Ever since Bill Clinton started saying things like (to paraphrase) “President Obama is wrong on the Bush tax cuts” and “President Obama is wrong about Mitt Romney’s business career” and “Also, we’re still in a recession,” political folks have been trying to figure out just why he is doing that. The most Machiavellian explanation is that Clinton is already trying to position the Clinton brand for the 2016 election, in which his wife is ostensibly definitely not running but, in reality, definitely is. But some Clinton insiders at Politico insist that the truth is much more innocent than that. According to them, Clinton is just so old now:
Clinton, say associates, while mentally sharp, is older and a step off his political game, less attuned to the need for clarity and message-discipline during interviews.
“He’s 65 years old,” said one adviser, explaining how Clinton in a CNBC interview managed to say that the economy was in recession when it is not.
Somehow, we suspect that one of the most astute politicians of our time hasn’t forgotten the importance of staying on message, even at the not-really-advanced age of 65. But it also requires giving a shit.
