Will Bill Behave?

In a story this afternoon, Former President Clinton says he's learned a lesson from the dustup over his remarks on the campaign trail, he can promote his wife's presidential candidacy, but he's not free to defend her.


Bill Clinton also said that everything he said in South Carolina about Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was "factually accurate," but a lot that has been said about what he said is "factually inaccurate."

I think it shall be interesting to watch how the rest of this race unfolds, as it seems hard to believe that Bill could "restrain" his "anger", if the right buttons are pushed, and indeed it would be out of character, not to defend his wife. He is an Ex-President, but surely he would never let himself be made to look anything but his wife's defender in many circumstances, i.e. if an issue came such Michael Dukakis' answer to what he would do if his wife was raped and murdered!! For those too young to remember the exchange it occurred this way:
The issue of capital punishment came up in the October 13, 1988 debate between the two presidential nominees. Bernard Shaw, the moderator of the debate, asked Dukakis, "Governor, if Kitty Dukakis [his wife] were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?" Dukakis replied coolly, "No, I don't, and I think you know that I've opposed the death penalty during all of my life," and explained his stance. During debate preparations, Dukakis's campaign manager Susan Estrich had prepared an answer highlighting the candidate's empathy for victims of crime, noting the beating of his father in a robbery and the death of his brother in a hit-and-run car accident. Many observers felt Dukakis' answer lacked the passion one would expect of a person discussing a loved one's rape and death. Many, including the candidate himself, believe that this, in part, cost Dukakis the election, as his poll numbers dropped from 49% to 42% nationally that night. Sorry, kind of a long aside to make the point that I cannot see Bill letting "everything" go by him without a defensive response! Beings it is not Bill running, it is more of a "question" that "could" set him off, not exactly this same scenario, and mostly because I wanted to write about this question for a long time and couldn't find anywhere to put it in. I had been a Dukakis supporter until this question, and then no more, and I wanted to bring it up sometime during this race!! :)

So I think if issues such as this come up, I think we will see the "angry" Bill, instead of the moderate, and controlled one who made his statements today!! Maybe? I guess only time and the pressure of the campaign will tell which Bill is still out there!! And in the off chance there is a similar issue/question, no matter his status, Anger would be appropriate, and should be displayed!!


bill