Whether you like it or not, Hillary Clinton could be our next president in 2008. A March 8 poll by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion shows Sen. Clinton leading the pack in a crowded field of potential Democratic candidates, receiving 39 percent of the vote among registered Democrats and Democratic leaning Independents.

As we all know, the thought of the Clintons returning to the White House makes many people go crazy. For Republicans, this displeasure makes sense. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich recently said in an address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors that Hillary will have on her side “the smartest American politician as her adviser,” referring to Bill Clinton. Having this duo back in action could deliver serious setbacks to the Republican agenda.

What makes no sense to me, however, is the kind of negative talk I hear about Hillary Clinton from people who do not call themselves Republican. Whether it’s a friend, relative, acquaintance or complete stranger, I often find myself in the same conversation:

Me: (Something about Hillary Clinton possibly running for president).

Non-partisan person: Oh my God! Well, I’m definitely NOT voting for her.

Me: Why?

Person: Because I can’t stand her.

Me: Why?

Person: Uh, well, um … (followed by silence).

This is what exactly irritates me about many so-called “Hillary haters.” They either claim no party affiliation whatsoever, or they will even identify as slightly Democratic, yet they have some serious qualm with Hillary Clinton as president. And, in my experience, they have almost never been able to offer a logical argument explaining why they dislike her.

Still, these people are adamant about expressing their anti-Hillary feelings, and I’ve been trying very hard to understand why. Then I started to think about how people from both sides of the ideological spectrum used to refer to Hillary as “President Hillary Clinton” during her time as First Lady, implying that she, not her husband, was running the show. I began to realize the connection.

These individuals’ sense of dislike toward Hillary Clinton has no overt justification – it comes from within. Whether they want to admit or not, many of these people are simply uncomfortable with the active role Hillary has played in American politics. They see the role she played as a powerful political force – both as First Lady and as a U.S. senator – and although they “can’t put their finger” on why she bugs them, this could very well be the underlying reason.

Think about it for a second. Just as Dick Cheney has transformed the vice presidency into a much more powerful position, so too did First Lady Hillary Clinton change the way we look at the role of a president’s wife in politics. In my opinion, many people, even self-proclaimed “progressives,” weren’t completely ready for this change. Many of them probably saw an article in the newspaper about her efforts to influence public policy on issues such as health care and education and wondered, “Isn’t it the president’s job to be talking about this stuff?”

Notice I say “wondered” and not “said out loud.” I’m not talking about the people who openly say things like “a woman’s place is in the home” – this column is not about the Leo Buchignanis of the world. I’m talking about people who would claim they’re for women being active in politics, but have some inner agitation at Hillary Clinton for doing just that.

Ever wonder why Laura Bush is so popular among the American people, even many Democrats? It’s because she’s the sweet Southern wife who tends to keep her political views to herself – how can you dislike someone who refuses to disagree with you? Of course, she has spoken about relevant political issues to the media – she’d look like an idiot if she didn’t – but in general, she has been far less active than her predecessor, Hillary Clinton.

I’m tired of people who scream at the idea of Hillary in 2008 but have no arguable reasons for feeling that way. The politically non-conservative people I’ve spoken to aren’t uncomfortable with her individual stances – they’re uncomfortable with her expressing those stances in the first place. And although no exit poll will be able to prove it, this unsaid force could very well stop Hillary Clinton from being our next president.