The XX Factor: Slate women blog about politics, etc...

Obama's Bill Clinton Problem

I'm not sure Obama can walk away—as he said on NPR this morning, if you don't respond to charges that you think are factually inaccurate, they tend to stick (Swift Boat). Obama also talked about how Bill is playing the campaigning role that the vice presidential nominee often plays—he's the spewer, as you say, D. In a general election race, Obama would have his own VP, but at this stage, he doesn't. And Hillary's response that Michelle Obama and Elizabeth Edwards also support their spouses doesn't ring true here. They're not ex-presidents, they're not Bill Clinton, etc.

That said, is what Bill is doing really so bad? This is a campaign. Campaigns are slugfests. He's out therre slugging. I don't much like watching it myself, but I feel like it's worth asking the question. Is it more objectionable because Hillary is a female candidate and he undermines her authority? Or is this simply evidence of their smart (if unappealing) teamwork?