So much has been made lately about how tepid the Clintons' endorsement of Obama has been. Their Denver speeches aside, the MSM has been all over Bill's muted and reluctant, even petulant embrace of Obama. His appearances on The View and Letterman have done him no favors. The MSM has also failed to fully cover Hillary's campaigning on Obama's behalf all over the country.
While it is probably indisputable that Bill could have been much more full-throated in his endorsement of Obama, I believe Hillary has been a great surrogate for Barack since the convention. She doesn't get enough credit or coverage for the way she has put aside the bitterness of her primary battle and worked hard for Barack. She maintains almost as full a campaign schedule now, on Obama's behalf, as she had when she was running for the nomination. You could argue she is just doing it to rehabilitate her image, but assumptions of intent aside, you can't quibble with her actions - she gets an A for effort. And I say this as someone who was quite vociferously anti-Hillary during the primary battle.
Bill, on the other hand, has been wierd. I really don't buy the argument that he is pining for Hillary in 2012. In fact, I don't think 2012 is a realistic option for Hillary. Keep in mind that even if Barack were to lose to McCain in November, he would still remain the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party. He has brought in millions of new and loyal voters, he has the ability to raise obscene amounts of cash quickly, has modernized the party's ground operation, and has built a donor list politicians would sell their souls for. He's even moved the party headquarters to downtown Chicago. This is Obama's party, win or lose.
You may disagree with me, but I believe that the only way Hillary can run in 2012 is if (1) Obama loses in November, and (2) decides not to run in four years. Both those situations are so unlikely that it would take a pretty irrational person to behave as if they could happen.
Bill & Hill are many things, but they are not irrational. They know it is significantly more likely that Barack will win in November and be our President for 8 years. Hillary's legacy is much better served by becoming his close ally on Capitol Hill and, perhaps more importantly, having her fingerprints all over the sweeping, historic reforms we all hope the Obama Administration will bring about. This is what I believe she will do.
Bill, on the other hand, is in my opnion going through a real internal struggle. I don't think he ever expected a new star to eclipse him so soon. The last great Democratic "star" before Clinton was JFK. It took almost 30 years for a sequel, and now, Clinton's already tarnished legacy is (in his own mind) at risk of total obscurity just 8 years after his tenure. Again, this is just my subjective take on what maybe motivating his reluctance. It hasn't helped, of course, that Barack was less than effusive about the great things Clinton did. It hasn't helped that the primary battle was so personal. But at his core, I think Bill has been taken aback by the ascendancy of Barack, and worries that his legacy will be completely overshadowed. This is, to a great extent, a battle of egos.
Bill's statement on Letterman - that both Obama and McCain should relish this opportunity to run for President - was telling. I think Bill would give anything to run for President right now - to have a chance to be the next FDR.
He'll get over it. Barack needs to extend a few cartloads of olive branches and buckets of praise, but he'll get over it.
Read more at Daily Chai
Here's Bill at his first campaign rally for Obama. the fact remains, there are few better and more dogged campaigners than Bill Clinton. Barack couldn't ask for a better closer 33 days out.
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