Bill Clinton upstages Hillary
George S
July 5, 2007
Political Memo
Clintons Adjust to Her Turn in His Old Role
By PATRICK HEALY
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa, July 4 - As thousands of people cheered along the
Fourth of July parade route here, it was the tall man with the
familiar white hair who made the crowd go truly gaga.
"Bob Barker! It's Bob Barker!" two women shrieked upon seeing the
former president, Bill Clinton, in the distance, as he and Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York marched hand-in-hand.
When the women realized who it really was, they seemed just as
thrilled, shouting, "Ohhhh!" and clapping madly. A game-show-host-
turned-two-term-president: how can anyone, even Mrs. Clinton,
compete?
No matter how much he tries to blend in, Mr. Clinton is one Oscar-
worthy supporting actor who can sometimes upstage his leading lady
simply by breathing. The Clintons' political stagecraft - and their
goal of shifting the spotlight to her - has been a work in progress
since her presidential campaign began in January. This week, her
husband's first campaign jaunt on her behalf showed him in stages of
adjustment - relaxed and jokey at times, a bit unpolished at others.
Behind the scenes, Mr. Clinton is assuredly hands-on in this new
spousal dynamic. When the couple recently taped a "Sopranos" spoof for
the campaign Web site, Mr. Clinton gently coached his wife on some of
her line readings and facial expressions between takes, people
involved said. And he has dispensed advice, praise and neck-and-
shoulder massages in their three-day trip here, associates said.
But in public, his hands are figuratively in his pockets. He tries not
to out-express or out-charm her. He plays good cop and, deftly, bad
cop as he tries to elevate Mrs. Clinton by praising her rivals for the
Democratic nomination while at the same time putting some of them
down. For instance, he has described second-tier opponents like Gov.
Bill Richardson of New Mexico in more generous terms than her
immediate foes like Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.
Mr. Clinton is happily obliging with his new role, friends and
advisers to the couple said, though they added that it was a far cry
from his days in power. At a rally Monday in Des Moines, Mr. Clinton
introduced his wife and then sat on a stool as she spoke for 25
minutes, applauding at some points and listening impassively at others
while cradling his chin in his palm.
"Downright bored," Newsweek observed in a column afterward. Paying
attention, his associates said. Jet-lagged, one friend added.
Clinton advisers said his popularity made his presence a net win for
Mrs. Clinton. With him, she drew some of her biggest crowds in Iowa,
including about 7,000 people Monday night. Rivals have taken notice,
viewing Mr. Clinton's presence as an inevitability that could bring
plusses and minuses; Obama advisers say they are watching the Clinton
teamwork carefully.
Deploying the Clintons side by side, an approach that will continue in
New Hampshire next week and in strategic spots through the year,
creates potentially unflattering contrasts with his campaigning
skills, which her advisers regard as peerless. Mr. Clinton became
visibly emotional in Davenport on Tuesday, for instance, as he
recalled a New York City fireman who professed devotion to Mrs.
Clinton for her work after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "I have a
hard time telling this," Mr. Clinton said with feeling.
Mrs. Clinton has her own powerful stories, about her mother's
struggles and the love for America in some countries, but she rarely
sounds as if she has a lump in her throat.
The former president gets questions from reporters about whether he is
stealing attention from his wife. Such an exchange took place briefly
after Wednesday's parade, with Mr. Clinton saying he was less
concerned about "overshadowing" her than about "blocking" her. Given
that so many people know him, he said, the only problem is if "it will
interfere with their ability to know her."
Peach
now. Odd, one man's disasters redeem another man's mistakes.