Hillary without Monica

A basic question: What would Hillary Clinton's career trajectory look like had the affair between President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky either never occurred or stayed out of the public eye? Would her otherwise unimpressive approval numbers (which had a roughly even favorable/unfavorable split prior the scandal and impeachment) and lack of political accomplishment prevent her from achieving her senate seat or the Democrats' presidential nomination, or was New York such a safe seat in 2000 that her victory there (and in 2008 or 2016 primaries) essentially inevitable even without a sympathy bounce in the polls?
 
New York was so deeply blue, and Hillary was a good enough campaigner, that she would win the Senate seat regardless.

She'd still get popularity from her actions on 9/11, which would likely persist as with OTL. She may win in 2008 as it was so close any small change would alter it.
 
Hillary Clinton would actually be more popular than OTL without the Monica Lewinsky Scandal. The Scandal made Bill Clinton appear dishonest and Hillary appear as one who worked behind the scenes to cover up the affair, which stains their image to this day. However, the Scandal made the Clintons more popular, as Bill was a popular president during a time of economic prosperity and peace and Hillary appeared as the poor wife that had to stomach her husband's adultery to preserve their marriage. The Impeachment made the Republican Majority Congress appear petty and more unpopular, as Bill campaigned around the country in response to their obstructions and their actions were clearly ideologically driven in an attempt to undermine a popular president of the opposite party. Without the scandal, Hillary is not accused of enabling and remaining married for political expedience and campaigns for her Senate seat earlier in 1998. She also probably wins by a landslide in the Senate race without being tied to her husband's ugly legacy. Heck, the United States presidential election of 2000 might even be closer without the media constantly interviewing Al Gore over Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and will allow Gore to ride off of Clinton's success. If Bush still wins as OTL, she'll still have trouble winning the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 2008 because of the Iraq War vote and other Establishment ties that make Progressives skeptical of her.
 
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Another one of Bill's affairs a couple years later explodes later on instead, perhaps when she's running for the Senate in 2000.

But that affair could go the way of the one that was revealed in 1992. But yeah, that is a good point. Bill was so unfaithful at least one such scandal would occur during his presidency.

I think much of the post-2000 stuff is largely irrelevant as Gore would have won without Lewinsky; 2000 was so close that anything would change it.
 
she'll still have trouble winning the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 2008 because of the Iraq War vote and other Establishment ties that make Progressives skeptical of her.

However, the 2008 Democratic primary was so close that anything could change it. So, if a butterfly net is in place till 2008, Hillary could have won the 2008 primaries just because a few more people support her.

As for 2016, the race was never in doubt post-Super Tuesday. Perhaps Hillary would have won by more than the 11-point margin she had IOTL, but she would have still won.
 
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