Billary

Bill Clinton came to the North Coast recently, and he was very big news. All the newspapers put him on the front page, including the weekly and the college student weekly. There is apparently controversy about how the event was handled, with overflow crowds upset that they couldn't get closer.

I saw a Bill Clinton speech in Market Square in Pittsburgh, and shook his hand afterwards. But that was in 1992 when he was first running for President. I'd done some work for his campaign in Pittsburgh. Now he's an international celebrity, and his every word makes news. For older Democrats he's the man they won with, who they fought for in tough times and came out of it with a better country. For younger people, he's the only Democratic President they've ever known.

Hillary Clinton was a high profile First Lady, and their relationship is like a national myth. So these are two very powerful--and very audible--people. Which makes their conduct of the current primary campaign all the more disgraceful.

The Billary conscious and intended distortions and attacks on Barack Obama have earned widespread rebuttal and rebuke. (If you're interested in details, I've followed this over at American Dash.) Today they're both backing down a bit, especially Bill. But it's mostly disingenuous (and timed for the last day before voting in South Carolina, when campaigns usually try for a public last "positive" push, while the dirty work is done with flyers, emails and robocalls.) It wasn't just Billary's aggressive rhetoric, but their advertising and direct mail that carried their scurrilous messages.

Many have been reminded of all the conflict the Clintons stir up, and of the potential for another tumultuous Clinton presidency. Because of Bill's prominence in Hillary's campaign, there's suspicion of whether Bill is running for co-President. Perhaps this is partly responsible for Obama climbing in (some) national polls. But there's a lot of hubris in this from the Clinton superstars. It seems pretty calculating. They're counting on Democratic unity in the fall no matter what, and on the usual amnesia in the public at large.

Time will tell how much Bill Clinton has damaged his international reputation. If he has it will be too bad, because his efforts have been positive and future oriented. The best thing that can happen for him is for Barack Obama to win the nomination and the presidency. And probably the best thing for us and for the future.