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Story highlights Hillary Clinton's strategy of lying low has some Clinton supporters thinking of Richard Nixon's 1968 election Nixon chose to take a six-month hiatus from presidential politics before 1968 in order to allow the press to "chew on" George Romney Clinton has been laying low for the better part of three months with only six events in January, February and March

As Clinton eyes another run at the presidency in 2016, some close to her -- especially those who are cheering reports she may wait until summer to officially announce a bid -- point to Nixon's successful 1968 presidential bid as a positive sign, particularly how Nixon's public operation went dark for about six months before entering the race.

Despite being the presumed Democratic front-runner since Obama was reelected in 2012, Clinton has been largely absent from the public spotlight since the midterms wrapped in November 2014. And with the exception of the occasional paid speech and non-profit event, she could lie-low through the spring, a months-long hiatus similar to one Nixon took more than fifty years ago before winning the presidency for the first time.

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In "The Greatest Comeback: How Richard Nixon Rose from Defeat to Create the New Majority," author and longtime Nixon aide Patrick Buchanan retells the debate and intrigue around Nixon deciding to take a six-month hiatus from presidential politics ahead of the 1968 election.

The comparisons to Clinton, while not perfect -- she is the same young lawyer who worked as an aide on the Nixon impeachment trial of the former president -- are obvious.

Clinton is the favorite to win the Democratic nomination in 2016 and has already had to deal with attacks about her not being a "fresh face." A CNN/ORC poll out Wednesday found that Clinton leads the field with a whopping 61%. Both candidates have unsuccessfully sought the presidential nomination before and held high profile West Wing positions elevating their status and name recognition.

Nixon, who had then served a vice president for eight years but lost in the 1960 presidential election and the 1962 California gubernatorial race, was seen as the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination in 1968. There was strong competition -- notably from then Michigan Gov. George Romney -- but none had the support Nixon had.

That is why, according to Buchanan, it was shocking when Nixon told an interviewer that after the 1966 midterm elections he was "going to take a holiday from politics for at least six months."

"Is it really wise to cede the field to Romney and lock ourselves into a six-month moratorium with no flexibility," Buchanan recalls asking Nixon.

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Hillary Clinton's Nixonian strategy of lying low - CNN.com