Will Same Pundits Who Said Bill Was "Liability" To Hillary Now Suggest That He Will Need To "Rescue" Her?
December 12, 2007 -- 10:21 AM EST // //
This will be a fun one to watch. As you know, it's been conventional wisdom for months now in pundit circles that Bill's presence risks being a big liability to Hillary's Presidential candidacy, in defiance of all polls showing the contrary.
Today, however, we have intimations that a new, seemingly contradictory media meme is forming: That Bill will have to step forward and rescue Hillary's candidacy with his dazzling campaign skills. From today's New York Times piece on Hillary's struggles in Iowa:
At a time of growing tension in Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, her aides described former President Bill Clinton as increasingly frustrated that his wife’s campaign has not fought back even more forcefully against efforts by Mr. Obama and former Senator John Edwards to raise questions about Mrs. Clinton’s character. They said that Mr. Clinton had warned for weeks that they were taking a toll on his wife’s candidacy.Meanwhile, today's New York Daily News blares: "Bubba to the rescue!"Mr. Clinton, they said, is still confident that his wife can regain momentum if her campaign presents her message — and particularly criticism of Mr. Obama — more sharply. He took matters into his own hands Monday, campaigning at four events across Iowa to deliver that message: that Mrs. Clinton was a "change agent."
Just to be clear, I'm not faulting the reporting here, just suggesting that it's only a matter of time until the pundits grab on to this stuff to spin a new tale that's directly at odds with the old Bill and Hillary storyline. Sometimes it's fun to try to flag media memes before they emerge as full-flown narratives, and this one seems like a likely candidate. So how long before the same commentators who said Bill's presence was likely to be an albatross to Hillary start sternly asking, "Can Bill's stump skills save Hillary's candidacy?"
I wager that it won't be long at all. Bears watching.
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