Clinton Legacy in Jeopardy

In today’s NYT opinions, Maureen Dowd takes some shots at Mr. and Mrs. Clinton, contending that Bill is a mix of positives and negatives for Hillary and their entire relationship can best be described as a soap opera. Regarding the ’08 campaign, the former prez just can’t seem to get out of his own way.

While making a speech in Iowa, The Associated Press’s Ron Fournier reported, Bill used the word “I” 94 times in 10 minutes, while mentioning “Hillary” just seven times. At a London fund-raiser, one Hillaryite said, it took him nearly half an hour to mention her.

But, who's counting? Heh.

It occurred to me that Bill Clinton has to be quite conflicted about the possibility of his wife becoming spouse in chief. For the last seven years, Bill and his supporters have worked overtime trying to massage history to assure he has a legacy. Tripping on his tongue now won’t help.

Furthermore, if Hillary becomes the prez and fails in the job, does a Carter so to speak, wouldn’t it reflect negatively on Bill? On the other hand, if President Hillary does a superb job, wouldn’t it also reflect negatively on Bill? In fact, any actions by Mrs. President would automatically invite immediate comparisons to what husband Bill did in similar circumstances. As a result, every day the public would be reminded of Bill Clinton’s decisions, good and bad. Accentuating any of the negative will not help a legacy.

It’s a dilemma. If Hillary becomes prez, Bill Clinton’s legacy will depend on his ability to tattoo his name on positive developments while distancing himself from any errors. With Bill’s legacy at stake, I predict a Hillary White House will be a rumble. Maureen Dowd is right.

In any event, I don’t see a Hillary win as anything but a net negative for Bill Clinton’s public service track record. Maybe that’s why he appears to lack focus on the campaign trail.