A Symposium
Tuesday, June 10, 2008; 12:01 AM

Now that she's officially announced the end of her presidential campaign, what's next for Hillary Clinton? The Post asked five opinion leaders, representing a variety of viewpoints, to weigh in. Here are their responses:

John Zogby, pollster and president of Zogby International:

As his basketball career was coming to a close, Bill Bradley wrote eloquently about what happens when the lights dim and the cheerleaders and fans start following the younger starts. He did just fine proving that there are second acts in life. Other great second acts include Ted Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey, who both reached for the brass rail but found their meaning in the Senate. Jimmy Carter defines second-act stardom, his most effective years coming after his presidency.

For us Boomers, it is time for our generational second act. We have always been consumed with ourselves. So much has been about our numbers, our needs, our choices, our purchases, our politics. We internalized it all and lived our lives in the pursuit of 'me.' "Because I'm worth it," the famous L'Oreal ad said. But our accomplishments have fallen short. And now we need a role model. Someone who can show us how to instill the rest of our lives with greater meaning. How to live so that we do good things, so that every smile is genuine, every handshake heartfelt.

Hillary Clinton is 60 and, like many of us we hope, probably has three more decades of living to do. Hillary, don't run for vice president; you don't need it on your resume. Hell, you don't need a resume -- you are Hillary. Don't run for governor of New York; we already have a governor. Find your second act in the Senate, as did Ted and Hubert. Or even better, change the world through the William Jefferson and Hillary Rodham Clinton Foundation. The world needs you, and you need a life of doing, not running.

Sally Quinn, co-host of On Faith, The Washington Post and Newsweek's online discussion about religion:

I have a suggestion.

She should take a summer sabbatical from the Senate and go on a retreat. A silent retreat.

The idea of a retreat is to find acceptance of yourself, to acquire insight.

Hillary Clinton has been through 16 months of a grueling campaign. But more than that, she has been through over 30 years of life with Bill Clinton. She gave up a promising career as a Washington lawyer to move with him to Arkansas. She changed her name. She married him knowing about the other women in his life.

She helped him run for president, first as the "buy-one-get-one free" co-president who wasn't going to spend time having teas and baking cookies, then as the "stand-by-your-man" little woman on "60 Minutes" after the Gennifer Flowers story broke.

Once in the White House, she changed her hairdo, her style of dressing and her mannerisms so often that it seemed to some that she was suffering from multiple personality disorder. She was the health care maven, then the hostess, then, after Monica, the victimized wife again, standing by her man.

When she ran for Senate and won, it was largely because of her marriage to Bill Clinton. When she ran for president she had the same problem. It was never just Hillary Clinton.

At the beginning of this campaign, the question was often asked, "Will the real Hillary Clinton stand up?" One minute she was strident, then shrill, then weeping, then gracious and calm. Finally she announced, "I have found my voice." What an odd thing for a 60-year-old woman to say. It simply didn't have the ring of truth. She continued to try on different personas from day to day, month to month. There was a striking lack of authenticity. This may in fact be the reason she lost. After more words have probably been written about her than any woman in the world, people still have no idea who she really is.

Now would be the perfect time for her to find herself, to decide what she really wants. Give up the roar of the crowds, the banners and the balloons, the marching bands, the begging for autographs. Give up the naked ambition, the lust for power. Is it possible that she wants those things because she thinks she should?

The only way for her to gather this kind of insight would be for her to go away for a while. Be alone. Be silent. Be with herself. There is a wonderful retreat called Bhavana Society in West Virginia that would be the perfect place. Its founder, Bhante Gunaratana, talks in his book "Mindfulness" about the power of concentration or tranquility when one's mind is brought to rest and "a deep calm pervades the body." "The meditator focuses his or her mind on a certain item, such as a prayer, a chant, a candle flame, or a religious image, and excludes all other thoughts and perceptions from his or her conciousness." Self awareness is the goal. Hillary talks quite openly about her faith and how it comforts her. This would be a perfect time for her to explore her faith, to delve more deeply into it.

I truly believe she would come out of an experience like that a happier, more authentic and grounded person; her own person, which she has never really had the opportunity to be. Perhaps she could go off to Africa and India and work with AIDS victims. Or maybe the right thing for her to do is to stay in the Senate and try to improve life for those in this country. Whatever it is, it must be something that gives her peace and fulfillment. Something she clearly has yet to attain.

Deepak Chopra, founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing Carlsbad, Calif., and a specialist in mind-body medicine:

I'd like to see Hillary Clinton sincerely endorse the politics of healing.

This isn't the same as promoting party unity after a tough-fought primary season. We need to see a hidden dimension in her, to reverse the rising tide of unpopularity afflicting her and Barack Obama. It's one thing for the Democrats to unite. It's another for her to shove back into the bottle some demons that she herself released.

This may sound like a harsh assessment, but Hillary Clinton's followers have coalesced lately into their own party -- the party of resentment. Tossing them in Obama's direction, even if she actively campaigns for him, will feel too expedient and at worst manipulative. I recently read that every movement begins in idealism, turns into a business, and ends up as a racket.

We are deeply entrenched in political racketeering. The hunger for a new vision couldn't be more intense. Healing the deep cultural rifts opened by the right wing since the Nixon era won't succeed except in the spirit of healing.

Obama knew this instinctively from the beginning. Rather than resenting him for it, Clinton should join in. If she can convince voters that Obama's idealism has swayed her personally, that will do more than anything else to lift us out of the cynicism that, sad to say, Hillary has been contributing to for the last two months.

Tony Robbins, professional speaker and self-help writer:

Sen. Clinton has already accomplished what many thought impossible. She has put to rest the notion that a woman can't be a serious contender for commander in chief. The combination of her insatiable passion for making a difference, deep caring for those forgotten by society and her incredible and indomitable will has inspired millions of Americans toward a new and compelling future.

Now Clinton can use her remarkable gifts to help unify the Democratic Party and generate momentum for Sen. Obama's bid for the presidency. Many people feel that having her on the ticket as vice president would be the "dream ticket." Yet, both Obama and Clinton are strong leaders in their own right, and historically pairings of this nature have been difficult -- Kennedy and LBJ and Reagan and Bush, for example.

Regardless of what happens from this point forward, her legacy begins now. As both a leader in the Senate and a powerful voice of the people, she can continue to drive the progress of this country. And like Al Gore, in the long-term her impact may well stretch far beyond the political arena.

Ed Koch, former New York mayor and congressman and author of "I'm Not Done Yet!: Keeping at It, Remaining Relevant, and Having the Time of My Life":

I believe Hillary has years of service ahead of her and in the United States Senate. She is the clear successor to Senator Harry Reid and would serve with enormous distinction as the next United States Senate Majority Leader.