Bill Clinton wows the Democratic National Convention last night in Denver.
No big-time Democrat got more sideways with the rise of Barack Obama than the big dog himself, Bill Clinton. Wouldn't it be ironic if it turned out that the former president needs to play a very crucial role in Obama's elevation to the office he once held?
I think that, if Obama is to win, Clinton does need to play that very crucial role, and he can play that very crucial role. From what I know of Clinton's schedule, he will be available, assuming that he and the Obama campaign can continue bridging what has been a very large gap. And from what I know of John McCain's strategy, Bill Clinton can be an absolute difference maker in this election. He certainly gave a rousing speech for Obama last night in Denver.
Now, I am not historically a big Bill Clinton fan. While I've found him likable and smart for a couple of decades, I worked against him when he ran for president in 1992. After he became president, I wrote a number of critical columns and articles about him and his administration. I did come to admire the many innovative global good works of his post-presidency. But after seeing in early 2007 that Obama was the emerging figure in the presidential race, Clintonian tactics began to grate.
I think Bill Clinton played the key role in saving Hillary Clinton's campaign after her big loss in Iowa. He gave her good advice, raised big doubts about Obama, and played the key role in reversing Obama's lead amongst blue collar voters in New Hampshire. Obama skidded to a stunning loss.
Bill Clinton played the key role in holding off Obama in the next contest, Nevada. With trademark chutzpah, he claimed that it was Obama's campaign that was intimidating voters, going so far as to stride into a big caucus on the Las Vegas Strip, intimidating voters in the process, to press his claim that Obama's campaign was intimidating voters.
Bill Clinton gets in trouble in South Carolina last January.
Things went south, literally and figuratively, with the next contest in South Carolina, where to many he crossed the line "playing the race card" by pejoratively comparing Obama's huge primary win, with a record turnout, to Jesse Jackson's '80s wins in small turnout caucuses. The controversy went on from there, with the former president making a number of controversial statements, usually in a seeming fit of pique.
It raised the question of whether he would have won in the first place in 1992 had the Internet -- with swift insurgent fundraising, ready research and communication, and, of course, YouTube -- existed back then for folks outside research universities and the Pentagon.
Some associates attributed his troubles to his post-presidential lifestyle, a glittering affair in which he is frequently feted by the super-rich and practically never told he is wrong. He was likened to a once great athlete grown older and slower and softer.
And yet, despite the melodrama that developed around him -- some of it, as he claimed, due to the news media's gotcha tactics of having "embed" stalkers constantly following him around, pointing their little electronic gizmos at him to catch that embarrassing snippet of video or audio footage -- he was still a very effective campaigner. He spent the final two days of the Super Tuesday campaign locking down the California primary, where Obama had enjoyed a brief surge, and was key in Hillary's very narrow win in New Mexico.
By the time the Ohio and Texas primaries rolled around in March, Hillary Clinton was on the ropes. But Bill Clinton came through for her. "Relegated," as the press had it, to "second and third tier markets," i.e., those outside the giant metro areas with the expense account hotels and restaurants, Bill Clinton was a sensation campaigning for his wife.
I've examined those results from Ohio and Texas, and Bill Clinton was a huge factor in Hillary's big win in Ohio. As for Texas, I think Obama would have won the primary there but for Clinton's efforts in the Big Out There outside the Dallas and Houston media markets. As it was, Obama very narrowly lost the primary, while rolling up a huge win in the million-plus turnout caucuses that night.
Once again, Bill Clinton came through, buttressing his wife's campaign when the chips were down, showing his campaign prowess when it was absolutely needed for her candidacy to continue. He did just as well for her in other key states, like Pennsylvania, where Hillary's 9-point victory was just enough to keep her campaign going.
Which gets us to why Obama needs Bill Clinton campaigning for him.
I'm told by Clinton associates that the former president does not have any foreign travel planned between now and the November election. And that he is ready to campaign hard for Barack Obama.
I know that Team McCain is targeting several states in its bid to pull off what now looks like a far less unlikely upset than it should be. These states coincide with the states in which we know that Bill Clinton can be a highly effective campaigner.
Among the principal McCain targets are Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. All economically depressed states that a Democrat should win in this 80% wrong track environment. All states in which Obama is underperforming the Democratic brand.
McCain has campaigned in these states more than Obama. His campaign thought it might have cracked Pennsylvania before now. It hasn't, as Obama leads there, but his lead is in some peril. With his ability to campaign on economic distress and connect with white working class voters, Bill Clinton can lock down the Keystone State for Obama.
He can also help Obama enormously in Michigan, a state that is far closer than it should be, where Obama did not campaign in the primary due to the crazy primary scheduling snafu, and Ohio, which is very close.
He's also a big help with rural voters in Missouri, which Obama won in the primary solely on the strength of an urban vote, and which McCain is targeting. He can help Obama win Virginia, which McCain badly wants to retain, and keep North Carolina, where McCain doesn't want to have to campaign, in play.
And Bill Clinton is a big help in the Mountain West -- the region John McCain hails from -- the new battleground region of the election, as we saw in his own elections as president, and in the narrow Hillary wins in Nevada and New Mexico.
While Bill Clinton was wowing the Democratic national convention last night in Denver, John McCain was in northern Arizona, finalizing the plans for the roll-out of of his vice presidential selection on Friday. Plans which point up Clinton's importance to the Obama campaign.
McCain will introduce his running mate on Friday at a rally in Dayton, Ohio. Then the new twosome will tour Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. All states where Clinton can be a difference maker for Obama.
Yesterday, the Clintons met with 300 of their top fundraisers at Denver's historic Brown Palace Hotel. Lots of hugs and sentiment. And urgings to support Barack Obama.
