Is Bill Clinton's Freudian slip showing?

By Libby

Radley posts on an interesting theory, wondering if Bill Clinton is sabotaging Hillary's campaign out of some subconscious fear of being outshined by his wife and the deep seated need to remain the alpha mate in the relationship.

Oddly I had the same thought myself when the whole SC thing went down, particularly after the string of awkward appearances made on the campaign trail leading up to it. It felt almost deliberate to me. I think Radley's right. It may not have been a consciously planned strategy but Bill’s not the kind of politician who makes a mistake like that, by mistake.

In a beautifully written post, Jim Henley disagrees, thinking it's more likely a matter of a man who adores his wife and was overcome by passion in rising to her defense. That's probably true as well. I don't see one as being mutually exclusive of the other. They would have to be deeply in love to have stayed together through long years of having their dirty laundry dragged through the public square but that doesn't mean he didn't let his emotions get the best of him out of a subconscious aversion to being cast as the second fiddle.

I suspect if Hillary wins the White House, it won't be an easy transition for him to watch his partner take over the starring role while he stands in the wings, especially after he held the spotlight on the same stage for so long.