Former President Bill Clinton was once again center stage on Tuesday after deviating from his wife’s campaign talking points. In so doing, he provided the latest indication of disorganization within the Hillary Clinton camp.
This is not the first time in this long electoral season that Mr. Clinton has created complications for his wife with apparently off-the-cuff comments at odds with the candidate’s message. Previous controversial comments on race, opponent Senator Barack Obama, and a pending free trade agreement with Colombia (CNN) had already raised difficult questions for Senator Clinton’s advisors about how best to employ Mr. Clinton, a formidable campaigner in his own runs for the White House, in support of his wife’s efforts to win the Presidency. Tuesday’s incident appears to have renewed doubts about whether he should be allowed to appear in public at all.
The latest misstep comes at a particularly sensitive time for Ms. Clinton’s campaign. Her strong performance in the early primaries was followed by a surge of support for her Democratic opponent Barack Obama, who now commands a significant lead in the delegate count. The major battleground state on the immediate horizon is Pennsylvania, with many speculating that an Obama victory here would effectively sew up the nomination for the Illinois Senator.
Pennsylvania’s demographic characteristics closely mirror those of Ohio, where Ms. Clinton scored an earlier primary victory. But even at this critical stage of the campaign, the Clinton camp has sometimes struggled to find its footing. Recent weeks have seen indications of rising tensions within the campaign, culminating in the resignation of Ms. Clinton’s chief strategist.
As she attempts to regroup and refocus, Ms. Clinton has emphasized her resilience and embraced the role of underdog. At several campaign events across Pennsylvania, the candidate has invoked the story of a local legend in an effort to underscore her prospects for a come-from-behind victory and her determination to remain in the race until the bitter end. The hero: the fictional Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa, played in a series of movies by Sylvester Stallone. Recalling the movie boxer’s grueling training regimen, which included running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ms. Clinton argued that for her to quit her campaign now would be as if "Rocky Balboa had gotten halfway up those art museum steps and said, 'Well, I guess that's about far enough.'" Like the movie character, Senator Clinton claimed, "I never quit. I never give up." (IHT)
Above: Senator Clinton's preferred Hollywood figure of reference for her faltering presidential campaign: come-from-behind boxing champ Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) Mr. Clinton’s recent statements indicate an awareness of his wife’s efforts to link herself to the central character of a popular movie and even demonstrate an awareness of the underdog theme of this approach. But a crucial piece of information -- the identity of the movie character in question – seems to have escaped the former president and his handlers, putting him back in the center of controversy and potentially muddying the message of Ms. Clinton’s campaign.
Mr. Clinton’s remarks at a Philadelphia community center on Tuesday started strongly and seemingly on message. “She’s a real fighter, my wife. And quick as a whip, too. Boy, I tell you! Those in the media that want to count her out are going to have a lot of egg on their faces when this whole thing is over.”
It soon became clear, however, that Mr. Clinton and his wife’s campaign were not reading from the same page, or sitting in the same movie theater. “Just as Hillary said last week, she’s like something straight out of the movies. She’s unstoppable. Try to bring her down and she just keeps on running. She’s a real-life Forrest Gump,” Clinton said, referring to the (more) idiot (than)-savant played by Tom Hanks in the movie of the same name.
Above: Mr. Clinton's preferred Hollywood figure of reference for his wife's faltering presidential campaign: idiot-savant Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)Once he had warmed to this theme, Mr. Clinton proved nearly as unstoppable as his wife. When asked whether his opinion of Barack Obama had evolved over the course of the race, the former president remained mercilessly on message – his message. “Sure, this Obama guy might be smart and well-spoken. But you should see Hillary play ping-pong. And I would warn you not to underestimate the value of that skill in an age where China is on the rise. If the Chinese are up for another round of ping-pong diplomacy during a Hillary presidency, they better bring their A-game. When the Chinese call at 3 a.m. looking for a ping-pong opponent to defend our national honor, who do you want to be sitting by that phone?”
Mr. Clinton showed signs of peevishness in responding to a question about Senator Clinton’s intentions to stay in the race even in the event that she loses the Pennsylvania primary. “Whatever the polls say is just a bunch of hooey. This thing isn’t over, not by a longshot. I know Hillary and I know that she can go the distance. She’s not a quitter like that Lieutenant Dan,” Mr. Clinton said, alluding to the “Forrest Gump” character portrayed by Gary Sinise. “It’s going to take a lot more than losing both legs to a land mine and developing a serious drinking problem to stop her. You remember the scene where Forrest is being chased by those boys in their pickup truck? Or later when he’s on the football field? Well, that’s Hillary. Anybody who wants to call this election over is going to have to hold up a huge sign that says ‘Stop, Hillary, Stop!’ And even then she might not get the message.”
Offered an opportunity by reporters to reconcile the competing movie metaphors, Mr. Clinton instead chose to keep the focus on himself and to explain in somewhat incoherent fashion how he perceives his contributions to his wife’s campaign. “I see myself in a supportive, Jenny kind of role. Though come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind having a little roll with Jenny myself, if you know what I mean. I dig those hippy chicks. On the other hand, I would like to remind you that some of you people in the press used to enjoy calling me Bubba. Coincidence? I don’t think so. And I love shrimp, incidentally.”
Repeated attempts to reach Hillary Clinton campaign headquarters for comment were met with stony silence.
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