That financial support hasn't been fast in coming to date. Even slower has been Obama Nation's support for the retirement of Hillary's huge debt.
This was a tough Democratic primary fight, so lingering bad feelings are natural. The irony is that Obama, given Bill Clinton's historic affinity for the African-American community, is someone Clinton would likely have endorsed and helped. Had Hillary not been running herself.
We'll see if Barack Obama and Bill Clinton can get past their differences and win this presidency.
GIve the guy a break. I'd say the Obama campaign did plenty of whining about being mistreated by the Clintons. Obama's speech- Prosaic. Okay but not marvelous.
All the fanatics that drank the Kool-Aid-- have forced this upon us. Obama is a gamble at such a risky & crucial time.
Just as Jacob W from Slate responded-- when all the bobble heads were whining about how Bill Clinton needed to mend relationships with afro-americans (due to some tough words (it is called campaigning people)--- " That isn't the point-- Obama has a problem with white voters-- & that is what needs to be improved. " Like right about now brother. Or this country is a goner!
Does Obama need Clinton? Clinton is the model of a modern American President, a wonk who cares about all the people of the country. After Carter and Gore, a Nobel Prize for Clinton might be going too far but clearly, he intends to be deserving. Anybody who doesn't get the contrast between Bush and Clinton is a kind of person who makes "Republican" into a swear word. Obama needs everybody, and he doesn't deserve the office, he wouldn't do well in it, and he isn't the person we think he is if good people don't back him up.
Al Gore made a BIG mistake & LOST. Bill Clinton could have put him over the top but nooooo! He had to be so sanctimonious that he didn't avail himself of a guy who despite troubles was a very popular guy who had a great 8 year run. If he hadn't had such hubris, we would have been SPARED Dubya!
I actually know John McCain, and his new campaign manager, and like them both.
But if you imagine that McCain will be anything but some sort of Republican president, you are very sadly mistaken.
Remember, I am reporting some things to you.
You can either comment on what I am reporting and analyzing, or you can vent your spleens.
I voted for Hillary in the Primary, because I liked her attitude and fighting spirit as well as her fighting for progressive causes and candidates earlier in her life before she was with Bill. Then, when Bill "helped" her, she lost us, the Progressive Democrats.
Bill is an operator. He likes Wall Street and the big money guys who favored NAFTA . He didn't do a thing for the Unions, the workers and the Homeless or the poor. He helped to outsource jobs. He is not my kind of Democrat. I didn't vote for him in 1996. Although I didn't vote Republican, I just didn't vote for a President.
I wish they would leave Obama alone. I think he will be OK without Bill. Guys like Richardson, Edwards, Dodd and Kucinich can help him, but keep that Operator Bill Clinton away. And Hillary is OK without Bill. She is smart, speaks well and still has a lot of drive.
In case you think I am a young idealistic first time voter, I am a 87 year young Progressive Democrat and WW ii Veteran who loves politics.
Bill Clinton should have left him wherever he found him instead of giving him a good job. Would you really want a guy like Edwards to endorse you?
I don't think Obama is worthy of Bill Clinton's help. I think you are very mixed up when it comes to judging these politicians. They all love power and money. You can bet the Kennedy's own Obama for bringing him into power. Watch Caroline get a big job for her part in the play.
By the way, Hillary Clinton would have been the better president.
I am sure in the future with Obama as President he would call on Bill and Hillary to aid him with certain issues but he will also have his own administration who will do whatever needs to be done.
Right now Obama needs to put his team together and focus on HIS campaign !
I think people are forgetting its Obama who won the nomination and he is the only one who should be chosing who he will use in the future not the people .
We will be ending the convention tonight on a united front so lets keep it that way and stop stiring up more controversy .That is like saying that Hillary really was the only one who could win this election and I think that is an insult to Obama ! Give the man his due credit please !
While I do appreciate their support in the convention and they did an excellent job ,I really think its time for Obama to shine in his own light not in the shadows of the Clinton's after all it is Obama we will be voting for in November not a Clinton .
Huh?
Okay. In 2004 Obama -- like Kerry and most everybody else -- bought into the necessity of the Iraq war. I remember him speaking on Meet the Press to the effect that he did not think going against his party's position during election season was a very good idea. Now someone has dug up some more --previously unaired -- footage in which he is spouting the standard 2004 line of argument.
Instead of getting out in front of the "fairy tale" of unflagging opposition to the war, Obama is now going to have to explain something too complex for the average voter (and HuffPostian) to process. I'm sorry to see it coming, but it should have been APPARENT to anyone with a brain back when BC made the fairy tale comment. ... Here come da judge.
The too easy, unexamined Billary-bashing is just about ready to come back and bite some backsides. All I can say is I told you so. ... Here come da TV ad....
Too much tender feelings.
Bill unloaded some hard balls on Obama. Politics is a tough
game. The Clintons and Obama are both adult enough to do
what they have to do to win for all of us. Are you?
Now that some time has passed since the Clinton presidency,
I view Bill Clinton as a somewhat flawed giant, like all of us
he stumbled here and there but still has the power to do
good things for America.
Who said that?
That being said, only the future will tell if he will back up his words with action. I hope he does.
My big worry continues to be race. I think that's the reason he's not doing well in the states like PA where you would expect Democrats do well. After seeing the poll of voters in West Virginia re: whether race affected their primary decision, I think race is, unfortunately, going to play a big part in this election.
i don't like his policies
Obama recognizes what a great American Bill Clinton is, and he will benefit tremendously from Bill's expert messaging.
But to win, you better get over your hurt feelings.
The Clintons play to win.