"We had two Roosevelts. We had two Adams. It may be that certain families just have a sense of commitment or even a predisposition to want to be in politics," Hillary Clinton said.
Berlin (ANTARA News/AFP) - Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has defended the prominent role of political dynasties in American politics, saying the United States is "not a monarchy."

Asked by German magazine Der Spiegel whether a possible 2016 presidential run by her or former Florida governor Jeb Bush, brother of ex-president George W. Bush, would turn US democracy into a monarchy, she replied that the system was "open to everyone."

"We had two Roosevelts. We had two Adams. It may be that certain families just have a sense of commitment or even a predisposition to want to be in politics," she said in the interview, a transcript of which was posted online on Tuesday.

Clinton, whose husband Bill sat in the White House from 1993 to 2001, recalled her failed bid in 2008 to become the Democratic candidate for US president.

"I lost to somebody named Barack Obama, so I dont think there is any guarantee in American politics," she said.

"My last name did not help me in the end. Our system is open to everyone.

It is not a monarchy in which I wake up in the morning and abdicate in favour of my son."

Asked whether she would like to see her daughter Chelsea enter politics, Clinton said: "It is really up to her, and Ill support her in whatever she chooses."

Clinton is currently on a European tour promoting her latest book. She has repeatedly refused to confirm whether she plans to throw her hat in the ring in 2016, claiming to have not made up her mind.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday, Clinton would receive 58 percent of the vote in a Democratic primary.

While the Republican field is still wide open, the same poll found that Bush would come in joint-second in his partys primary, receiving 10 percent of the vote, just one percent less than Kentucky senator Rand Paul.

George H. W. Bush served one term as US president before Bill Clinton, while his son George W. Bush succeeded Clinton with two terms in office.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014