[This might well fit into IMHO - Mods please move if you see fit]
Will Bill Clinton’s efforts provide enough of a boost for Kerry, or will people look at Clinton then Kerry and decide that Kerry’s no Clinton?
I’m leaning to the former - Kerry’s his own man, but has had bad campaign advice (Vietnam ad nauseam) - but it will only take one goof for him to fall.
Or will people cynically see this as a ploy by Clinton to become the UN Secretary-General?
First I’ve heard that he’s interested in that job.
Yeah, first I’ve heard of it, too.
I think using Clinton judiciously is the right thing to do. Keep him shoring up the swing states and motivating the party faithful. Maybe see if he can deliver Arkansas into the Kerry camp.
I don’t think that having a popular former Dem President campaigning for the present Dem nominee will be seen as any sort of ploy. It’s pretty much what you’d expect, regardless of whether or not he’s gunning for a job.
Also: 1.Kerry doesn’t appoint the Sec-Gen.
2. Other then the first one (who served for less then a year), all Sec-Gen have been from non-powerful countries without permanant security council seats. This makes sense, as it would appear to give one country too much power in the UN. For this reason I doubt Clinton has much hope of getting the post, even with Kerry's support.I saw a news report on cable the other day that Clinton might be interested in going for the UN SG job. I think he’d get the job if he wanted it…he doesn’t need Kerry to help him out there. 
I was thinking about this the other day. I’m not sure if Clinton will help or hurt Kerry…especially so late in the game. The Big Dog has acheived near mythical status among Democrats…but he also has a lot of baggage, especially among independants (and certainly among most Republicans). My own feelings abotu Clinton are fairly mixed. More importantly, Clinton as President has a fairly radically different political stance that Kerry does (closer to Clinton as Candidate). I’m not sure how closely people will think about it though.
If I were forced to come down on one side or the other, I guess I’d say it will probably have little to no real effect on the Presidency at this late date. I think that its going to come down to which side gets their people out in force in the key states to vote. I don’t even think there are many ‘undecideds’ left TO swap sides at this point…so its all about mobilization of your voter base.
-XT
Clinton should campaign in states that are close and that Clinton did especially well in - Arkansas, obviously - Wisconsin, New Mexico, Iowa and New Hampshire also seem like great places.
Clinton also really brings out the “are you better off now then four years ago” message. Love him or hate him, the man was the political icon of the 90’s and it’s impossible to see him without remembering how things have changed under Bush. In this way, I think he’ll help bring out the vote and maybe sway an undecided or two (remeber all the critisism Gore received for trying to distance himself from Clinton).
I’ve herad of it a while back, but I forget from where.
I sincerely, strongly doubt any of Bill Clinton’s negatives would rub off on John Kerry. Remember: buildings, hookers, and politicians all get more respectable with age.
And I agree with Malodorous about what he does bring to the table. His presence alongside Kerry serves to ask the question, “Do you really want to relive the past four years?”
And how could a rally in a swing state that draws 80-100,000 people possibly be bad for Kerry’s candidacy?
After four years of Bush’s war-thumping fiascos, prosecuting a President for consentual sex seems positively quaint by comparison.
And you can see all three at the brand new Bill Clinton Library! 
Anyway, a big part of Clinton’s function is to rally the Democratic base, so the alienating Republicans thing doesn’t really factor into that.
There was a discussion of whether Clinton’s support would ultimately be good for Kerry or not on the World Service earlier today. Marley’s point about rallying the troops was made, as was the more negative point that hearing Clinton in action again would remind undecided voters how dull Kerry is.
Do you really think anybody is concerned that Kerry is dull at this point? The whole boringness thing has been overhyped from day #1 in any case, I think.
Indeed, anybody that Clinton could possible alienate is probably not going to vote for Kerry anyway so there is very little to risk and a lot to gain. Clinton left office with a high approval rating. He’s a great public speaker. He has personality coming out of his ahem ears (watch yer dresses ladies). And of course, it seems to be a bit difficult to make shyte stick to the guy, which will give Kerry a teflon coated pit bull to fling some stuff at Bush while he can keep the high ground.
In a race so close, I think any factor can be (made) important. Boring is a separate issue, anyway. The dullness I refer to relates to Kerry’s relative lack of ability (compared to Clinton, and Bush, for that matter) to rouse people when he speaks. That is an important quality in a public figure, especially in the television age.
And he’s got a current approval rating higher than Bush or Kerry…
I believe that the UN SG must be fluent in Enlgish and French (and maybe one other language). That would disqualify Clinton. Maybe it’s Kerry who wants the job…
As to the OP, I think Clinton will indeed help Kerry, especially with his base of Dem supporters. But I actually think Arnold will help Bush more, if we assume that Bill and Arnold do roughly an equal amount of campaigning. I don’t know their respective schedules, but I believe Arnold is only campaigning for Bush in Ohio, so perhaps Bill will give Kerry more of a net boost.
I for one admire Clinton for campaigning for Kerry. If only Gore hadn’t been too proud in 2000… What is particularly admirable about Clinton’s campaign, apart from having had recent surgery, is that a Kerry win would almost certainly preclude Hillary from a White House run. By 2012, she would be too old. Clinton can and will make a difference in Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Question at large- Does Bush Sr. campaign for his son? I haven’t seen it but perhaps others have.
I’ve also seen nothing about Poppy campaigning, but several reports that he’s disgusted at the hash Junior has made of foreign policy and can’t make himself support it.
FWIW, just a couple of weeks ago Poppy and Babs were taking a leisurely 10-day cruise on the Queen Mary 2 in New England and the Maritimes (I know pretty close to first-hand).
I heard a tape of Clinton’s speech yesterday - the man did not sound at all healthy.
I don’t think that Bush Sr. is actively campaigning for his son…but I don’t think this is true either: " but several reports that he’s disgusted at the hash Junior has made of foreign policy and can’t make himself support it." I saw an interview with Bush Sr. a couple of weeks ago where he came out and said he was proud of his son, and that he felt he was doing a good job in a tough situation.
My guess is Bush Sr. wouldn’t really help Jr. much…and maybe he’s a bit long in the tooth to be campaigning anyway.
Only a few more days to go boys and girls…the tension is killing my wife (a Bush supporter). Myself I’m fairly calm at this point, and am just curious to see which way the tree falls.
-XT