The Clinton Follies

The New York Times reports today that no one inside or outside the Clinton campaign has quite figured out what to do with former president Clinton. But evidence mounts that he may be uncontrollable. Consider this quote from Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson: "Bill Clinton is going to continue to campaign on behalf of his wife and tell her story and make his case about why she should be president."

But is that really what Clinton has been up to on the stump? Now consider the following, from yesterday's Times:

Mr. Clinton would open by discussing various issues for half an hour. Occasionally he would say, 'Hillary thinks this,' but their views are so similar, and he spoke for her so confidently, that he rarely bothered to say where he left off and she began.

The voters would then respectfully ask policy questions - about Mrs. Clinton's plans for health care, education and economic development. His detailed answers to a single question could run 15 minutes.

It's as though he's the candidate. Which may have helped Sen. Clinton in New Hampshire and Nevada. But it certainly didn't help in South Carolina on Saturday.