Bill Clinton, the New Will Rogers (Who Has Never Met a Republican He Didn't Like)
Former President (and perhaps future First Dude in the year 2525, if man is still alive…) Bill Clinton weighs in on Sarah Barracuda and the Palin clan's appeal:
"I come from Arkansas, I get why she's hot out there," Clinton said. "Why she's doing well."
Speaking to reporters before his Clinton Global Initiative meeting, the former president described Palin's appeal by adding, "People look at her, and they say, 'All those kids. Something that happens in everybody's family. I'm glad she loves her daughter and she's not ashamed of her. Glad that girl's going around with her boyfriend. Glad they're going to get married.'"
Clinton said voters would think, "I like that little Down syndrome kid. One of them lives down the street. They're wonderful children. They're wonderful people. And I like the idea that this guy does those long-distance races. Stayed in the race for 500 miles with a broken arm. My kind of guy."
It's been a strange week for the Sage of Chappaqua. He's been busy praising his wife and John McCain on Good Morning America, The View (McCain has "given something in life the rest of us can't match"), and Late Night with David Letterman. New York Times Charles M. Blow summarized that latter appearance thusly:
Bill Clinton was a guest of the David Letterman show last night where he gave a tepid endorsement of Barack Obama. The next guest was Chris Rock who is genetically incapable of being tepid. He gave a near-belligerent excoriation of Clinton's performance:
"Is it me, or he [Clinton] didn't want to say the name Barack Obama? He did not … He went through everything he could do … "Well like Hillary would want to do with the economy…" Hillary ain't running. Hillary's not running. What the hell?"
If everybody hates Chris, he apparently doesn't care. He makes an interesting point. Why is the Clintons' support of Obama so tepid and muted? Some openly speculate that they want Obama to lose so that Hillary will have a better shot in 2012. I have no idea if that is true, but the more they withhold their enthusiasm for Obama, the more they give their supporters license to do the same.
Not to worry, Democratic Party members. The Wash Post reports that once his global initiative's four-day meeting wraps up soon, "Clinton said he will be busy campaigning for the Democratic ticket of Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden."
Actual Will Rogers quote on Republicans: "Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans."