The Smelly Cheese

Paul Krugman had a really smart column on the current "nature" of the democratic race. He's a much smarter and eloquent person than I am so I will not attempt to summarize it.

Bill Clinton is behaving like a politician. Bill Clinton is being highly critical of his wife's main competition, Barack Obama. Is this really newsworthy? Bill Clinton is a magnificant salesman, first and foremost. Right now his job is selling the idea that his wife is the most qualified person for the job of president. There are no unwritten rules that preclude him from behaving "un-presidential." This is an unprecedented campaign with a two-headed political monster that's already occupied the White House. Bill has a chance to get back into the Oval Office and prove that despite his personal flaws and fuck-ups, he and Hillary knew how to get the job done.

But now in the 24-news cycle, politically correct era we live in everything is analyzed... and over analyzed. Bill Clinton has not so sublty floated the idea that "race" is an issue in this campaign. The media, both left and right, have resoundly told Bill that he needs to fade into the background and stop mucking things up. One side is doing so because they loathe him and everything he represents and the other does so out of a sense of paranoia.

So, Bill will most likely take a back seat to Hillary and say "only nice things," from here on out. By doing so I think he will perform the entire democratic party, and the country, a disservice. Race is an issue in the political game and come the general election it's only going to nastier and more precise. So, Obama better get a tougher chin than he's got now because Karl Rove and the good ole boys aren't going to be very gentle or sublte.