The Natural No More

Winning this time, however, is Hillary's job, which sometimes means whining is the only job left for her husband. It doesn't matter that he may have good reasons to complain. His "fairy tale" description of Obama's Iraq policy was not racist. The media are biased against him. The Obama campaign has,at times, played the race card with great effect. But no one will make those points for him. He has no allies in the liberal blogosphere where conspiracy theories about the mainstream media gain great traction. Nor does he seem to have many friends left in the black community. Rep. James Clyburn's comment to The New York Times that Clinton had "incensed" African-Americans caused a stir because of the speaker (Clyburn had heretofore remained neutral in the Obama-Clinton fight), not because of the point he was making. So Bill is left to point out his grievances himself. As a result, he is forever playing Bartleby Bill, the man who cannot move beyond his own victimization, a doomed character in every American myth.

But Hillary can still set him free. After a high-minded, dramatic start, the Democratic campaign has devolved into something vaguely sleazy, often dishonest and increasingly small bore. It is entering an arena, in other words, where The Natural knows how to thrive. Hillary has long since proved which Clinton runs her campaign. Perhaps now, as she looks to the white working class of North Carolina and Indiana to help save her long-shot campaign, she will let her husband, a child of the white, working class, be the star for a little while. Maybe after 15 months, salvation for the Clintons will mean letting Bill be Bill.

With Suzanne Smalley

© 2008