Bill Clinton's Hurt Feelings: When Will He Endorse Obama?

CNN's Wolf Blitzer wondered publicly on Thursday when in the world Bill Clinton would bury his hard feelings, his sense of being misunderstood, unappreciated, abused, etc. and endorse Barack Obama.

An exchange Thursday on MSNBC's Hardball between David Boren, former governor and senator from Oklahoma and current president of the University of Oklahoma, and Hardball moderator Chris Matthews, won't make it any easier for Bubba to bury his hurt feelings:

MATTHEWS: "Who`s smarter, Bush or Barack?"

BOREN: "I think that Barack has one of the highest IQs that I've ever observed in American politics."

Nobody is surprised to hear Boren opine that Obama is smarter than "W," but the designation of having one of the highest IQs ever in American politics is supposed to belong to Bill Clinton. (Couldn't Boren have included a Bill Clinton clause in his comment?) Even Clinton's critics, pointing to his romps with Monica Lewinsky just outside the Oval Office spouted what became the cliché: "How can someone so smart be so stupid?"

So Bill now not only has to give up his favorite appellation: "the rock start ex-president" to Barack, a generation younger, 40 lbs thinner, incalculably more disciplined, and eons more authentic. Bill also has to give up his other claim to fame: his soaring, incomparable intelligence.

One more note, it was surprising that Chris Matthews didn't ask David Boren about his son, Dan, a congressman from Oklahoma -- the lone democrat in the state's delegation-- who has announced that he will vote for Obama but not formally endorse him because Obama is too liberal for the younger Boren's district.

Matthews flogged the older Boren's new book, A Letter to America, but didn't ask what would have been on the minds of the political junkies who comprise Hardball's small but savvy audience. Matthews is said to be lobbying for his friend Tim Russert's seat at the Meet the Press table. Not asking was out of character for the insatiably curious Matthews. Was he trying to behave himself so the suits at NBC might overcome doubts about his temperament and give him the Meet the Press nod?

The question about the father, who serves on Obama's Senior Working Group on National Security, and the son, who seems conflicted about Obama, was one that Russert would certainly have asked.

Comments

[TIMLHOWE]

So clueless...

Anyone who actually knows Dem politics would know that for a very long time Boren Sr. has had a hating for Bill Clinton . (Jealousy - perhaps?)

I went to Columbia with Obama and I have spent some private time with Bill Clinton...;the idea that Barack has a higher IQ that Clinton is laughable. (Ever wonder why Obama has twice refused the NYT's request to release his school transcripts? If he was such a scholar - maybe he wouldnt of had to check off the AA box - huh?)

Pathetic...

At Clinton's 2nd state of the union address - his telepromptor went out and he winged a hour long speech - and no one noticed - try that with Obama - and hed be left talking in platitudes and repeating his stump speech verbatim...

These two cant even be compared....

Except by Obama - bots...

What a PARTY!

[wizened]

you're evaluating them on the basis of pure speculation on your part. Obama wasn't put in that position. You think his oratorical skills are lacking? Even the Republicans acknowlege he's a great speaker!

[Danigirl65]

Somebody please explain to me how Obama "stole" the election. I've seen a number of people noting that. How can a candidate steal an election he had been winning for months??

[Tropiholic]

Bill Cltinton acted like a jerk during his wife's campaign and is part of the reason she lost. Frankly I'm tired of him.

[AC500]

Ever the boy is Bill ... grow up.

[robXdion]

It's more like his "hurt pockets".

[PKSSK]

David Boren's son Dan, US Rep OK, is a republican who ran as a Democrat. When he ran for Congress he was endorsed by the current Pres and he has voted with the admin on everything, especially the war. For the life of me, I do not understand why these people are labelled democrats when their voting records and ideaology is anything but. The blue dogs have got to be removed from the democratic party and run as republican's instead continually doing what they do best, lying to the public to protect themselves and their power. The DLC has proved to be a disaster to the democratic party.

[laksa]

Actually, I do not feel any of the insider in NBC fits the bill to sit in that chair. They need to look else where. May be Al Hunt?

[PortiaElizabeth]

After the way President Clinton was insulted , marginalized, derided and generally disrespected during the primary, it is my sincere hope that he will set another precedent by refusing to endorse the person who was not elected, but selected for the nominee. Barack Obama is not a legitimate candidate since he in effect stole the nomination, so to endorse him under the circumstances would only be a further insult to President Clinton.

[savagetiger]

OId hags ranting because no one will listen to the drivel, which makes them spew even more drivel.

If you act like the stereotype, then, eventually, is it really a stereotype - or just common knowledge?

[YankeeCanuck]

Bill Clinton is a brilliant and talented politician. But Portia, even you would have to admit that he made some mistakes on the campaign trail.
Clinging to the erroneous notion that Obama is not the legitimate candidate gets us nowhere. You're right--the process is flawed. THis time it had many twists and turns. But that's how it came out-- we go with what is from here on. Not what might have been.
The question is: are you now willing to turn the leadership of the country over to a Republican agenda and a candidate who has a zero record on women's issues?
Whatever role HRC plays in the next Dem administration, it will be an important one. Is that unacceptable?

