Bill Clinton’s Interesting Campaign Moments
[Guest post by DRJ]
Basically, I think Bill Clinton wants Hillary to win the Presidency but sometimes I wonder if he’s conflicted on the idea.
In late November, Clinton claimed he had opposed the Iraq war “from the beginning” although he had previously been seen as supporting the war. His statement may have helped Hillary with some voters but it primarily served to draw attention to the fact that Hillary’s position on Iraq is more moderate than many Democratic voters want.
More recently, Bill Clinton broached the subject of Hillary’s decision to put her political goals on the back-burner during their marriage:
“Campaigning for his wife, former President Clinton says that when they were starting out he was so struck by her intellect and ability he once suggested she should just dump him and jump into her own political career.
That didn’t happen, of course, and on Monday he gave an Iowa crowd his version of why it didn’t.
“I thought it would be wrong for me to rob her of the chance to be what I thought she should be,” said Clinton. “She laughed and said, ‘First I love you and, second, I’m not going to run for anything, I’m too hardheaded.‘”
One of Hillary’s problems is that she is perceived as hard-shelled, distant, and unwilling to compromise. Now Bill reinforces that by calling her hard-headed. As Jon Lovitz’ SNL character, the pathological liar, would say, “That’s the ticket.”
There’s more:
“I thought she was the most gifted person of our generation,” said Clinton, who said he told her, “You know, you really should dump me and go back home to Chicago or go to New York and take one of those offers you’ve got and run for office.”
It makes sense that she considered something other than practicing law. After all, she may not have received many offers to practice law outside Arkansas since she didn’t pass the bar.
I really do wonder whether Bill Clinton wants Hillary to win or lose.
— DRJ
It’s hard to put a label on Bill Clinton and “sincere”, “honest”, “credible” are the hardest. In my view, he is a brilliant sociopath who can fake empathy to cozen others but does not feel it in any way. He probably considers those who do to be mentally defective.
Narcissism does not entirely describe him, either, but it is likely the biggest component of his personality. It would be inconceivable to him that his wife would not find him the greatest thing in the world and make the greatest of sacrifices for his sake. Although at a very shallow intellectual level he could contemplate that she might not, just as we could contemplate whether fire is cold, in his real thoughts which govern his view of the world and his conduct he is the only thing that is important to her (and to everyone else).
I do not believe that he cares any more for Hillary than he does for Juanita Broderick, Kathleen Wiley, Monika Lewinski or a cockroach on the sidewalk.
nk (26f031) — 12/11/2007 @ 9:25 amI think you’re on to something there, DRJ. If Hillary were to win, he would have to come back to DC and live inside a fishbowl surrounded by an armed camp. Imagine what that would do to his dating life.
driver (faae10) — 12/11/2007 @ 9:42 am“If Hillary were to win, he would have to come back to DC and live inside a fishbowl surrounded by an armed camp. Imagine what that would do to his dating life.”
This is why she would definitely invite him to every cabinet meeting. She could glean from his experience while keeping extremely close tabs on him. Unless of course once in office a little comeuppance is in store as she assigns him an ‘Ambassador of the World At Large’ post stationed in outer Siberia.
‘Brilliant sociopath’ sounds about right.
Dana (b4a26c) — 12/11/2007 @ 9:57 am“I thought it would be wrong for me to rob her of the chance to be what I thought she should be.” Not “of the chance to be what *she* thought she should be.” It is really all about him, even when he’s insisting that it isn’t.
m (1fc1a9) — 12/11/2007 @ 9:57 amI think it would be kind of cool if, between election and inauguration, she dumped him for Huma.
(Just to be clear: I don’t buy into Hillary as the Killer Lesbian thing, and couldn’t care less what her sexual preferences are. My guess is that she really doesn’t much care who else he sleeps with or she would have dumped him decades ago.)
That said, I think DRJ is wrong. Everything I know (indirectly; never met the guy) about Bill Clinton suggests that he thinks that the more power and influence that Bill Clinton has, the better, and I can’t see him as seeing himself as having more, at this point, than with his wife as President, and I think the evidence is pretty clear that he’s made some sacrifices in aid of that: he’s been careful not to either sleep around or get caught for years, now.
Joel Rosenberg (677e59) — 12/11/2007 @ 9:59 amThe Clintons have always served as a tabula rasa onto which Conservatives love to project their dearest fantasies: murder, rape, unfettered power, lesbian chic, et. al.
If they did not exist L. Brent Bozell would have been forced to invent them from scratch.
David Ehrenstein (5f9866) — 12/11/2007 @ 10:14 amDavid, I hear just as much antipathy to the Clinton’s from Democrats these days.
SPQR (26be8b) — 12/11/2007 @ 10:20 amDemocratic antipathy is fact-based, not “reality-based.”
David Ehrenstein (5f9866) — 12/11/2007 @ 10:23 amDavid, now you are really showing your silliness again. In fact your line could be accurately rewritten to read:
“George W. Bush has always served as a tabula rasa onto which Liberals love to project their dearest fantasies: murder, rape, unfettered power, lesbian chic, et. al.”
Well, the lesbian part might not work …
SPQR (26be8b) — 12/11/2007 @ 10:30 amDidn’t hurt it much last time… 🙂
Scott Jacobs (425810) — 12/11/2007 @ 11:45 amScott,
SPQR (26be8b) — 12/11/2007 @ 12:54 pmthe secret service won’t report to him this time.
Joel Rosenberg #5,
That’s my point. I agree Bill Clinton looks forward to going back to the White House – he probably craves it as would most people in that position. Yet he must know he would be forced to take whatever token power Hillary decides to give him. When I think of it that way, it seems almost emasculating.
So Bill is tempted by the power he once held and at the same time discouraged to realize he will be so far away from real power. It’s like dangling something delicious just out of his grasp. If it were me, I would be ambivalent about helping someone get in the position to treat me that way – unless I truly loved and trusted him/her. For their sake, I hope that’s true for the Clintons.
DRJ (09f144) — 12/11/2007 @ 1:17 pmIt would for the Cheneys.
Especially Lynne with that sapphic bodice-ripper in her past.
David Ehrenstein (5f9866) — 12/11/2007 @ 2:00 pmDavid E
This is one of the more profoundly stupid things you have said, and that is no small accomplishment.
JD (2c9284) — 12/11/2007 @ 3:44 pmStupid? Absolutely!
Profound? Someone is being very charitable.
Another Drew (8018ee) — 12/11/2007 @ 5:32 pmDRJ, I think Bill Clinton was emasculated by Hillary a very long time ago, thus in part, his overeall lack of respect and usery of women. (of course that doesn’t speak to the throngs of women who fall for him…) Whatever Hillary offers, he’ll take because an addict is desperate for a fix…and even if its a whiff of power its better than nothing at all.
Dana (6380ec) — 12/11/2007 @ 6:38 pmHillary is sinking in the polls in Iowa and is getting very desperate. She only brought Bill here because he out polls her. She touts experience, but it his experience, not hers!
If either Bill or Hillary’s lips are moving, they are lying.
PCD (09d6a8) — 12/12/2007 @ 5:16 am