Could Bill's record really hurt Hillary?

[Dazey]

Let's be honest: If Jeb is nominated, and Hillary is too, the race is going to be about something bigger than the both of them. It will symbolically be the '90s vs. the 2000s.

But even still, despite the '90s going through a tidal wave of positive nostalgia these last few years and being in every sense "in", with the Clinton years especially being sentimentalized, is it possible Bill's record could hurt Hillary?

Hillary will probably run her campaign on three themes:
A) "Four more years" if Obama is popular in 2016
B) "Let's finish what we started in the 1990s"
C) "A candidate for the common person"

A and B are valid. But an opponent could easily attack her on the third. If she's a candidate who claims to be for gay marriage and gay rights, an opponent could point to DOMA. If she's a candidate who claims to be for working families and the poor, an opponent could point to Bill's 1996 welfare reform. If she claims to be in favor of lower taxes, an opponent could point to her husband raising taxes in 1993. If she claims to be against middle eastern wars, an opponent will point to her own vote on the Iraq War.

Do you think Bill's past political missteps will hurt Hillary in any substantial way? If it is Bush v. Clinton in 2016, what will be under debate are the legacies of two former Presidents as much as the capability of the current candidates, with Jeb hopefully running as far as he can fo

[Oakvale]

When you launch a career based around being married to the President you can't really complain when you get linked to said President's failures, but how  can you make this thread without raising the obvious issue of Bill Clinton being a massive creep and probable sexual predator? Surely that is the most likely way in which Bill will hurt Hillary.

[bedstuy]

When you launch a career based around being married to the President you can't really complain when you get linked to said President's failures, but how  can you make this thread without raising the obvious issue of Bill Clinton being a massive creep and probable sexual predator? Surely that is the most likely way in which Bill will hurt Hillary.

That's not fair.  Hillary Clinton wasn't a real housewife of Arkansas.  She was a corporate lawyer who made more money than Bill Clinton, an activist and a legal scholar.  Her non-political resume is more impressive than the vast majority of politicians.  More impressive than any 2016 contender I have to say.

Is it fair that she got to run for Senate without any prior political office?  I guess not.  But, life isn't fair.  Anyone who gets to this position had a ton of lucky breaks in life that were 100% not fair.

As for Bill's sexual issues, that isn't Hillary Clinton's fault.  Some people might blame her for defending Bill, but that will backfire if Republicans try that line of argument.  And, sexual predator, really?  How is Bill Clinton a sexual predator?  He cheated on his wife, he didn't rape anyone.  And, at least Bill Clinton isn't a killer like Laura Bush. 

[Beet]

I don't think Jeb will be nominated, thus this post is rather moot. But as most of it is about Hillary, undoubtedly her opponents will try to attack her based on the policies of Bill which are now outdated or unpopular, just as her supporters will respond based on the policies of Bill which were successful and still seen as such. Unfortunately, this is rather inevitable, even if logically, it is irrational to think a Hillary presidency would be recap of Bill's.

Bill Clinton is the subject of unproven accusations of sexual assault. If he were eligible for the nomination today, he should not get it on account of that alone. Thankfully, Hillary is not Bill.

[King]

Yes it will hurt her with the key Democratic voting block of people who vote for conservative Republicans over Bill Clinton.

[IceSpear]

TIL: Women must adopt all the political views of their husband.

Thanks Atlas Forum!

[Blair]

Well Clinton was President during a very different era-also as a gay liberal I'll admit that him passing DADT in 1993 was a pretty big step, likewise the fact that Hillary supports gay marriage, the fact that Hillary is happy to use campaign ads with gay people, the fact that Hillary is a champion for LGBT rights makes me wanna vote for her. The fact her husband passed a bill 20 years ago that helped LGBT isn't going to make me vote for Jeb Bush.

Sure I don't think Bill Clinton was the greatest democrat ever, but by god that's not gonna push liberals to Jeb Bush.

