Politics: Bill in a China Shop

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Politics Bill in a China Shop What's up with Bill Clinton? Has he lost his touch or is he playing a more devious game? By John Dickerson Posted Wednesday, Jun 06, 2012, at 11:49 PM ET Bill Clinton is the great St. Bernard of politics, bounding around the political landscape, rescuing and providing aid while simultaneously knocking over the table lamp. At the moment, he is hosting the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, which this year is taking a serious look at America's economic problems. He is also in the thick of the 2012 campaign, raising money for President Obama. The trouble is no one is better at articulating the case for Obama's re-election—while at the same time occasionally undercutting Obama's chances.  Recently he has been on the wrong end of at least three different statements he has had to clarify—defending Bain Capital, testifying to Mitt Romney's "sterling" business career, suggesting the country was still in a recession, and suggesting he favored extending the Bush-era tax cuts. Clinton is doing such good work for Mitt Romney that he now appears in the Republican nominee's press releases. Even Sarah Palin praised Clinton last night, in an effort to make President Obama look way out of the mainstream. What is up with Bill Clinton? Everyone has a theory, which is part of the problem with Bill Clinton. He compels theories from people about his hidden machinations, even when there aren't any.  So, let's consider a series of theories based on a round of conversations with Clinton watchers, former staffers, and allies:  A storyteller in a Twitter world. Bill Clinton is at his best when he is telling ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Stop Laughing About the LinkedIn Security Breach. It's More Serious Than You Think. It's Time To Abolish the Triple Crown How To Fix the Tech Gender Gap: Make Your Daughter Play Video Games	Advertisement
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