On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bill Clinton has taken a larger role in his wife's campaign, and is now serving as a de facto chief strategist. For Hillary and much of the media, such a move makes quite a bit of sense. For more than a decade, the press has taken to describing Bill as the greatest political strategist in the party. Through much of 2007, the Clinton campaign was constantly lauded, not just for its commanding style, but for having Bill on the team, the kind of asset that would make Hillary an unstoppable juggernaut.
But Bill Clinton is not now, nor has he ever been, a particularly impressive political strategist. Few would dispute the depth of his skills as a politician; but the chasm between politician and political strategist is wide, and one he has consistently failed to bridge. Isiah Thomas was an extraordinarily gifted basketball player, and has gone on to be one of the worst basketball coaches the NBA has ever seen. Bill Clinton is to politics what Isiah Thomas is to basketball. He can hit the political jumper, but he cannot call the plays.
Still, the Clinton campaign has allowed Bill to make decision after decision and long ago lost the ability to prevent him from straying off message. So much of what has plagued the Clinton campaign has been the direct result of Bill's actions. In the run-up to the South Carolina primary, Bill injected race into the campaign, trying to marginalize Obama by making an unprompted comparison to Jesse Jackson's presidential runs. That decision solidified the black vote behind Obama, who usually enjoys as much of 90% of their support. Even more damaging, a new Newsweek poll has Hillary winning a mere 59% of the black vote against John McCain, a number that would make Hillary's ascension to the presidency impossible.
While in South Carolina, Bill also introduced the notion that he could not be controlled, that Hillary was either willing to have him campaign as an equal, or powerless to stop him. Bill Clinton as senior counselor was one thing; Bill Clinton as co-president was quite another.
He has also demonstrated, on more than one occasion, that the brand of politics he mastered is far different than the technologically driven political landscape that now exists. He has repeatedly contradicted himself on the campaign trail, seemingly unaware of the impact of YouTube. Just last week, he was recorded saying that Obama had played the race card against him, only to deny having said it the following day.
The Wall Street Journal also reports that it is Bill that is and has been pushing Hillary to step up her attacks against Obama, attacks that have done little to derail the Obama campaign; they have instead driven Hillary's negatives up and her trustworthiness down. And as Bill continues to be Hillary's most aggressive attack dog, he has shed the statesman persona that he worked so hard to cultivate in the years of his post-presidency, permanently scarring his legacy.
Perhaps worst of all, it was Bill Clinton who suggested Mark Penn, one of his closest advisors, to head up his wife's campaign. That Bill viewed the 2008 contest as a microtrend race, and that he suspected an unsavory pollster with no experience running a presidential campaign should be in charge, is evidence enough that Bill's grasp on political strategy is tentative at best.
At this point, the Clinton campaign is long over, existing now only on fumes and denial. To that end, whether Bill takes a more central role in the campaign or not will have little impact on the outcome of the race. It is, however, yet another example of poor decision-making by a woman who is vying to be the chief decision maker.
Bill Clinton does not deserve a promotion. He deserves to be fired.
They both like to touch women that they're not supposed to touch. Both have found themselves in some trouble for such behavior.
I am struck your style that that mimics perfectly the GOP machine. They can't compete with ideas either, and can only find comfort in false dialogue and side shows. You may say you are progressive, but you don't think or comport yourselves as Democrats.
Maybe he doesn't because the reasons why she doesn't have it are too numerous, and too obvious to anyone who has been paying attention, to waste his time stating them again.
The question then became how to win the blue collar whites. Heading into south carolina a race his wife was guaranteed to lose, Bill got to raise the race card. This mattered in terms of marginalizing the perception of her defeat, as well as allowed the campaign to enter the race card into the picture. Once entered into the picture it then became fair game conversation for pundits. But how to do that without looking like it was the Clinton Campaign and minimizing damage. You use the "First Black President" and you dissasscoiate him from the campaign so it looks like it isn't the campaigns position. You've swallowed that last part hook line and sinker. Now women offended by hillary's victimization in monicagate again feel Bill is victimizing her strenthening their support.
The campaign has now strengthened it's support with women, Set bill up to be a rogue attack dog, and marginalized perception of Obama's wins. Fast forward a bit and they succeed in casting him as both an ivory tower elitist and a black vote candidiate two things white males might not like.
Now, Hillary is no longer the establishment elite candidate. Sure they offended the college educated whites and blacks but they had already written that vote off.
The 25th amendment governs the line of succession, and it's allowable to have someone in the line of succession who is not eligible for the presidency. (i.e. Henry Kissinger, Madeline Albright).
However, the Vice Presidency is also governed by Article II of the Constitution, which requires that the Vice President have the capacity to take over the presidency in the event of the president's death.
So short answer.... probably, No. And in reality, she would never do that.
I believe this is very, very sad for billary.
I still don't see anything negative about either of the Clintons.
If Dean doesn't screw up this election prosses further, I will thoroughly enjoy the Clintons in the White House, once again.
They are good people, and for you.
Try to see that. And enjoy them.
Look, Hillary on one hand---Valedictorian, PHd type, with 8 years experience as Vice Pres, also in Gov's Mansion for years, also two time Senator----aginst---on the other hand----Obama---a Freshman.
Come on! These are serious, complicated times! We can't have a freshman in there now!
Either of these people would do a better job than McBush. But the race is over. Obama won.
We have serious problems in the United States with our economy and Bill Clinton had a proven track record. He ran on the campaign slogan "its the economy stupid" and when he got in office he fixed the economy.
You may be a psychic or a fortune teller but you haven't proved it, so you have no way of knowing who will or will not make a good President, apart from the same subjective criteria that I'm quite capable of judging for myself.
In short, I have no need to, "try to see," your biased opinion as though it were fact.
P.S. We're always in, "serious, complicated times." I don't think the Revolutionary War, institutionalized slavery, the Civil War, the First, Second or Cold Wars or Vietnam, etcetera were an uncomplicated cakewalk.
1. If it wasn't for Ross Perot entering and re-entering the race, He would have lost to a guy who had the economy severely tank on his watch.
2. People make so much of "Bittergate" we forget about Geniffer Flowers and the "I didn't inhale" comment.
3. He entered the presidency with his office and both houses of congress controlled by the democratic party, he left office with the Repups controlling it all
If that is the record of a brilliant politician what would a failure look like?
Now Hillary puts Bill in charge of her campaign. She'll lose. Bill will have managed to scar Obama to the point where McCain will walk away with the election. And the other 300 million of us after 8 more years of Republican rape and pillage? Probably in the third world, but hey, Hillary and Bill will be up and running in 2016. Mission accomplished.