Clinton's effective Obama embrace
As he was in 2008, Clinton on Wednesday night was equal parts Obama defender and rival-party prosecutor, describing Romney and Ryan as a bridge to the past and tethering the current president to the policies he himself pushed for in the 1990s. But four years later, there was no rawness left in Clinton’s comments.
Repeatedly, Clinton reminded the crowd that this election was serious, and that it was important for them to listen. He rattled off statistics, accusing Ryan of being too clever in hitting Obama on Medicare. The numbers in the Romney budget? They “don’t add up,” he said.Continue Reading
Most significantly for Obama, he denounced the ads about the president “gutting” the welfare requirements that Clinton championed in the 1990s as “not true.” And he insisted Obama is actually committed to increasing the number of people moved off welfare.
“This is personal to me,” he said.
Bill Clinton’s speech also worked to preserve future options for his wife, who was mentioned briefly only as a proponent of “constructive cooperation” in politics. Had there been a fumble during her husband’s high-profile speech, the headlines on Thursday would have been about Hillary, and how her husband had, again, caused her harm.
Not so this time.
Midway through the speech, Clinton pointed out that Obama “even appointed Hillary!” to cheers from the crowd. It was a fleeting reference to his wife — more than that would have been problematic.
Hillary would benefit, many believe, from running against an incumbent Republican as opposed to following a lame-duck Democrat. If Obama fails to win, no one would blame Bill, but given the investment he’s made in the president’s reelection effort, he might reap the benefits of being a kingmaker.
Whether Hillary ends up running again, after a 20-year career that has included the titles first lady, senator, presidential candidate and secretary of state, remains to be seen.
She has been emphatic in interviews that she is tired. Her friends and allies say she has no illusions about what would happen to her incredibly strong approval ratings, which are about the same as her husband’s, if she launched another campaign.
Hillary has talked about writing another book when she leaves her post at the end of 2012 — which would, naturally, lead to a book tour. This is similar to the formula she used last time – the launch of “Living History” was widely seen as the kickoff to her 2008 presidential campaign.
One source close to the Clintons said Hillary hadn’t made any decisions in either direction, but would likely take some downtime after leaving the Obama administration, write her book, start a foundation or join her husband’s, and then assess the landscape in about two years.
“She says she won’t” run again, Bill Clinton told NBC’s Brian Williams in an interview that aired shortly before his speech. She is approaching 70 — they are not, Bill Clinton noted, “kids anymore.”
Yet Bill Clinton has become a Reaganesque figure among Democrats since leaving office, giving a different dimension to a national political legacy.
After they hugged following Obama’s entrance on stage after Clinton’s speech, they waved to the crowd with their arms around each other’s backs as they walked off stage.
But someone caught Clinton’s eye, and he stopped just before exiting to shake hands. Obama, waved back by Clinton, shook the man’s hand as well. Clinton then started talking to someone else. Obama, walking ahead, left the stage, leaving Clinton behind.