The Wall Street Journal reports that despite her insistance that she’ll call it quits after Obama’s term is up this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may now be having some second thoughts. Now, Clinton hints that certain “unnamed” individuals are asking her to stick around should Obama win a second term:

“A lot of people have talked to me about staying,” Mrs. Clinton said, declining to be more specific. When asked if current events will force her departure date to slip, she said it was “unlikely,” but for the first time left open that possibility for the short term.

Clinton is under fire today after laughing off criticism of the way the State Department responded to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

She also put President Obama in an awkward spot after she becoming the first member of the administration to step forward and take responsibility.  But as this election’s gender gap closes, Obama might depend on Clinton to help woo female voters.  The Journal agrees:

With presidential voting just days away, the suggestion she might stay could offer a sense of stability for Barack Obama as he makes his closing arguments. Mrs. Clinton has strong appeal among women voters as well, a possible swing constituency on Election Day.

At the same time, she has faced rising violence in the Islamic world, a complex U.S. relationship with China and testy exchanges with Israel’s prime minister over Iran’s nuclear threat. These issues and others have gained prominence in the closing days of the U.S. presidential race. They also stand to shape Mrs. Clinton’s legacy as secretary of state and her future political prospects.