(AP Photo/John Minchillo)

I don’t like to put on the tin foil hat often but this is a strange move to me. Presidential hopeful and non-favorite of Hillary Clinton Tulsi Gabbard has just announced she will NOT seek reelection in her home district next year so she can focus on her Presidential campaign.

What is going on here?

According to MSN…

While lagging behind in a crowded Democratic presidential field, Gabbard has gotten renewed attention lately after a heated argument with former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

The squabble seemed to give Gabbard renewed energy on the campaign trail.

Gabbard noted in her early morning announcement that the threats of war, international tensions and the threats of a new cold war convinced her she should focus on the presidential race

“I believe I can best serve the people of Hawaii and our country as your President and Commander-in-Chief,” she said in her statement.

The whole brush up with Clinton was a gift for Gabbard, being it did give her renewed attention. She capitalized on it with her smack back of Clinton about her being a Russian operative while Clinton still holds the reset button she presented the Ruskies as Obama’s Secretary of State.

Why give up a safe seat in Congress, though? She is not going to be the nominee of the party.

Gabbard could be a rising star in the Democratic party as she comes across as not crazy while holding most of the same views as those who look and act crazy. Make no mistake about that. Tulsi might be more moderate on the timetable to achieve some of the horrible ideas that Bernie and Elizabeth are hashing out, but she is lockstep with the same overall goal.

If she is calculating that her announcing over a year early she is not running again for her seat will make her look more viable for the Presidential run, I personally don’t see how.

Maybe she has started off the 4th quarter raising more money than her campaign anticipated after the Hillary dust-up. Possibly she just doesn’t like being a congress critter anymore after traveling to Iowa and New Hamshire. Could it be that MSNBC wants to hire her after she drops out as a commentator on the network that currently is offering every excuse in the book for Hillary?

This is one of the stranger moves I have ever seen for someone who does not have a viable path to the nomination of her party. I have to admit I’m stumped and wondering how it unfolds.

I’m going to have the tinfoil hat on standby though just in case I need it.

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