# On BILL Clinton and Hillarys campaign. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 27, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452 "2015-12-27T06:12:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/1 "2015-12-27T06:12:32Z")
Their is a story out that Bill will now be campaigning for Hillary. Do you think he will give her campaign a boost or not? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/2 "2015-12-27T08:55:20Z")
It’ll have no effect. Anyone who is surprised that Big Bill is campaigning for Hilary is a moron and wasn’t going to vote for her anyway. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/3 "2015-12-27T17:31:33Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Their is a story out that Bill will now be campaigning for Hillary. > > Do you think he will give her campaign a boost or not? He’s already been doing it. This isn’t anything new. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/4 "2015-12-27T17:48:53Z")
Sometimes, flowers and candy just ain’t gonna cut it. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/5 "2015-12-27T17:51:43Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > It’ll have no effect. Except among those who look back fondly on those years of peace and prosperity. Those who gave him a 60% or so approval rating upon his departure. The majority of those who were alive and aware in the 90’s. > [@](#): > > Anyone who is surprised that Big Bill is campaigning for Hilary is a moron and wasn’t going to vote for her anyway. I don’t think anyone is really surprised. Those who are _offended_ are just waiting to be told which Republican is “electable” so they can vote for him instead. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/6 "2015-12-27T17:54:49Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Except among those who look back fondly on those years of peace and prosperity. Those who gave him a 60% or so approval rating upon his departure. The majority of those who were alive and aware in the 90’s. They’re already voting for Hilary. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/7 "2015-12-27T18:04:25Z")
He’s a very effective campaigner. He knows how to stay on message and deliver the words the audience wants to hear. In a powerful & persuasive way. You don’t win two Presidential elections by being a crappy campaigner. To be sure, whatever Bill says or does will inflame the right-wing punditocracy. Much as Trump’s antics inflame the left-wing punditocracy. In both cases though the punditocracy is preaching to their own choir so the flames are more ritual than impactful. The only way this could really backfire against Hillary is if folks got the idea this was a Medvedev and Putin act where Bill was going to end up as the real power hiding behind the throne. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/8 "2015-12-27T18:27:33Z")
One of the most charismatic and effective campaigners of his generation? Yeah, Hilary could do worse. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/9 "2015-12-27T18:48:32Z")
Bill will bring people to Hillary events. Right now Hillary can’t draw flies. There are a lot of voters already who only back Hillary because they think Bill will keep the train from running off the rails. On the flip side, her GOP candidate will take advantage of his presence to bring up all the old dirt. But right now she’s slipping in national polls about her honesty and likeability, and she also has to look good in the primaries against Bernie, not just win them. I don’t know how well he can do that in general, but he can go in her place to campaign giving her effective exposure in more states on the path to Super Tuesday. He’ll be there for that purpose in the general too. But so far it’s an untested strategy. I wonder if he’ll have any effect in any states where Hill isn’t a lock already. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/10 "2015-12-27T20:45:37Z")
During the primaries last time, I think he was a net negative for her. The dynamics are different this time, so a repeat of that isn’t necessarily a given. Still, I don’t think she’ll play that card to any significant extent unless she has to, and it’s unlikely she’ll have to in the run up to the nomination. In the general, he could be a big plus if only in a “get out the vote” sense. It’s hard to tell what the big issue is going to be in Sept of next year. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/11 "2015-12-27T22:11:38Z")
Forums like these make it hard to remember that “issues” and “policies” are of dubious importance in a presidential election. Most people already know which side of the divide they’re on. The only variable of importance is whether they go the polls, as the midterm elections of recent years so powerfully remind us. Bill is a political animal in a way Hillary isn’t. He likes the hand-to-hand interactions of retail politics. He was famously good as firing up supporters. Hillary’s best strategy is to distance him from “issues” - so she plausibly is not dependent on him for them - and use him to try to get more supporters to the polls. Which likely will happen, because his side of the aisle likes him and he looks better and better in retrospect. Turnout isn’t just everything. It’s the only thing. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/12 "2015-12-27T22:15:38Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > One of the most charismatic and effective campaigners of his generation? Yeah, Hilary could do worse. Agreed. It won’t help in winning the nomination, since Hilary is already such a strong front-runner. Putting aside her strong polling, which, this early, we should, I count [endorsements from thirty-eight sitting US Senators](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hillary_Clinton_presidential_campaign_endorsements,_2016). This compares to Bernie Sanders having one (himself). Bill will be helpful in the general election due to memories of strong US economic performance under his leadership. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/13 "2015-12-27T22:49:56Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Forums like these make it hard to remember that “issues” and “policies” are of dubious importance in a presidential election. Most people already know which side of the divide they’re on. The only variable of importance is whether they go the polls, as the midterm elections of recent years so powerfully remind us. > > Bill is a political animal in a way Hillary isn’t. He likes the hand-to-hand interactions of retail politics. He was famously good as firing up supporters. Hillary’s best strategy is to distance him from “issues” - so she plausibly is not dependent on him for them - and use him to try to get more supporters to the polls. Which likely will happen, because his side of the aisle likes him and he looks better and better in retrospect. > > Turnout isn’t just everything. It’s the only thing. Correct. He won’t change minds. He’ll energize the base and get people to vote who would have stayed home. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/14 "2015-12-27T23:10:37Z")
Bubba has already had as much beneficial effect on the Democratic campaign as anyone could possibly have, by successfully encouraging Trump to run. Anything else he does is mere maintenance by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/15 "2015-12-27T23:36:49Z")
I don’t think that happened. That’s like running pari-mutual betting at a Special Olympics. Just plain\* wrong!\* ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/16 "2015-12-28T00:54:03Z")
In 2008 he sabotaged the campaign nicely. Let’s see if he can do so again. All it takes is to get him angry. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/17 "2015-12-28T01:06:01Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > In 2008 he sabotaged the campaign nicely. Let’s see if he can do so again. All it takes is to get him angry. Obama won a close race… If Bill had stayed out of it, it wouldn’t have been nearly as close. Bill helped more than he hurt. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/18 "2015-12-28T01:17:40Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I don’t think that happened. [Link.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bill-clinton-called-donald-trump-ahead-of-republicans-2016-launch/2015/08/05/e2b30bb8-3ae3-11e5-b3ac-8a79bc44e5e2_story.html)He does deny it publicly, but then he \*has \*to anyway, doesn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/19 "2015-12-28T01:18:00Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > … That’s like running pari-mutual betting at a Special Olympics. … I like the way you think. That’s simultaneously a bizarre and wonderful idea. Very surreal. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452/20 "2015-12-28T01:21:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Obama won a close race… If Bill had stayed out of it, it wouldn’t have been nearly as close. Bill helped more than he hurt. Bill Clinton delivered South Carolina to Obama, by among other things, comparing him to Jesse Jackson and calling his candidacy a fairy tale(which was taken out of context, but thems the breaks). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bill-clinton-and-hillarys-campaign/741452.md?page=2)