She’s baaaaack.
Well, OK… she never really left. But in recent weeks, former first lady and failed 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has become more visible in her efforts to get President Joe Biden, 81, reelected next year.
Clinton has recently become “one of the most prominent and influential surrogates in Biden’s re-election effort,” NBC News reported Monday.
The outlet noted that Clinton on October 23 had refused to condemn — or even comment upon — a recent speech by the president that a heckler referred to as “warmongering,” first inviting the man to speak with her after the event and, when he refused, telling him to “sit down.”
Then, on Nov. 14 (which NBC inexplicably described as occurring “two weeks” after the confrontation with the heckler), Clinton published an Op-Ed that might have been written by the president himself, “Hamas Must Go,” in The Atlantic.
NBC even noted in a hopeful tone that, “[a]s a former secretary of state, [Clinton] has the bona fides to provide Biden with a measure of political cover amid a war in the Middle East that has split the Democratic Party.”
It seems highly improbable that House “squad” members like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, or Rashida Tlaib of Michigan are going in any way to be mollified by anything a solidly establishment Democrat like Hillary Clinton might say, and NBC didn’t explain its reasoning for hoping she might provide Biden with “political cover.”
On the Monday after Thanksgiving, however, Clinton provided Biden with somewhat more tangible help. She hosted a fundraiser for him with members of the Women’s Leadership Forum who donated “just shy of $1 million” to Biden’s reelection coffers.
NBC also noted an appearance by Clinton on “The View” and various “social media posts” (it cited none) that it said all added up to her emergence as one of the keyest of Team Biden’s key players.
Do you think Clinton will help Biden’s re-election chances?
The outlet also noted that bringing Clinton on board meant that Biden gets a “two-for-the-price-of-one” deal because former President Bill Clinton would also likely be around. NBC apparently wrote this ironically, as if the outlet considers it a net positive for Biden.
Positive or not, the former president did make some sort of “cameo” appearance at the fundraiser, NBC noted.
Even NBC, however, had to admit that, with low approval numbers and former President Donald Trump, 77, breathing down his neck as the country races — plummets? — toward the 2024 election, Biden has become “thirsty for allies.”
“At the end of the day, Biden needs all the help that he can get,” an unnamed Democratic strategist told the outlet. “What he needs is both the spirit and the actual reality of unity.”
Another unnamed Democrat emphasized that point. It’s “all hands on deck,” they told NBC.
The role currently held by Clinton is likely to be usurped by former President Barack Obama at some point soon, but that doesn’t mean Clinton’s role in the campaign will diminish, NBC said.
“We are very eager to get our surrogates engaged,” another unnamed Democrat told NBC, referring, according to the outlet, to both former White House couples, the Clintons and the Obamas.
“I don’t know of a couple that could be any more helpful to President Biden than the Clintons,” added former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, according to NBC. “They have an enormous level of support and admiration within the Democratic Party.”
Multiple anonymous sources reportedly told NBC that Obama would likely become more involved as November draws hear.
“Obama drives turnout,” a Democratic fundraiser told the outlet. “That happens later in the campaign.”
