Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pictured in October 2012, has become one of the most powerful people in Washington. Here's a look at her life and career through the years: 
Before she married Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here, Rodham talks about student protests in 1969, which she supported in her commencement speech at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. 
Rodham, center, a lawyer for the Rodino Committee, and John Doar, left, chief counsel for the committee, bring impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in the Judiciary Committee hearing room at the U.S. Capitol in 1974. 
Bill Clinton embraces his wife shortly after a stage light fell near her on January 26, 1992. They talk to Don Hewitt, producer of the CBS show "60 Minutes." 
With Hillary, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton waves to the crowd at his victory party after winning the Illinois primary on March 17, 1992. 
Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton wave to supporters at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, after they gave speeches on family values on August 23, 1992. 
Clinton gestures at a campaign rally November 3, 1992, in Denver. After taking office, President Bill Clinton chose his wife to head a special commission on health care reform, the most significant public policy initiative of his first year in office. 
Bill and Hillary Clinton have a laugh together on Capitol Hill in 1993. 
Clinton pours herself a cup of tea in 1993 while testifying to the Senate Education and Labor Committee about health care reform. 
Clinton speaks at George Washington University on September 10, 1993, in Washington, during her husband's first term. 
Clinton waves to the media on January 26, 1996, as she arrives at federal court in Washington for an appearance before a grand jury. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. 
Hillary Clinton looks on as President Bill Clinton addresses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. 
Hillary and Bill Clinton arrive at Foundry United Methodist Church on August 16, 1998, in Washington. He became the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury when he testified via satellite about the Lewinsky matter. 
Clinton shakes hands during a St. Patrick's Day parade in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens, New York, on March 5, 2000. 
Clinton waves to the crowd as she arrives on the stage at the Democratic National Convention on August 14, 2000, in Los Angeles. 
Clinton campaigns for a Senate seat October 25, 2000, at Grand Central Station in New York. 
Hillary Clinton is sworn in as a senator of New York in a re-enactment ceremony with, from left, President Bill Clinton, nephew Tyler, daughter Chelsea, brother Hugh Rodham, mother Dorothy Rodham and Vice President Al Gore on January 3, 2001, in Washington. 
Andrew Cuomo, Eliot Spitzer and Clinton celebrate with a crowd of Democratic supporters after their wins in various races November 7, 2006, in New York. 
Clinton speaks during a post-primary rally on January 8, 2007, at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire. 
The Clintons pay a visit to the 92nd annual Hopkinton State Fair in Contoocook, New Hampshire, on September 2, 2007. 
Clinton speaks at a campaign rally September 2, 2007, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. 
Clinton addresses a question during a debate with other Democratic presidential candidate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, on September 26, 2007. Also pictured are U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, left, and former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska. 
Felipe Bravo, left, and Christian Caraballo are covered with Hillary Clinton stickers in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, on January 8, 2008. 
Clinton campaigns in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with her daughter, Chelsea, on January 1, 2008, two days ahead of the January 3 state caucus. 
Clinton waves as she speaks to supporters at the National Building Museum on June 7, 2008, in Washington. After pulling out of the presidential race, Clinton thanked her supporters and urged them to back Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States. 
Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a Unity Rally in Unity, New Hampshire, on June 27, 2008. 
Obama watches Clinton address the Democratic National Convention on August 26, 2008. The two endured a long, heated contest for the 2008 nomination. 
Sen. Charles Schumer, left, looks toward Secretary of State designate Clinton as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. John Kerry, center, looks on during nomination hearings January 13, 2009, on Capitol Hill. 
Clinton testifies during her confirmation hearing for secretary of state on January 13, 2009, in Washington. 
Clinton, as secretary of state, dances with a local choir while visiting the Victoria Mxenge Housing Project in Philippi, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, on August 8, 2009. 
Clinton looks through binoculars toward North Korea during a visit to an observation post July 21, 2010, at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. 
Clinton walks up the steps to her aircraft as she leaves a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on July 23, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam. 
Hillary and Bill Clinton pose on the day of their daughter's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky on July 31, 2010, in Rhinebeck, New York. 
U.S. President Barack Obama and Clinton observe a moment of silence before a NATO meeting November 19, 2010, in Lisbon, Portugal. 
Clinton listens as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu makes a brief statement November 29, 2010, before a bilateral meeting at the State Department in Washington. 
Clinton shakes hands with a child during an unannounced walk through Tahrir Square in Cairo on March 16, 2011. 
Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Clinton and members of Obama's national security team receive an update on the Osama bin Laden mission May 1, 2011, in the Situation Room of the White House. 
Clinton checks her personal digital assistant prior to departing Malta on October 18, 2011. 
Clinton speaks as Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai listens during a news conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 7, 2012. 
Clinton arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel on July 15, 2012. 
Clinton looks on as Obama makes a statement in response to the attack at the U.S. Consulate in Libya on September 12, 2012. 
Clinton applauds Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a ceremony where Suu Kyi was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal on September 19, 2012. 
Bill Clinton kisses his wife after introducing her at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting on September 24, 2012, in New York City. 
Clinton shakes hands with Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf on September 24, 2012, in New York. 
Clinton stands during a news conference following meetings at the prime minister's office in Pristina, Kosovo, on October 31, 2012. Clinton said that Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence, fiercely opposed by Serbia, was "not up for discussion." 
