Now some of you may know I have not been an FOB since during the primary. I was totally taken aback by his statements and behavior and wondered where that man I supported and loved for so many years went. I kinda felt like a fool looking back at my rabid support of him in the face of the insults flung from my repub relatives. (OMG, remember when you could actually talk about politics with your family and it wouldn't cause Thanksgiving or Xmas to be spent in your separate camps?)
Anyway, tonight at the gym I had an epiphany . . . (bet you knew that from the title)
Ok, I do believe that Bill's statements and behavior during the primary were pretty out of line, but I do get he really really really wanted Hillary to get into the Oval Office. This (believe it or not) is not a Bill bashing diary. Whatever their needs for power are and whatever relationship they have forged between them, I'll give it to him that he honestly believed Hill was the better candidate and it wasn't personal when he took shots at Barack.
But I have been puzzled about his statements to the press of late and his seeming ambivalence towards the Presidential race. I've wondered why he and Al Gore haven't been out front and center, "recc'ing" Obama up. WHERE ARE THEY?
But just this evening it dawned on me. DUH!!!! Change doesn't happen when you are standing next to a smiling Bill Clinton. What does happen is all the stuff from the past gets drudged up and rehashed ad infinitum. Look how tangentially Obama can be associated with Ayers and all Ayers' past gets hung around his neck. Or Rezko. Or Wright.
OF COURSE OBAMA DOESN'T WANT BILL OUT THERE STUMPING FOR HIM. It would give the right the perfect opportunity to lump him in with all those other "Librul Democrats." The way they are pulling out the dirty laundry on those other guys, can you imagine if they had an opportunity to pull out the Clinton laundry list?
It's brilliant. Keep Clinton and his record as far away from Obama as possible. Don't let any of his votes or vetoes or midnight pardons be in anyway connected to Obama. With this seeming "discord" between them, that pitbull is muzzled. Why bring it up when Bill doesn't like Obama either?? Non-starter.
Ok, maybe this is sooooo obvious I'm just spittin' in the wind here. Has this been diaried? If so, I'll pull this. But as I was on the stairmaster and they announced Al Gore was going to be at the debate, it really made me wonder why Obama has pretty much been out there working for himself, tootin' his own horn but he hasn't had the party elders getting all rabid like the right have (half-heartedly) been for McCain.
Change. Not the last democratic president's record or history. Not the last democratic VP's record or history (too bad given that awesomest documentary ever). And not even the last democratic candidate out there's record or history.
He's on his own. And damn. He's kicking ass!! (Like he did in the debate tonight.)
Obama/Biden '08