Do you think it would be better to run the full node over VPN + Tor?
Better for what?
It depends on the application that you will give to that node, if you want to use it as your personal node and you will always use it from LAN then I don't think you will need VPN + TOR. But if you will use it as a public node with the idea to access from other networks, then user VPN + TOR could be a wise move.
Or can you run the node over the clearnet without fear?
What's your fear my friend? until now no one has ended up in Jail for running a Node. And If your fear is about cyber-security, then isn't about Node by its serf, the problem is how you manage your network.