Say What You Will About Bill Clinton, He's Still a Helluva Politician

Posted by Digby, Hullabaloo at 8:02 AM on August 28, 2008.

Clinton has definitely still got it.

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It's a village law that whatever rules are normally applied to politicians are never to be applied to Bill Clinton. A sub-section of that law is that whenever he adapts to their laws, they will immediately be changed. Here's another case in point, from Boehlert.

I know that it is fashionable among the cognoscenti to hate Bill Clinton, it has been since he came on the scene. But rank and file Democrats still love him and they were happy to see him tonight. Like Hillary, he's the ultimate pro, and he has a legacy to protect and a wife who is one of the most important people in Democratic politics still. There was never any chance he and Hillary would replay 1980. It's never been their style.

He did something important tonight by reminding Americans that he too was derided in 1992 as being too young and too inexperienced to be commander in chief, which to all but a few die hard wingnuts, looks pretty ridiculous in retrospect. In doing that he laid the mantle of his own credibility as president on Obama, which despite the cable babblers who've never gotten it, is substantial to the American public.

I hear that he's going to be campaigning alongside Barack in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania and that's smart. Say what you will about him, he's still a helluva politician.

Tagged as: obama, dnc, bill clinton

Digby is the proprietor of Hullabaloo.

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He's his own Academy Award [Report this comment] Posted by: weathered on Aug 28, 2008 5:59 AM Current rating: 2 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] performance. Sincerity and authentic substance eludes him. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: He's his own Academy Award Posted by: Bibsisis So we should ignore [Report this comment] Posted by: hoppingfrog on Aug 28, 2008 7:04 AM Current rating: 2 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] the fact that he is s slimeball because he is so good at being a slimeball? Wait I'm confused. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: So we should ignore Posted by: sara.d » RE: So we should ignore Posted by: VZEQICVA Too bad sickofsleaze [Report this comment] Posted by: ladybug1@carrollsweb.com on Aug 28, 2008 9:39 AM Current rating: 2 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Bill didn't show his expertise during Hillary's disastrous campaign. He might be strutting around as the husband of the Democratic nominee, the first woman nominated for president, perhaps the first woman president, making history as the first husband and wife to each serve as president etc. I thought he made a complete ass of himself [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Always Amazed [Report this comment] Posted by: ms_happy on Aug 28, 2008 9:58 AM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I am always amazed by the people who can't seem to forgive Clinton for one faux pas (Monica) and then don't bat an eyelash over all the lies Bush and his cronies have told, leading us into the darkest time in our history. These so-called "conservatives" have plundered our Constitution, our Treasury, our military, our reputation. And yet Bill Clinton is the sleazeball. COME ON. How soon we forget - we had a booming economy under Bill. Look around. Are you happy about the last eight years? At least Bill is not the village idiot with a finger poised over the "nuculer" button. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Always Amazed Posted by: Vik Bill Clinton did exactly what he was supposed to do [Report this comment] Posted by: Quannah on Aug 28, 2008 10:16 AM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] last night. He got up there and said what needed to be said. This article is exactly right. And if you're unhappy with the "sleaze factor" where Bill Clinton is concerned... what do you expect? After all - THIS IS POLITICS! I wish the American people would grow up and get over their Puritanical sensibilities. Adults have sex. Sometimes with someone other than their spouse. It doesn't change how good or bad their policies would be. It has nothing to do with their political abilities. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] How Naive! [Report this comment] Posted by: DreamFast on Aug 28, 2008 1:50 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Bill Clinton was a very good president in that he was able to create positive and demonstrable change in and for the country. He gained much sympathy from his base during the Right-Wing conspiracy to take him down and take him out. It seemed so incredibly UNFAIR. But he IS corrupt. He has been corrupted. And so has Hillary. We've been willing to overlook these facts because we believe this corruption doesn't directly affect us, so we turn our heads away. All that changed as this campaign began to warm up and eventually we were unable to look the other way, as negative aspects of the Clinton's personalities reared their ugly heads. We could no longer ignore the megalomania, the raw and unbridled ambition and the low-down dirtiness of what they were so easily willing to exercise in order to WIN. They were subtle at first, but as the tide turned against them, they turned up the heat to such degrees that it scorched HIS legacy and it threatened HER politcal future. The Clinton's speeches were vitally important, but so much more for THEM and THEIR futures than the Democratic Party's or Barack Obama's. They now support Obama. Did they change there attitude toward him over night? Did they simply turn their hatred off like a light switch? Did their blind ambition wash away in a Tuesday night shower? No, IT DID NOT. Do you think Hillary is willing to wait EIGHT years to run again, because that is certainly possible with an Obama win. No kiddies, she'll have to wait for four, but ONLY if McCain WINS, and no matter how the Clinton's APPEAR on the outside, below the surface, far from the madding crowd, they will be doing EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER to make sure Obama LOSES, and anyone who thinks otherwise is either UTTERLY naive or a complete fool. They have already begun ka-noodling with Rove surrogates. Do you think they're swapping cookie recipes? Thank the gods that Obama knows this. Perhaps he can thwart their EVIL efforts and WIN. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » You Fake! Posted by: jvaljon1 » RE: You Fake! Posted by: DreamFast

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» RE: He's his own Academy Award Posted by: Bibsisis

» RE: So we should ignore Posted by: sara.d

» RE: So we should ignore Posted by: VZEQICVA

» RE: Always Amazed Posted by: Vik

» You Fake! Posted by: jvaljon1

» RE: You Fake! Posted by: DreamFast

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