Analysis: What's next for Bill Clinton?
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/POLITICS/06/07/bill.clinton.future/art.billclinton.gi.jpg caption="Former President Clinton watches his wife announce that she is suspending her campaign Saturday."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - What a long, strange, unhappy trip it's been for Bill Clinton.
When Sen. Hillary Clinton officially launched her drive for the White House 17 months ago, the former president's possibilities seemed endless. His wife's nomination by many of the party faithful was seen as a virtual certainty.
When the Clintons moved back into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., the political world would once again be Bill Clinton's oyster. Maybe even a co-presidency.
Perhaps he would get another crack at settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some even speculated that he would follow in the footsteps of William Howard Taft and become the second ex-president to serve on the Supreme Court.
Suddenly many of those possibilities are gone, or at least significantly reduced. The 42nd president's reputation as a master politician and respected elder statesman has been damaged. Some Clinton partisans are privately grumbling that he helped sink his wife's presidential campaign.
How did this happen? How did it all go so wrong for the man who almost single-handedly led the Democrats out of the political wilderness 16 years ago?
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He will be the first, First Gentleman – wait and see. Hillary is not yet done. Big Brown lost today and so will the other Big Brown. Notice Hillary is "suspending" her campaign. Hillary was the victim of a smear campaign while Obama was the beneficiary of a halo compaign – Mr,. 85% Hype. I will be writing in Hillary's name on the November ballot if Obama doesn't get disqualified for some skeleton that has yet to fall out of his racist closet.
Obama and his team were ready. However he will be with Obama if he decides to do so.
He can win the rural ares without a doubt.
Hispanics voting for John McCain over Barack Obama?...that's amusing.
How anyone could vote for John McCain is beyond me. His policies are uninspiring, his debating skills are poor at best (and that's being nice), his abilities to effectively communicate with other nations are very questionable, ...and quite simply, he doesn't look "presidential" AT ALL!
Obama, on the other hand...
What went wrong for the Clintons? Even though they were old enough to remember Vietnam, they still supported the Iraq war. Not just the authorization – they made speech after speech about how great the war was and how unpatriotic those of us who opposed it were.
Well now the worm has turned. Everyone knows what the Clintons should have known – the war was all a big lie. If you can't spot the big lie you don't deserve to be president, no matter your gender or color.
Obama took the political risk and has received the nomination he earned fairly. His leadership will get us out of the era of Bush lies and Clintonian half-truth telling.
Obama 08 & 12.
Bill will be Bill forever. Don't feel sorry for him & his family. He will make a lot more money than you or me. I bet he now has more material to write another book or two in addition to his money making speeches & money generating trips.
Obama and Clinton talked and they agreed it was best for him not to be there, and for her to spend time with her supporters. You people must live under a rock. THIS WAS REPORTED ON BY EVERY CHANNEL. Also HILLARY DID NOT WIN THE POPULAR VOTE.
Obama won the popular vote by
41,622
Counting Caucus states-151,844
This includes Florida. THE DNC SAID MICHIGAN DID NOT COUNT SINCE THEY WANTED TO GIVE OBAMA 0 VOTES-
No wonder why this country is in such a mess its time people wake up and pay attention.
Every American needs to first understand " There is no Hillary without Bill ".. She would have been an ordinary rich (probably) women without him.
Those who say Hispanics wont vote for Obama, Hillary supporters will vote for McCain... So be it... But Obama will win, because McCain supporters and Republicans also are leaning towards Obama now.
Obama will be the President of United States of America 2008 -16 and he will score the best ratings every not only at home, but the entire world.
Barack Obama (2008 -16)
Bill Clinton may have not been a perfect man or husband but when it came to running this country he did it well. He's a two term elected President, something Obama hopes to be. The media can continue to tear down Bill Clinton and forget that when he left office gas was almost three times cheaper than it is now and the economy was much stronger.
How was the election stolen from Hillary? Do the Clinton supporters really believe that? I have a hard time thinking anything was stolen from her or the voters.
It's not decided on the popular vote, nothing is. This is a republic, we pick representatives to decide for us and with all the metrics the Clinton supporters have a problem with, "you didn't complain about it when it was working to your advantage – why are you so offended now?"
To quote:
"Words cannot express my indignation for the way the “Undemocratic” party has treated Senator Hillary Clinton. How dare you “SELECT” a nominee instead of allowing THE PEOPLE to ELECT THEIRS?"
We did elect ours. His name's Barack Obama. First in delegates, first in popular vote pretty much means to me he won fair and square.
Desire; the hOBO won't make it through the first term if elected.
I hope McCain will be able and willing to let Bill Clinton and Hillary help in his administration as he is known to cross the aisles to make something work. I look for him to include democrats in his administration. I will still write Hillary Clinton on my ballot in November as I feel she is the best of the three. I hope Obama got a decent score on his golf game today. I hope he has lots of time after November.
