Before I begin, let me say I like Bill Clinton. I have nothing against Bill Clinton. I’m from Arkansas and proud of the association. I’ve even met Bill Clinton. But it was bound to happen that people possibly started voting for Hillary as part of a package deal to, technically, get Bill back into the White House for an unofficial third term. Unfortunately Billy boy isn’t doing much to downgrade this idea. Take this article from the Washington Post today.
A prime example:
Along the way, he often sounds as if he’s campaigning for a third term. Here in Aiken, he tried mightily to talk about Hillary, but he kept lapsing into the first person: “My position on that is simple. . . . When I was in law school. . . . When I was president. . . . When I was governor of Arkansas. . . . When I started this schools program. . . . I made the governor of South Carolina secretary of education. . . . I got a Mercury mini-SUV.”
Now, granted, politicians often find it difficult to talk in anything other than the third person but considering the barbs Bill has made against Obama in recent weeks, it certainly seems like he might have more than just a supporting role in this campaign and ultimately, possibly, presidency. I cannot say that I blame Obama in any way, shape or form for arguing it is more like two-on-one with the Hillary campaign and that it seems rather unfair.
On the other hand, I suppose we all knew that at some point Bill would enter the ring to fight for his lady: once a politician, always a politician. Some might argue he’s only slightly more involved than any of the other spouses. Obama’s wife Michelle has attended many rallies in her own right on behalf of her husband. The striking difference, though, is that the sole purpose of Michelle Obama or Elizabeth Edwards making a comment or speech or otherwise diving into the fray is to whole-heartedly support their husbands. With comments such as those above, can we honestly say the same thing about Bill?
I have never supported Hillary Clinton for president and I don’t now just because I like Bill. Unfortunately it seems, for some Americans, it might be hard come primary-voting day to disassociate the two. We may end up with a dynastic presidency with either a Bush or a Clinton in the White House for more than twenty years if people don’t assess Hillary on her merits alone, rather than her famous husband’s.