He was supposed to be the secret weapon. A wildly popular ex-president whose broad appeal would cement a Hillary victory. Three days away from the election and the supposed Great Communicator, Bill Clinton, is nowhere to be found. On the campaign trail he’s been met with great admiration, but also with a distinct rancor that not even our sitting president has had to face. Protestors shouting “BILL’S A RAPIST!” or “BILL IS CORRUPT!” has become such a regular occurrence that Bill has been delegated to small, easily-controlled town hall environments.
For die-hard fans of the Bill Clinton White House—this election has been disappointing. Voters who were looking forward to a blast-to-the-past time in politics when Bill Clinton was galvanizing democrats with his southern charm have been greeted by a different Bill. A Bill that at times has become unhinged and defensive; contradictory to the cool, easygoing politician from Arkansas that most Americans fell in love with. Instead, he has foolishly spent his time on the trail defending his presidency and not vouching for his wife.
However, in defense of Bill, this is uncharted territory. Bill is attempting to pioneer a new role, the First Husband. And compound that with the fact that he’s an ex-president with baggage of his own means Bill is in a precarious positon. A weary positon that has been under attack by the Trump campaign during this whole election cycle. Three days away from election day and it can be said with confidence that the Trump team succeeded in nullifying Bill’s effectiveness.
From the start, the Trump campaign mounted an all-out offensive on Bill and his role as a surrogate. This isn’t a mark of ingenuity from the Trump team, but a route that had been explored and mastered by a 90’s Republican led House. Because of Bill’s prominence, he has a litany of failures as a public servant to attack. Furthermore, the Trump campaign has called into question the legitimacy and ethics of the Clinton Foundation which has created headaches for Hillary. Also, because of our current political climate, especially regarding Black Lives Matter—Bill’s popularity with millennials and blacks is fleeting.
Ultimately, what may be the cause of Bill’s undoing is that the Democratic Party is not the same party is was during 1992. If on November 8, Hillary becomes the presumptive president-elect she will have done so in spite of Bill and not because of him.