Hillary Clinton may argue she's the most electable. But hubby Bill is certainly the most delectable. At least from a Republican point of view. Does anybody really believe that if Hillary's the nominee, Slick Willie's post-presidential sex life won't be fully unzipped by the time Flag Day rolls around?
By now you know Hillary's spiel. She's the one who's battle-tested. She's the one who's been dishing it back to Republicans for 16 years (or is it 35?). Only she can withstand the certain-to-come, withering, blistering attack that will be unleashed by the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.
Well, I'm ready to buy the second half of that equation. I have little doubt that whomever the Republican candidate turns out to be, he will wage a campaign just as bare-knuckled, just as amoral, just as ruthless and probably more so than the current quest by Billary to take out Obama.
But that first part? That Hillary's best-suited to withstand the heat of the flamethrowers because, among other qualities -- we're told -- there's nothing left to discover about her. There couldn't possibly be any new dirt about her to dish that hasn't already been sifted through a dozen times in public. She's safe, sanitized, inoculated and inert.
I'll buy that too.
But what about Bill?
Who out there reading this is willing to guess that there's nothing new to probe about his activities since he left office? Count me out, please. And while we're speaking of counting, the numbers I've heard out on the campaign trail have ranged from 5 to 10 and even twice that number. Is there any verification of this? Certainly not.
How long, however, will it take for whatever dirt there is to come rushing to the headlines as soon as it is politically convenient? We already are seeing the first not-so-subtle hints.
Will it be revolting that Bill's seemingly uncontrollable proclivities (and uncontrollable is the word I've heard applied to him from within the Hillary campaign) will be splashed across the tube? For sure. As disgusting as his own behavior has been.
Is it unfortunate, even sad, that one's personal life can be become a national political issue? Usually, I'd say (except, of course, when the public figure in question pretty much guarantees the eruption of scandal). We can debate for years and finally agree or disagree that these sort of matters are part of the legitimate debate. That they actually are has become undeniable.
Back in 1988, Bill Clinton wanted to take a run for the White House. And he balked not for the reasons he now claims -- that he was too green. Any student of the Clinton Dynasty knows that the Bimbo Question just wasn't under enough control at the time and he was dissuaded from taking the risk. Even when he waited four more years to run, after his staff and cronies had rounded up all the babes they could and persuaded and cajoled them to stay mum, Gennifer Flowers still almost sacked him. The rest, my friends, is history.
It also threatens to become our future.