time? there would be no reason or advantage for her to do so. I predict that she stays on as SoS through Obama's reelection, then she will "retire" to think about what she wants to do. If she decides to run, she will - otherwise, I think she will get behind a younger, lesser known democratic woman and help bolster her to the nomination - perhaps a latina like Hilda Solis, or a congress woman like Debbie Wasserman-Schulz, or Senator Gillibrand. But I certainly believe Hillary will play a big role in the 2016 elections.

[Michael]

Al Gore ran in 1988 & 2000. Biden, also in 1988. I'm not a Democrat (any more), but Clinton basically had the nomination stolen from her. She badly underestimated Obama's "activist" organization seizing control of caucuses while she trounced him in nearly every primary election. I have to give it to her, she's got more cojones than our president. Would someone from the Democratic Party please rise up and put this disgrace firmly where he belongs in the Pantheon of one-termers? It may mean losing the election, but at least they'd be able to take back control from the McGovern-wing Socialists.