Posted on 01/06/2008 5:36:14 PM PST by jdm
Bill Clinton's new brief was to make the case for his wife Hillary as a woman of action and experience "who gets things done".
But he could not stop himself drifting back to his years in the White House and the glory days of his 1992 campaign. The more he talks, the greater the danger is that he harms Mrs Clinton's chances by focusing on the past when voters are looking for change and highlighting his star power compared to her own plodding style.
Seven years after he handed over the presidency to George W. Bush, Mr Clinton can still make a persuasive case. He is now more bleary-eyed old sage, however, than the fresh-faced "Comeback Kid" of four elections ago when he fought back in the New Hampshire primary and went on to victory.
The veteran warrior was still able to take some shots at his wife's nemesis Barack Obama, suggesting he was incapable of delivering on his lofty rhetoric. "Do you want a feeling of change or do you want the fact of change?" he asked the crowd. "Do you want words that sound good or action that changes your life for the better?"
He knew though that Mr Obama had just drawn a wildly enthusiastic crowd of more than 2,500 in Nashua while Mrs Clinton's rally in Penacook at the same time had drawn just 800. About 500 were crammed into a school gymnasium for Mr Clinton's event.
As he waxed nostalgic about his time in the White House, it was almost as if Mr Clinton sensed that the political dream he and his wife had shared for perhaps a decade of her returning to his old stamping ground was slipping away.
"Just think what it's like to be president," he mused. "They play a song every time you walk in the room - 'Hail to the Chief'. I was completely lost for three weeks after I left the White House. Nobody ever played a song any more.
"Washington DC is the second most congested city in America. But the president never waits in traffic. He just slips along in that bullet-proof limo. You live in America's best public housing. No commute to the most famous office in the world and your airplane is so cool they make movies about it."
The podium at Souhegan High School was decorated with a huge "Hillary for President" sign. Above it, in an unfortunate juxtaposition, was a large girls' soccer banner declaring: "Runner-up".
Even when he made a point about the former First Lady's dedication and staying power, she was merely a footnote in an anecdote about himself.
"I remember at the end of my campaign 15 years ago," he said "I gave a speech in Dover when I lost my normal constraints and started talking in the foreign language of my native land Arkansas. I said that if you elected me I would be with you until the last dog died.
"That's the kind of speech I gave when I was tired. I tell you that because that's the kind of person she is. She will be with you until the end."
Several of those watching indicated they believed that New Hampshire could well be the end for Mrs Clinton. Scott Rabiet, 45, a museum exhibits designer, had seen Mr Obama before the Bill Clinton event day and had been struck by the contrast.
"What I heard at the Obama event was an articulate vision for where this country ought to go," he said. "What I saw here was an articulate set of policy proposals....Obama does it for me. Hillary makes a great senator."
The contrast between Mrs Clinton and her husband also worked against the former First Lady, he added. "Hillary suffers by comparison. The guy's a natural. Hillary's not. That's obvious."
Dave Callahan, 49, a jewellery importer, said he respected Mrs Clinton's experience but worried about the legacy of the partisan warfare of the 1990s. "The big bad side of it is Hillary's just one more Clinton battle and all the baggage that brings."
It's all about him, just like always. Not about having the honor to hold an office that George Washington held, but rather seeing things from the perspective of a 15 year old boy. Gahd what a waste of space.
He does need her to keep quiet. As long as there is a chase for power that will continue even if his support is self serving.
Now, now.......
There's no reason to insult 15 year old boys like that.......
Many of them are more level headed that the 'toon.....
They had 8 years in the White House, just what was it they got done during that time again?
Mid-night basketball?
The Obama crowd is having fun circulating the Video where Hillary once told the world "You're Either With Us Or Against Us.
Yup !
What “star power”. Bill didn’t get a majority of the popular vote either time he ran and he lost control of Congress.
She let's him watch ... ;-)
Bill got a few notches on his bedpost ... Does that count?
I’ve always said she would LOSE....IF he campaigned for her.....anyone he campaigns for loses!
I’m waiting for him to interrupt her in mid-speech, toss a diet pepsi max, take the podium and speech notes while barking out “hey you need this, I’ll take that”, and start doing it out for her out of disgust, Jerry Jones style.
HA...I wrote a 2 page, single spaced letter to friends and relatives when HE ran the 2nd time explaining why they should NOT vote for him......at the time, I’m sure some whom I sent it to thought I was loony....but, I think I’ve been vindicated.
That’s the bottom line with this bunch but they will claim do no harm whiles Bill Gates, Mike Dell and John Chambers (Cisco) created 90’s wealth. Oh and Reagan cleared the decks by crushing the soviets.
“The podium at Souhegan High School was decorated with a huge “Hillary for President” sign. Above it, in an unfortunate juxtaposition, was a large girls’ soccer banner declaring: “Runner-up”.
LOL...I wonder why some enterprising young news photog didn’t get a shot of that. Oh, I guess he might have heard what happened to Kathleen Wiley’s cat....
Yes you certainly have been vindicated.
When a snake starts to look better than a warthog, it’s time to leave the zoo!!!
He only left out one perk. The oval office otherwise known as the harem lounge. That’s all it is to them. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Hillary would use it similarly. Power. Glitz. They don’t shiv a git about the country and the fact that it’s going down hill at break neck speed. POWER is the name of their game. “See me. Aren’t I special.” Barf !!!
She stands up there with Maddie Half-bright and the other holdovers from the Toon administration and talks about being the agent of change. ROFL
“Sound of crickets chirping.”
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Oh, I could make a long list of what they got done, the problem is it was all negative. I can’t think of one thing they accomplished that was positive. The best thing about Bill was that he didn’t get in the way of the country as much as some wanted him to. As far as his vaunted abilities, I wouldn’t hire him to manage a chain of pay toilets.
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