Hillary Clinton downplays possible run f

WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Outgoing U.S. Secretary of

State Hillary Clinton, who came tantalizingly close to winning

the Democratic presidential nomination four years ago, played

down the notion she would run again for the White House in 2016

in comments aired on Wednesday.

Clinton for the past four years has served as chief diplomat

for President Barack Obama, who edged her for the party's

nomination in 2008, but she is stepping down from the post.

Obama was elected last month to a second four-year term as

president.

Asked during an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters whether

she would run for president in 2016, Clinton said: "I've said I

really don't believe that that's something I will do again. I am

so grateful I had the experience of doing it before."

Clinton, one of the most popular members of Obama's Cabinet

and often mentioned as a potential Democratic White House

hopeful in 2016, has said she will step down as secretary of

state in January.

"It sounds so simple, but I've been, as you know, at the

highest levels of American and now international activities for

20 years, and I just thought it was time to take a step off ...

maybe do some reading and writing and speaking and teaching,"

Clinton told ABC.

Clinton, whose husband, Bill Clinton, was president from

1993 to 2001, was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York after

her time as first lady. She mounted a vigorous effort in 2008 to

become the first woman to claim either the Democratic or

Republican U.S. presidential nomination, but was defeated by

Obama, who became the first black president.

In the ABC interview, the 65-year-old Clinton said her age

would not be a worry if she did opt to run.

"I am, thankfully, knock on wood, not only healthy, but have

incredible stamina and energy," she said in excerpts of the

interview published on the ABC News website. "I just want to see

what else is out there. I've been doing ... this incredibly

important and ... satisfying work here in Washington, as I say,

for 20 years. I want to get out and spend some time looking at

what else I can do to contribute."

She said in the interview that she may work in philanthropy

or academia after leaving her post at the State Department.

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