Bill has 109 million ways to survive-he won't worry about anything!
Roxy,
Enough already it's over time to move on either you choose to support Obama or you don't the chose is yours, but please understand this we all have been through a lot these past months we all have had our hopes tested, but in every fight there is an winner and a loser. Hillary lost, she put up a good fight, her supporters put up a good fight right along with her, but it is OVER no letter to the DNC will change that and I understand that you wish to express yourself to get things off you chest, but flooding the blogs with this will not help you and it certainly will not help others, now unless your true desire is to stir up hurt feelings and incite others to angur it serves no other purpose. Writing to the DNC is probably a best idea because they could care less, but us bloggers are the ones that is trying to mend and learn to blend the two sides together so that we can become one for all that choose, if you do not choose then don't but dont keep this mess stirred up!
DEMOCRATS UNITED TOGETHER AS ONE, LET'S DO THIS!
YES WE CAN & YES WE WILL
"Clinton's in Our WhiteHouse were GREAT YEARS!!!shame on you DNC and silly SuperDelegates!!you made a terrible mistake."PLANTING" Obama on the ticket."GONNA BACKFIRE ON YOU ALL!!!Dum Dum's in the media spinning negatives about Hillary!!wait till Obama's closet open's up and all the shady character's march into Our WhiteHouse with him and Michelle?? could be 8 relentless years of rancid Baloney and nothing really get's done honestly in our Country? VOTING McCain isn't a slap in the face for our Hillary!! It will teach the DNC and sellout superDelegates that they are NO LONGER NEEDED..AND THE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WANT THEIR VOTES TO BE COUNTED......VOTE McCAIN he will be grateful for our vote...NOT LIKE THIS SCHMUKK ObAMA...who the heck does he think he is....?????goes golfing, disrespectful little boy!!!have to check with Michelle first to make a decision? HILLARY DON'T GET ON THE TICKET WITH HIM!!!!HE'S DISRESPECTFUL....you deserve more!!!!
I am overjoyed that Barrack Obama beat Hilary Clinton. Perhaps now Bill Clinton and his wife will leave the national scene. Hope springs eternal. This nation does not need four more years of the Clintons. Eight years of them is enough. His demeanor and outbursts of anger on the campaign trail speak volumes about them but especially him. His attack on the Vanity Fair reporter as "sleazy'", a "scumbag" and dishonest reflect who he is exactly. I suppose it takes a sleazy, scumbag, dishonest Bill Clinton to know one.
ROXY
don't you are bringing the well being of our children and grandchildren, then push people voting for a politic that ruined them financially, and killed thousand of them.
Do you have any shame left in you?
its been a long ,hard campaign.if obama wants some time to himself,he has every right.today was hillary's day,and he did not want to detract her supporters by appearing arrogant by using her time to steal the spotlight.those complaining of a guy taking a break from all your trash,are just repubs pretending to be mad hillarys .it wont work,so stfu!
I have a question. This article is about Bill. Why are there people throwing fits about Hillary? And I would like one of you to explain exactly how the nomination was stolen from her. The nomination form has benn the same for many, many years, so exactly, what was stolen from her? I will bet you I don't get one answere from one of you Republican schills!
AMERICA LOVES YOU BILL!!!
DONT LISTEN TO THE MSM BIAS!!!
Roxy , I concur, you could not have said it better.
Many of you on the blogs that believe we Hillary supporters are Republicans are sadly mistaken, and this will be your misfortune come November.
You have chosen the wrong person for the greatest job in the land,
And McCain will win because of you. And for the pundits who claim we will all unify; we are already unified - behind Hillary.
A Vote for Barrack Obama is a vote for Hillary Clinton because they support the same cause.
A vote for John McCain is a vote for a George Bush third term more wars, bad economy and more country will not want to deal with our country. If you were really a true Hillary suppoter that want a better America for this generation and the future generation you must vote Democratic this November. Please do yourself a good favor and vote for the Democratic nominee this coming November.
No hard feeling because Hillary has none against Barrack. We must put the Republican out of the white house.
As you can see, we are in a big reccession and that will get worse with a John McCain.
Did Obama like Clinton's speech. Put it this way: Did CNN like Clinton's speech -- CNN can twist and turn about what people think and say.
WATCH OUT -CNN!!!!!!!!
John McCain is a TRUE PATRIOT who will not make concesions to our enemies and sell our country like the Liberation Theology son is so ready to do!!!!!
FACT: John McCain's sons are both fighting in Iraq, while Barack Obama plays golf!
MCCAIN 08
He will continue to do great things and then he will continue to support Hillary as she goes on to be President.