The buried lead in Bill Clinton's comments

[jgraz]

Bill yesterday in SD: "This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind."

Most people read this as Bill signaling that Hillary's campaign was coming to an end. But there's another way to interpret it: The Clintons WILL NOT be hitting the campaign trail for Barack Obama this fall.

Why else would this be Bill's "last day" -- unless the most successful Democratic president since FDR has no intention of campaigning for his party's nominee?

[TwilightGardener]

1. It was a plea for a pity/nostalgia vote. He's been doing that since Texas.

[dailykoff]

2. I heard that too.

So what, they're useless pigs anyway. Good riddance.

[Kierkegaard]

3. That's a possibility, surely.

One that I don't think is necessarily a bad thing. After his performance during the primary, I wouldn't want this loose cannon anywhere near my GE campaign, if I were Obama.

[TornadoTN]

5. Agreed - keep Bill away from the GE

But some kind words and strong support at the convention would go a very long way.

[blm]

4. Nonsense. Bill used his entire 3 week book tour in summer2004 to defend the candidate

and his positions on terrorism and Iraq war - of course, the candidate was GWBush. Bill must have just forgotten he was supposed to still be playing a Democrat.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/06/19/clinton.iraq/

Carville forgot he was supposed to be playing a Democrat, then, too.
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/07/did_carville_tip_bush_off_to_kerry_strategy_woodward

Hammm....must run in the family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg

[TornadoTN]

7. How soon people forget

Those are some great links and quotes.

The memory is short for Clinton defenders.

[jgraz]

12. dup -- Bush is a retarded monkey

Why waste a post?

[blm]

14. I expect we'll eventually hear more from Gore's 2000 campaign - Vanity Fair article was a start

Because some of them certainly saw the undermining of Gore by the Clintons and would submit THAT was the beginning of the "It's Me or Nobody" Hillary2008 campaign.

[jgraz]

13. Yep, that was pretty disgusting

And, of course, we can now see that as the start of Hillary's "It's Me or Nobody" campaign.

[LakeSamish706]

6. Obama could use there help if it was of a positive nature in campaigning....

but keep them away otherwise.

[jgraz]

21. At the very least, they could take up some of the slack for the downticket races

I can see them not campaigning with Obama after all the sturm und drang, but they could help out by campaigning in Senate and House races.

If they do nothing, it will pretty much seal their reputation as the sorest of sore losers.

[dsweet]

8. I split hairs

Sure, if by "kind" he means, it's the last time he'll be involved in the 2008 Democratic Primary race for his wife with two states to go, Then yeah I could bank on it.

[DB1]

9. Bill had a seat at the head table, he won't with Obama. and he knows that.

He will campaign for him, but not as one of the strategy/policymakers.Just my 2 cents and what I got out of his speech. He won't do more than he did for Kerry, but more than he did for Gore.

[SoCalDem]

10. They will claim "exhaustion" and back off from their "promise"

Any "support" she gives Obama will be tepid at best, and might do more harm than benefit..

Obama will have to do this on his own,. and with the help of his grassroots network.

he is a better candidate than Mccain, and smarter & quicker, so he should prevail..

He MUST resist the temptation to placate Hillary..She's not the helpmate people think she would be..

Her angry supporters can hear the dog-whistle...she wants them to make him lose, so she can run in '12 as the I-Told-You-So-Hillary.:puke:

[billyoc]

11. Good. Hit the fucking road, clymidia boy.

[Hart2008]

15. Maybe she will finally agree to give him that divorce now...n/t

[Why Syzygy]

16. He made his intentions clear. He doesn't plan to campaign for Obama.

That's how I read it. What else is there?

[TheDonkey]

17. He can fuck off for all i care

[MiniMe]

18. At this point, I'm not sure that Barack wants Bill to campaign for him

Look how it turned out for Hillary.

Seriously though, I think that Hillary will and she will be welcomed. Bill would be seen as too much of a hypocrite. Next election (if Hillary isn't involved) he will able to campaign sincerely.

I also think that part of his meaning is being involved at the level he was involved in Hillary's campaign. If he stumps for somebody else in the future, he won't be involved at that level.

[jgraz]

19. You've got a point there.

Still, it's a pretty sad way to leave the political stage.

[Catherina]

20. Word n/t