Bill Clinton---President Heckler
ledvedderman
Posts: 7,761
This is from today's Chicago Tribune:
Editorials
President Heckler
January 22, 2008
The best observation heard about the peculiar campaign antics of Bill Clinton is that he's behaving like a Little League dad: screaming from the stands, discomfiting those he's trying to help and generally forgetting that he's not supposed to be the center of attention. And that comment reportedly came from someone in Hillary Clinton's campaign.
But Bill, never famous for self-restraint, can't seem to help himself. He wants his wife to be president, and he's apparently willing to do anything to help her reach that goal -- anything but shut up.
In recent weeks, as Hillary Clinton found herself in a close race with Barack Obama, the former president has repeatedly taken potshots at the upstart challenger. The man from Hope fumed that Obama's claim to have consistently opposed the Iraq war was "the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." He warned that to elect someone with Obama's credentials would be to "roll the dice." He said the Illinois senator has run a negative campaign and "I have been blistered by it for months," a claim no one else has been able to confirm.
Clinton seems to see his function as something like the traditional task assigned to the presidential nominee's running mate -- attack dog. Other critics refer to him as Hillary Clinton's Karl Rove. However described, he's settled on a terrible role.
Traditionally, former presidents generally prefer not to take sides in the intra-party primary fray, much less descend into the muck. A former president has an obligation to his party and his country to treat his would-be successors with a respect borne of experience on the firing line.
But Clinton spurns any limits on what he may do. As Michael Tomasky of Guardian America wrote, "He campaigned against a fellow Democrat no differently than if Obama had been Newt Gingrich."
If that sounds strange, it should. Try to imagine Jimmy Carter taking to the hustings to trash Hillary Clinton's record. Or George H.W. Bush going on TV to heckle Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson.
Clinton has already been criticized by some black leaders for his treatment of the first African-American to have a plausible shot at the presidency. Donna Brazile, a veteran strategist who worked on both of Clinton's presidential campaigns, said she found "his words and his tone very depressing."
Blacks are not the only people with a legitimate gripe. Democrats as a group, including Hillary Clinton supporters, should worry that if she wins the nomination, her husband's divisive tactics might induce some of Obama's legions to stay home on Election Day. If Obama beats her, on the other hand, Republicans will doubtless use Bill Clinton's words against the Democratic nominee.
The former president may be enjoying his return to the presidential campaign trail. But in the end, he's doing more harm than good to his wife, his party and his own reputation.
Editorials
President Heckler
January 22, 2008
The best observation heard about the peculiar campaign antics of Bill Clinton is that he's behaving like a Little League dad: screaming from the stands, discomfiting those he's trying to help and generally forgetting that he's not supposed to be the center of attention. And that comment reportedly came from someone in Hillary Clinton's campaign.
But Bill, never famous for self-restraint, can't seem to help himself. He wants his wife to be president, and he's apparently willing to do anything to help her reach that goal -- anything but shut up.
In recent weeks, as Hillary Clinton found herself in a close race with Barack Obama, the former president has repeatedly taken potshots at the upstart challenger. The man from Hope fumed that Obama's claim to have consistently opposed the Iraq war was "the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." He warned that to elect someone with Obama's credentials would be to "roll the dice." He said the Illinois senator has run a negative campaign and "I have been blistered by it for months," a claim no one else has been able to confirm.
Clinton seems to see his function as something like the traditional task assigned to the presidential nominee's running mate -- attack dog. Other critics refer to him as Hillary Clinton's Karl Rove. However described, he's settled on a terrible role.
Traditionally, former presidents generally prefer not to take sides in the intra-party primary fray, much less descend into the muck. A former president has an obligation to his party and his country to treat his would-be successors with a respect borne of experience on the firing line.
But Clinton spurns any limits on what he may do. As Michael Tomasky of Guardian America wrote, "He campaigned against a fellow Democrat no differently than if Obama had been Newt Gingrich."
If that sounds strange, it should. Try to imagine Jimmy Carter taking to the hustings to trash Hillary Clinton's record. Or George H.W. Bush going on TV to heckle Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson.
Clinton has already been criticized by some black leaders for his treatment of the first African-American to have a plausible shot at the presidency. Donna Brazile, a veteran strategist who worked on both of Clinton's presidential campaigns, said she found "his words and his tone very depressing."
Blacks are not the only people with a legitimate gripe. Democrats as a group, including Hillary Clinton supporters, should worry that if she wins the nomination, her husband's divisive tactics might induce some of Obama's legions to stay home on Election Day. If Obama beats her, on the other hand, Republicans will doubtless use Bill Clinton's words against the Democratic nominee.
The former president may be enjoying his return to the presidential campaign trail. But in the end, he's doing more harm than good to his wife, his party and his own reputation.
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Comments
it will backfire in this election
January 2 at 2:41pm ·
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I hope Bill Clinton starts talking about women's issues so that voters can see what a hypocrite he is and how Hillary abused those women!