[Zeje]

Another Clintonista who wants to see McCain as president.

[NotMcCain]

Yes, he was marginalized all right. By HRC's campaign that sent him to every rural backwater street corner and high school to campaign for her.

Did they know something you don't know?

[PortiaElizabeth]

Bill Clinton visited those spots because he has the common touch and can more easily appeal to rural voters. It's not rocket science.

[laksa]

Stole the nomination? that is the last thing which happened. Al Gore's election , may be but definitely not this primary. We the voters nominated Obama not some supreme court judges. Have you been sleeping through all these?

[PortiaElizabeth]

Were you sleeping on May 31st when, in spite of the clearly-stated rule that any candidate who removed his name from a state's ballot was not entitled to ANY delegates, Obama was awarded Michigan delegates? In what dimension is that not stolen?

[statsguy]

The idea that Prez. Clinton has not yet endorsed due to 'hurt feelings' is a nice media narrative because it is amusing and fun, but it is probably wrong.

He will endorse, and publicly. Probably somewhere like rural Arkansas (or West Virginia or Ohio). Why would Obama squander at least 2-3 days of great media coverage by having President Clinton send out a letter stating his endorsement? It will come, and it will be a good story helping Obama. It needs to wait so Obama can space out the endorsement schedule to his media advantage.

[standard]

"[T]he designation of having one of the highest IQ's ever in American politics is supposed to belong to Bill Clinton."

So what?

Bill Clinton is a product of Georgetown and Yale Law, and was a Rhodes scholar. However, his egocentrism impairs his effectiveness: he helped his party lose control of Congress two years into his Presidency, partly by having his unelected wife try to dictate national health care policy; he lost control of the last two years of his Presidency through the Lewinsky affair, and lying about it; and, by delivering speeches all about himself and making comments widely seen as racist, helped lose Hillary the nomination.

Bush 43 is a product of Yale and Harvard Business, but prides himself on not reading newspapers, has repeatedly belittled Ph.D.'s when introducing them at press conferences, and once threw a public hissy fit at a press conference when a reporter posed a question in French--to the President of France.

It's not Obama's degrees from Columbia and Harvard Law that matter so much as his ability to think analytically (which Bush 43 either can't or won't) and express his ideas in an accessible way (witness his two bestsellers), without exaggerating (as Bill does) or lying (as Hillary did throughout this campaign). Barack thinks well, writes well, speaks well and has been, so far, a master of fund raising, staffing and campaign strategy.

IQ is all about aptitude, not achievement.

[biographer]

Great comment, Standard, but one correction: Bill Clinton did not "lose control" of the last two years of his presidency because of Lewinsky/impeachment; he lost control of the last three years. The Lewinsky story broke in the Washington Post on January 21, 1998; he left office on January 20, 2001--almost three years to the day.

That's why I consider him to be a term and a quarter president, not a two-term president. Think what he might have accomplished with the two terms to which the voters elected him.

[biographer]

One more thing from Carol FElsenthal, author of this post.

Bill Clinton did make his first public appearance yesterday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Miami. (Barack Obama spoke the day before.) The former president spoke about green issues; he plugged the Clinton Climate Initiative, part of his Clinton Global Initiative, one of his post presidency achievements. (I write a lot about CGI in my book, Clinton in Exile, about his years out of the White House.) According to Laura Isensee writing in the Miami Herald today, Clinton referenced Obama's "stance on cutting emissions by 80 percent."

As I read Isensee's report I wondered if there would be mention of Bill's endorsing Barack. But no. Bill Clinton did not grab the opportunity--a good one for the Democrats because the conference, Isensee wrote, had a "sharp focuse on green issues....climate change....rising gas prices..."

[snarkopolitan]

This is a ridiculous non-issue. Arguing over who is smarter is pure angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin. And speaking of pinheads, Matthews on MTP? Why not grease up a piglet and turn the studio into a pen? About as much nuance and critical thinking that way as with Chris.

[wizened]

Clinton just makes himself look like a bad Democrat and an ungracious jerk by his silence. I agree that Hillary had to go first but she has spoken now and he should fall in line and do the unselfish thing for a change.

[funnyguy]

Does anyone really care? At this point, Bill Clinton's endorsement is worth about .000001 of a percent.

[tbone99]

Obama made clear , from the start that he considered Bill Clinton, a president of no consequence , when he named off Reagan, Bush sr. ," Repugs- the party of ideas" and never gave Clinton any credit for having one of the most economically successful presidencies ever, ending up with a budget ary SURPLUS of billions.
His campaign finished Bill off as a racist and a no account.Obama supporters piled on.They couldn't possibly want such a person to campaign on their behalf.

Obama may be smart - but he sure acted dumb in these instances.

[XME]

I'm sorry, but question of who's smarter, GWB or ANYONE, is a stupid question.

[kvet]

One more thing,,,,as far as hurt feelings and smarts ????
He brought everything upon himself....and has no one else to blame other than himself.....you reap what you sow.....so get over it !

[kvet]

Bill Clinton needs to get over his Ego......and get with the Program....