itsmeeeeeee

washingtonpost.com's Politics Blog
Chris Cillizza
Battlegrounds Poll: The Bill Clinton 'Problem'

Battlegrounds Poll: The Bill Clinton 'Problem' - The Fix

One of the most interesting findings from polls conducted in the battleground states of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Colorado is the significant number of people -- including a surprising share of Democrats and independents -- who believe that former president Bill Clinton would be a "problem" for Barack Obama if Hillary Rodham Clinton is vice president.

In each of the four states surveyed by Quinnipiac University, at least two-in-ten Democrats and roughly 40 percent of independent voters said Bill Clinton would be a problem for Obama. Here's the full breakout of the numbers:

Respondents were asked: "If Hillary Clinton becomes Vice President, do you think Bill Clinton would be a problem to the Obama administration or not?"

Colorado
Among Democrats 28%
Among Independents 40%

Michigan
Among Democrats 25%
Among Independents 41%

Minnesota
Among Democrats 21%
Among Independents 38%

Wisconsin
Among Democrats 23%
Among Independents 43%


Those numbers -- especially among independents -- are telling. Bill Clinton came into this election riding high in the eyes of the American public, popularity built on his humanitarian work throughout the world and the tendency of voters to pine for the past.

But during the course of the campaign, the former president found himself at the center of a number of controversies -- from insisting that Obama's win in South Carolina's primary was akin to the 1988 victory by the Rev. Jesse Jackson to using the unfortunate phrase "biggest fairy tale" when it came to talking about Obama's positioning on the war.

The backlash -- particularly among some leaders in the black community -- was swift and seemed to take the former president by surprise. In the waning weeks of his wife's campaign, Clinton said that Obama's campaign had "played the race card on me," although he has offered to help the presumptive nominee in any way possible during the general election.

The battleground polls provide tangible evidence that Bill Clinton -- at least among a segment of Democrats and independents -- could be seen as a drag on his wife's quiet campaign to be picked as the running-mate.

In fact, when asked whether they would like to see Obama pick Clinton as his running mate, there was considerable indecision among Democrats in each of the four states.

That tepidness toward the so-called "Dream Ticket" was most pronounced in Minnesota, where 45 percent of Democrats said they supported Obama picking Clinton while 43 percent opposed the idea. The numbers were slightly better in Michigan (56 percent "yes"/29 percent "no"), Minnesota (51/37) and Wisconsin (52/35).

Independents, however, were even less keen on the idea of an Obama-Clinton ticket. In three of the four states, more than 50 percent of independents opposed the idea while in the fourth -- Minnesota -- 47 percent of independents thoughts it was a bad idea.

__________________

Mithrall

Sometimes the people of Minnesota make me proud but then there is this.

RK77

Yeah......... and these folks probably have never read at Hillary Clinton Forums.net or Hillary 44!

Nor have they asked why Hillary and her Superdelegate supporters have not made an effort to calm those folks down, close the sites, or have her name removed from them!

What happened to Hillary's vow to denounce AND reject the heinous?

Oh well---- it is just a matter of time before the media picks up on those folks----maybe we will get lucky and they will "pull back that corner of the rug" and expose those creepy crawlies just in time for the Denver convention!

guest1234567

On face value, I read this as recognizing that if HRC was VP, then Bill might be tempted to keep giving unwanted advice to Obama. If I were asked, I would say that's a problem too.

RK77

I think it might go beyond that. Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton and expert at back room dealing.

It could be Dick Cheney on steroids!

guest1234567

accckkk

itsmeeeeeee

unwanted advice would be the LAST thing i'd worry about.

i'd be more worried about bill's BIG MOUTH and the media if bill were running around loose.

we all saw what this blowhard did to hillary's campaign - how'd you like that time bomb ticking throughout your terms? they'd have to keep him locked in a closet somewhere - with a padlock on his fly and his mouth duck taped shut for good measure.

__________________