Bill and Hillary Clinton are back at the top of the political game (Daily Caller 10/22/10)

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Date: Oct 24, 2010

Bill and Hillary Clinton are back at the top of the political game (Daily Caller 10/22/10)	Permalink

http://dailycaller.com/2010/10/22/bill-and-hillary-clinton-are-back-at-the-top-of-the-political-game-perhaps-setting-their-sights-for-something-more/print/ In an environment in which Democrats all over the country are fighting for their political survival, approval ratings are low and the party is at risk of losing its grip on Congress, two high-profile Democrats are thriving – Bill and Hillary Clinton. The comeback couple is looking good these days. A recent Bloomberg survey that measured the popularity of several politicians showed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the lead with a favorability rating of 64 percent. Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, was not listed in the Bloomberg survey but a separate Gallup poll this week shows that he is a bigger asset to Democrats than President Obama. Plenty of attention has been given to Bill Clinton’s impressive and relentless campaigning for Democratic candidates and polls show what most people already know: The former president can go places, and perform tricks, that Obama – or any politician – can’t. Bill Clinton has campaigned for more than 65 candidates at nearly 100 events in an effort to get out the vote, according to the Associated Press. While both the current and former president are crisscrossing the country to try to give candidates a boost – Obama is currently campaigning on the West coast – the Gallup poll released this week shows that Clinton’s effectiveness is much greater among supporters of both parties and independents. The ex-president understands “how normal ‘walking-around’ folks are feeling,” Paul Begala, a confidante and former top strategist, told The Washington Post. “Both the right and the left have mocked that I-feel-your-pain empathy, but Americans have always liked it. It’s the core of him, even more than the brain. It’s real.” However, several Republicans who worked with Clinton in the past have come out recently to reminisce about that time and point out that he was a much more pragmatic leader than they perceive Obama to be. The other half of the power couple, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is seeing her own popularity rise during this campaign season. Heritage Vice President for Government Relations Michael Franc said the reason for this sudden popularity is perspective. Like President Clinton during his last years in office, the Secretary of State has been working as a Democratic-centrists said Franc. While that has always been where she was on the political spectrum, it now shows more clearly because of the current administration’s shift to the left. “With the ascent of Obama and his appointees, his style of governing, the ascent of Reid and Pelosi and their coalitions, the ideological center of gravity has moved dramatically toward the left,” said Franc. “So someone like Clinton, who is where she’s always been, now looks like the center. … People are getting a taste of what a real liberal radical agenda looks like and they don’t really associate her with that,” Franc added. This is good news for Hillary if she runs in 2012. While even seasoned Democrats are in trouble this election cycle, the Clinton name, which will not appear on any ballot, seems unaffected by the problems their party have. It also shows that this isn’t the Clinton’s first rodeo. The couple has endured many up and downs in their political careers. “The one thing that has positioned [the Clintons] where they are today is experience, the incredible reservoir of experience they have in local politics and generational politics,” said Republican strategist Kevin Madden. “They’ve been fully weatherized for all the elements of politics.” It is that political savvy that makes some question whether Bill Clinton’s relentless campaigning has reasons that go beyond helping Democrats hold on to control in Congress. “My suspicion in his campaigning, he’s building up Hillary’s rolodex,” said Franc. “They’re getting a lot of commitments, political debts that can be redeemed sometime in the future. ” “I don’t think these are random acts,” he added. “They’re a very political shrewd couple and still seem to be Clinton Inc.” __________________ Nobody puts THIS baby in the corner!

Sanders

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Date: Oct 24, 2010

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LOL, great read! Of course yes.. Why would they not look after their political interests?

Luckily for us, what is good for the Clintons politically is also good for the country.

I certainly hope she runs in 2012.

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freespirit

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Date: Oct 24, 2010

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Great article, Jen! The "comeback couple" is on a roll! __________________ It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony

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