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Bill Clinton: My Wife Is The Greatest…

Posted by SWARAAJ CHAUHAN, International Columnist in At TMV.
Jan 20th, 2008 | Comments

Among the US Presidents who visited India, Bill Clinton made a great impression; and close second was George W. Bush. Their informal and intense ways won many admirers. Please don’t ask me how their controversial actions/reputation/policies were completely overlooked (there are enough experts to pontificate on this).

Now the spotlight is again on Bill Clinton for his pro-active role in his wife’s presidential campaign. The Telegraph notes: “When a beaming Bill Clinton bounced on to the stage to introduce his wife Hillary at her final rally before the Nevada caucus, he gave the kind of effusive performance for which he is so well known. It marked a return to his genial, crowd-pleasing ways after a series of angry outbursts that have seriously worried campaign aides.

“David Gergen, a former presidential adviser, offered The New York Times an insider’s take on the Clinton temper. ‘Bubbling just below the surface is a deep resentment against the press about the way he feels she [Mrs Clinton] is portrayed against Barack. He is a bit like Mount Vesuvius: he’ll just erupt, but then it’s over, because the good thing about his temper is he doesn’t bear grudges’.”

Bill is likely to be damned if he expresses strong emotions in favour of his wife during the presidential campaign, he is likely to be damned too if he limits himself to the backroom in this chaotic phase of the campaign (and earn the epithet of being a heartless husband). So he must have opted for a safer line. Who can object if a man shows his muscle power if his wife is being attacked?

I don’t understand why leading democrats are asking Bill Clinton to pipe down…

When you cross 60, you suddenly realise how unfair you had been to your wife, and maybe not much supportive during the testing times in life….

At least I realised this. And I presume, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who are my age, may be thinking like that…!!!

(Photo above: courtesy Todd Heisler/The New York Times)

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Jammer

"When you cross 60, you suddenly realise how unfair you had been to your wife, and maybe not much supportive during the testing times in life….

At least I realised this. And I presume, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who are my age, may be thinking like that…!!!"

I find this to be a very interesting and provocative idea. Not sure if I agree or disagree, although the example of my own father certainly fits.

A few thoughts. I apologize for the rambling:

I would suggest that Bill is incredibly important to Hillary's campaign. Without a popular ex President next to her saying "she really is ready" I doubt she could have gotten this far. In that respect, this may actually be a unique confluence of circumstances that could lead to our first woman president. What other woman on the horizon would have such a strong and popular leader covering her back? Given what i accept as the reluctance of many men to vote for a woman, the net plus to her campaign is far outweighed by any reduction in Bill's political capital for attacking back in support of his wife, and i am sure he could not care less if his capital is reduced. Bill is really the only one in her campaign who can effectively take on the Obama magic. Is he trying hard to make up for his transgressions and for dissing his wife so many times? I think you may be on to something here but i also think he wants to see a woman as president and he believes this is our one chance. Their relationship seems to be very strong and mutually supportive, and I have long believed they must be good people at the bottom of their souls who love each other to have raised such a splendid daughter as Chelsea. You dont raise a daughter like that if you are both "evil sh@theads."

Breaking the gender barrier on the presidency; breaking the color barrier on the presidency. What an embarrassment of riches! We live in exciting times.

Jillmz

Swaraaj -

You describe a very common conundrum that I believe men face when they do realize how crappy they may have been to their wives - not intentionally but either because such behavior was the model they witnessed or they didn't know better or they earnestly thought they were doing the best.

The problem is, that when you (in the generic) do realize it, you need to Step Away From The Wife - or significant other, or daughter, or mother or sister or friend, NOT get more involved - because then you end up overcompensating and insulting the fact that the woman has had to try to rise up or achieve for x number of years when you WEREN'T aware of how you were being. So to try and make up for those years by getting in her face and everyone else's in an attempt to say, I SUPPORT HER! SHE IS THE BEST! - well, that's not really what I believe a lot of women want anyway.

Do you know what I mean (and can you tell I've, ahem, experienced this a bit personally!?)?

swaraaj

At age 60 one can be at the receiving end, especially if you happen to be the male of the species. I can only tell from my experience...You do something you are damned, if you don't you are still damned. The comments above, put ever so delicately, seem to say... just cool it and fade away. A tough choice...But then one keeps learning until one enters the grave or cremated...Anyway thanks for the suggestion. My wife and daughter may heartily agree with the suggestions above!!!

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