Clinton chats with Suu Kyi before Obama speaks at the University of Yangon in Yangon, Myanmar, on November 19, 2012. 
Obama looks at Clinton before the start of a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, far right, during the East Asian Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 20, 2012. 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Clinton at the prime minister's office November 20, 2012, in Jerusalem. 
Clinton arrives December 4, 2012, for a NATO meeting to discuss Syria and Turkey's request for Patriot missiles to be deployed protectively on the Turkish-Syrian border. 
Clinton receives a sports jersey and football helmet from Deputy Secretary Tom Nides, center, after returning to work on January 7, 2013, following a fall where she hit her head and doctors later detected a blood clot. The number 112 represented the number of countries that she had visited as secretary of state. 
Clinton and her husband arrive for the inauguration for Obama's second term on January 21, 2013. 
Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on January 23, 2013. Lawmakers questioned Clinton about the security failures during the Benghazi, Libya, attacks that led to the death of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. 
From left, first lady Michelle Obama stands with former first ladies Laura Bush, Clinton, Barbara Bush and Rosalynn Carter at the opening ceremony of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas on April 25, 2013. 
Bill and Hillary Clinton speak to guests at the Clinton Global Initiative on June 14, 2013, in Chicago. 
Clinton poses for pictures at St. Andrews University in St. Andrews, Scotland, on September 13, 2013. Clinton received an honorary degree from the university. 
From left, Clinton, former first lady Laura Bush and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush listen to speakers during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in Soweto, South Africa, on December 10, 2013. 
- Donna Brazile says the media is spending way too much time focusing on Hillary Clinton
- Brazile: Clinton's possible presidential run in 2016 is not guaranteed
- There are other races in 2014 that deserve media attention right now, she says
Editor's note: Donna Brazile, a CNN contributor and a Democratic strategist, is vice chairwoman for voter registration and participation at the Democratic National Committee. She is a nationally syndicated columnist, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and author of "Cooking With Grease: Stirring the Pots in America." She was manager for the Gore-Lieberman presidential campaign in 2000.
(CNN) -- Sometimes I think the media live in a time warp. There's so much talk about Hillary Clinton and the expanding/shrinking/expanding field of possible Republican candidates, you'd think we're in the middle of an Olympics ratings battle.
The media focus on 2016 is like a "Rocky Horror Picture Show," without Rocky. It's really an obsession that is not only misguided but also does a disservice both to voters and candidates.
The two-year out speculation track record is pretty bad.
Yes, Clinton is dynamic. Even her most rabid detractors must admit that. But her dynamism is not a guarantee victory. Her nomination is not inevitable.
She knows upfront the toll campaigning demands and what being president exacts. As George Harrison said about being a Beatle, you have to give your nervous system.
If Clinton decides to run, she has to do so knowing it is a commitment that may last 11 years. She's 66. (Joe Biden, 71, and Mike Huckabee, 58, also have to consider their age.)
It's not just how old a person might be at the end of her, or his, term. The question is, will one have the energy and will power to finish the job? We age better and healthier, but being president is aging like nothing else.
Does Clinton want to make a time commitment that could amount to the rest of her life?
Deciding Clinton's role in 2014 
Rand Paul attacks Clintons over Lewinsky 
Don't forget the Founding Mothers Another factor surely affecting Clinton's decision is her legacy. Despite repeated attempts by Republicans, she remains very popular. In a 2013 Gallup Poll she was named the woman people most admired. A presidential run would risk that popularity -- and the legacy she's built as a senator and secretary of state (not to mention former first lady). Of course, she could also leverage that popularity to lead our nation in a great new direction.
Potential candidates may also weigh on her mind. Who else might run if she doesn't? If the rest of the field looks weak, she might feel a sense of duty to her party and her country. If there are strong "next generation" candidates, she may be content, perhaps glad, to work for their success.
The point is that there are factors that may induce Hillary Clinton not to run, and nobody will know what will influence her decision -- until she decides.
Speculation about Republican candidates is even sketchier. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who only a few weeks ago seemed the prime-time contender, now appears on the ropes. Other prominent Republicans have also taken their hits recently -- understandable, given the current fighting among the factions. So, who knows?
I can make one prediction safely: Going through the list of who's up and who's down until the nomination(s) is (are) secured will make any roller coaster ride seem like a walk in the park.
I've got a name for the media's obsession with potential 2016 nominees, or really any idle speculation without substance -- talking-head-vacuum syndrome.
Instead of acting like junior high gossips though, the media might try focusing on real issues that are current and important. There are lots of them out there. I'll focus on one example.
Two years ago saw a breakthrough for women officeholders. I've written about this before: There are now 20 women senators. One of the big questions in 2014 is: Can Democrats retain control of the Senate?
"Conventional wisdom" held that it would be tough. But the game is changing, thanks to a couple of dynamic women candidates. In Georgia, which has been a Deep South Republican stronghold -- since 2010, they've held every statewide office -- Michelle Nunn, daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn, stands a good chance of becoming another woman senator -- and a Democratic one.
She is leading or tied with all her opponents in the polls. She has the advantages of a famous name in Georgia, a middle-of-the road message and lots of campaign discipline.
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