Heh: Is Bill Clinton a Double-Agent For the GOP?

Okay, that's funny, but let me argue against Allah's and Krauthammer's suggestion he's working an angle.

All politicians bullshit. Right? It's a skill they have.

Nevertheless, whether they're skilled at bullshit or not, it's more difficult -- it takes more energy -- to lie than it does to tell the truth.

Bill Clinton is now an ex-politician. He doesn't have to bullshit -- or lie -- any longer.

He can lie. He could bullshit. But the question I'd ask is: Why would he bother?

For one thing, he did a lot of lying in the past. He's used up his quota.

For another thing: Why should he go out of his way for Obama? What has Obama done for him?

Bill Clinton is in a very small club of people-- Presidents of the United States of America. That's a big f'n' deal, as Joe Biden would say.

Whenever someone goes all-in in supporting a politician, he is inherently, unavoidably sort of putting himself beneath that politician.

It's unavoidable, really. Every day we talk about Mitt Romney, for example, and urge his victory, we're sort of saying "Mitt Romney is more important than we are, in the grand scheme of things, than we are."

Now, that's actually true. Not fun to confess, but it's true: The number of people who will have a greater impact on history, for good or for ill, than Mitt Romney (or Barack Obama, should he win) will be very small indeed.

But while that's true of almost everyone in America, and the world, as a matter of fact, there is one person that's not true of: Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton almost certainly favors Barack Obama to win again in 2012. That said, his ego would probably not permit himself to act as a simple flunkie or flack for Obama.

That's the kind of crap that Paul Begala does -- endless water-carrying for whatever idiot the Democrats have nominated this time 'round.

But Bill Clinton? Bill Clinton can tell himself, with some justification, that he doesn't need to lower himself to Paul Begala's level (or, for that matter, my level).

To many Democrats, Barack Obama is a hero and the most important transformational figure since... Bill Clinton.

To Bill Clinton, he's an idiot who f***ed everything up.

Like I'm said, I'm sure Bill Clinton would prefer if Barack Obama were reelected.

I also don't think he's going to work very hard to make that happen.

As Zaphod Beeblebrox's psychiatrist said of him: "He's just this guy, you know?"

Now, having said that: I'm actually not altogether sure Bill Clinton really thinks Obama is a good president, or should be trusted for four more years of maladministration.

It's definitely expected that he claim he believes this, and he's willing to conform himself to expected social obligations.

But I can understand him having less than full enthusiasm for the project. Obama is a disaster, and surely he knows this.

You can ask a friend to tell your wife you were out bowling, instead of doing what you were really doing, like making it rain at a strip club.

And he probably will cover for you.

But you can't expect him to lie with the same gusto as you might.

Barack Obama should stop expecting Bill Clinton to swear upon a pack of Bibles they were out bowling. Bill Clinton doesn't have to lie about making it rain anymore.

Oh, Here's a Better Analogy: Every have a very old relation who says racist things and embarrasses the family?

And then people say two things: "He's very set in his ways" and "He just doesn't care anymore."

I don't, but Adam Carolla was talking about that last month.

So: Bill Clinton's retired. He earned his federal pension. It's Golf City for him now.

He'll show up at family gatherings if you insist on it, but don't get him started on his Dominican Maid Who Steals His Pills.

He may say embarrassing things, but he's very set in his ways, and he just doesn't care anymore.

posted by Ace at 06:21 PM

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