Also come on 1994 republican revolution ffs! You don't elect a GOP majority in both houses and then complain when the POTUS has to comprise on major bills-no doubt you'd be happy attacking Bill if he was a liberal reformer who refused to work with the GOP for 6 years

[Sumner 1868]

It's more likely Obama's policies will hurt her.

[bobloblaw]

Let's be honest: If Jeb is nominated, and Hillary is too, the race is going to be about something bigger than the both of them. It will symbolically be the '90s vs. the 2000s.

But even still, despite the '90s going through a tidal wave of positive nostalgia these last few years and being in every sense "in", with the Clinton years especially being sentimentalized, is it possible Bill's record could hurt Hillary?

Hillary will probably run her campaign on three themes:
A) "Four more years" if Obama is popular in 2016
B) "Let's finish what we started in the 1990s"
C) "A candidate for the common person"

A and B are valid. But an opponent could easily attack her on the third. If she's a candidate who claims to be for gay marriage and gay rights, an opponent could point to DOMA. If she's a candidate who claims to be for working families and the poor, an opponent could point to Bill's 1996 welfare reform. If she claims to be in favor of lower taxes, an opponent could point to her husband raising taxes in 1993. If she claims to be against middle eastern wars, an opponent will point to her own vote on the Iraq War.

Do you think Bill's past political missteps will hurt Hillary in any substantial way? If it is Bush v. Clinton in 2016, what will be under debate are the legacies of two former Presidents as much as the capability of the current candidates, with Jeb hopefully running as far as he can fo

Obama in 2016, wont be anymore popular in 2106 than he is today.

Hillary is going to need about 5% of the electorate that disapproves of Obama but votes for her.

With unemployment at 5% and gasoline at $2.50 and a 45% RCP approval rating, it is clear that Obama has a high floor and low ceiling. He wont crack 50% for any sustained period from now until Nov 2016.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Unless there's something else out there on the order of a proven forcible rape or sex with an underage girl, nothing Bill Clinton has done in the past is going to hurt Hillary.  We've all been through this; it's part of the background scenery.  For better or worse, America is more liberal in terms of sexual mores these days.  Nothing Bill Clinton did is shocking anymore.  That may say more about us than it does about the Clintons.

[Ebsy]

Let's be honest: If Jeb is nominated, and Hillary is too, the race is going to be about something bigger than the both of them. It will symbolically be the '90s vs. the 2000s.

But even still, despite the '90s going through a tidal wave of positive nostalgia these last few years and being in every sense "in", with the Clinton years especially being sentimentalized, is it possible Bill's record could hurt Hillary?

Hillary will probably run her campaign on three themes:
A) "Four more years" if Obama is popular in 2016
B) "Let's finish what we started in the 1990s"
C) "A candidate for the common person"

A and B are valid. But an opponent could easily attack her on the third. If she's a candidate who claims to be for gay marriage and gay rights, an opponent could point to DOMA. If she's a candidate who claims to be for working families and the poor, an opponent could point to Bill's 1996 welfare reform. If she claims to be in favor of lower taxes, an opponent could point to her husband raising taxes in 1993. If she claims to be against middle eastern wars, an opponent will point to her own vote on the Iraq War.

Do you think Bill's past political missteps will hurt Hillary in any substantial way? If it is Bush v. Clinton in 2016, what will be under debate are the legacies of two former Presidents as much as the capability of the current candidates, with Jeb hopefully running as far as he can fo

Obama in 2016, wont be anymore popular in 2106 than he is today.

Hillary is going to need about 5% of the electorate that disapproves of Obama but votes for her.

With unemployment at 5% and gasoline at $2.50 and a 45% RCP approval rating, it is clear that Obama has a high floor and low ceiling. He wont crack 50% for any sustained period from now until Nov 2016.

History is going to be very kind to Barrack Hussein Obama, though I know that frustrates conservatives quite a bit.

[NewYorkExpress]

When you launch a career based around being married to the President you can't really complain when you get linked to said President's failures, but how  can you make this thread without raising the obvious issue of Bill Clinton being a massive creep and probable sexual predator? Surely that is the most likely way in which Bill will hurt Hillary.

