SocraticGadfly: Will Slick Willie's popularity translate to Dear Leader?

July 30, 2012

Will Slick Willie's popularity translate to Dear Leader?

Gallup reports that a full two-thirds of Americans now view Bill Clinton favorably.

Question is, will this translate over to Barack Obama in the presidential campaign stretch drive?

Question two is, given different statements recently on the future of the Bush Obama tax cuts, how well will the Slickster stay on message?


Question three is, how much will Obama use him after the convention?


Question four is, if Questions 1-3 are all favorable to Obama, how much will popularity translate into electoral help?


My tentative answers?


On 1, the popularity will translate modestly to moderately.


On 2, he'll stay moderately to mostly on message.


On 3, he'll get fairly heavy usage.


On 4, it won't mean a lot of help outside of Virginia, the Ohio Valley states and just maybe North Carolina. He should win Colorado and New Mexico without such help. The upper Midwest will depend on more than just that, like anger at Republican governors vs. the state of the economy in the "rust belt."

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