The elephant in the room, with respect to Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, is the prospect of Bill Clinton returning to the White House for a third term. I’ve long believed that the more voters focus on the ill-defined role that Bill would play in an ostensible Hillary Presidency, the more uncomfortable they will become with the arrangement.
That view gains support from a recent Pew survey, as reported on by the New York Times: Fewer Want Bill Clinton Back in the White House. Bill’s visible role in the campaign last month apparently prompted some respondents to consider the reality of what electing Hillary would imply:
A new survey finds that fewer voters these days like the idea of the former president being back in the White House.
Forty one percent of registered voters told the latest Pew Research Center survey that they disliked the idea of Mr. Clinton back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which could happen if his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, is elected president. In October, 34 percent of voters disliked the idea.
“Could happen”? Unless the Times knows something we don’t, it is certain that Bill would re-inhabit the White House. This prospect, I’m happy to see, is viewed with alarm by many swing voters:
The poll found that independent voters have become more uncomfortable with the idea. In October, just 35 percent of independents disliked the idea; now, 45 percent dislike it.
I think that number will grow as the election nears and as more voters focus on the concrete reality of a Clinton co-presidency.
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