That's not fair.  Hillary Clinton wasn't a real housewife of Arkansas.  She was a corporate lawyer who made more money than Bill Clinton, an activist and a legal scholar.  Her non-political resume is more impressive than the vast majority of politicians.  More impressive than any 2016 contender I have to say.

Is it fair that she got to run for Senate without any prior political office?  I guess not.  But, life isn't fair.  Anyone who gets to this position had a ton of lucky breaks in life that were 100% not fair.

As for Bill's sexual issues, that isn't Hillary Clinton's fault.  Some people might blame her for defending Bill, but that will backfire if Republicans try that line of argument.  And, sexual predator, really?  How is Bill Clinton a sexual predator?  He cheated on his wife, he didn't rape anyone.  And, at least Bill Clinton isn't a killer like Laura Bush. 

Juanita Broaddrick would like a word with you....though I agree it shouldn't affect Hillary...she's not the person who did the did the "hypothetical" raping.

It's like blaming Pat Nixon for Watergate, Julie Agnew, for Spiro's bribery scandal, or Nancy Reagan for Iran-Contra. Bill should and will be judged on his merits and demerits, and Hillary on hers.

[Mr. Smith]

There is one difference, Hillary did take an active role as First Lady...or have we all forgotten "Two for One" in the campaign.

Many things on Bill's record could be spined as Hillary being "the secret President", wasn't there an old joke that Hillary was "the brains behind Clinton"?

Someone has to play devil's advocate on this

[HAnnA MArin County]

TIL: Women must adopt all the political views of their husband.

Thanks Atlas Forum!

That's what women HAVE to do when they marry a Republican husband that way they won't be called a mooching leech just asking for a handout like all those Democrats do.

I dare the Republicans to bring up the Lewinsky scandal and try to blame that on the first viable female presidential candidate. (As if they needed any more help trying to win the female vote.) After all, it's always the woman's fault when a man cheats, right Republicans?

[IceSpear]

Let's be honest: If Jeb is nominated, and Hillary is too, the race is going to be about something bigger than the both of them. It will symbolically be the '90s vs. the 2000s.

But even still, despite the '90s going through a tidal wave of positive nostalgia these last few years and being in every sense "in", with the Clinton years especially being sentimentalized, is it possible Bill's record could hurt Hillary?

Hillary will probably run her campaign on three themes:
A) "Four more years" if Obama is popular in 2016
B) "Let's finish what we started in the 1990s"
C) "A candidate for the common person"

A and B are valid. But an opponent could easily attack her on the third. If she's a candidate who claims to be for gay marriage and gay rights, an opponent could point to DOMA. If she's a candidate who claims to be for working families and the poor, an opponent could point to Bill's 1996 welfare reform. If she claims to be in favor of lower taxes, an opponent could point to her husband raising taxes in 1993. If she claims to be against middle eastern wars, an opponent will point to her own vote on the Iraq War.

Do you think Bill's past political missteps will hurt Hillary in any substantial way? If it is Bush v. Clinton in 2016, what will be under debate are the legacies of two former Presidents as much as the capability of the current candidates, with Jeb hopefully running as far as he can fo

Obama in 2016, wont be anymore popular in 2106 than he is today.

Hillary is going to need about 5% of the electorate that disapproves of Obama but votes for her.

With unemployment at 5% and gasoline at $2.50 and a 45% RCP approval rating, it is clear that Obama has a high floor and low ceiling. He wont crack 50% for any sustained period from now until Nov 2016.

McCain got 46% of the vote when Bush was at 25% approval. You do the math.

[RR1997]

Let's not be silly here guys. Bill Clinton was an incredibly popular president who presided over a huge economic boom and is still loved by many today (myself included). Bill's record will help Hillary more than it will hurt her.

[Sir Mohamed]

Let's not be silly here guys. Bill Clinton was an incredibly popular president who presided over a huge economic boom and is still loved by many today (myself included). Bill's record will help Hillary more than it will hurt her.

I agree. And don't forget, that he had a budget surplus. Hillary will remind people that Bush 2 turned this into a huge deficit.