Clinton: life of party or a scene stealer?

By Chicago Tribune and The Associated Press

Former President Clinton will speak tonight.

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Unfortunately for the Democrats, that doesn't describe their presumptive nominee, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. It does apply to former President Clinton, who will speak tonight to the hard-core partisans who never lost faith in him throughout his embattled presidency.

Although Clinton's job will be to praise Kerry, his appearance crystallizes a concern that some Democrats can't seem to shake: Will the eloquent, charismatic Clinton overshadow the nominee?

"Whether Kerry's people like it or not, Clinton is going to be the center of attention," said Democratic consultant Jim Duffy. "There is no way to throttle him back. He will be back in the political arena, back at a convention — he will be like a hog in slop."

Americans have long had a complicated relationship with Clinton. Many are attracted to his enthusiastic charm, and polls suggest they believe he did a good job as president and cares about ordinary people; others, deeply disenchanted by his tendency to fall into scandal and his lack of discipline, say he forever sullied the office of the presidency.

After keeping a relatively low profile, Clinton burst back into public view this year with his blockbuster autobiography, which got mixed reviews but prompted frenzied scenes at Clinton's book signings. At a Boston bookstore yesterday, Clinton's appearance shut down an entire mall, stopped traffic, attracted hundreds of people and lasted at least three hours.

But his appearance at the convention will be of a different magnitude altogether: a nationally televised address before an adoring throng.

Republicans are quick to draw unfavorable comparisons between him and Kerry, insisting the nominee will suffer in the shadow of Clinton's dazzle.

"The contrasts are extraordinary," said Republican consultant Greg Mueller. "Whatever you want to say about Clinton, he comes off as a jovial, charming guy and he connects with people. Kerry consistently comes off — and of course I'm a Republican — as a kind of pompous, monotone, somewhat patronizing New England liberal."

Clinton's mission tonight is, in part, to change that perception. "What the president has to do — and there may be nobody in politics better at this — is frame the choice, and frame it in ways people can really relate to," said John Podesta, Clinton's former White House chief of staff. "That is his most important role."

Kerry supporters insist the contrast will not a problem. For one thing, they say, Kerry will speak a full three days after Clinton. More important, the target audiences for the Clinton and Kerry speeches are different.
 
"If they compare the two, Kerry suffers," said Michael Genovese, a political scientist at Loyola Marymount University who is in Boston for the convention. "But the people who watch Clinton will be mostly Democrats, and those who watch Kerry will be a broader segment of the population."

Clinton's role in this campaign, of course, goes far beyond the convention, and he may be far more important than many realize. In a polarized electorate with an unusually small number of undecided voters, the mission of rousing each party's loyal followers is crucial. And no one is better at energizing Democrats than Clinton.

But Clinton must do all this without drawing undue attention. For all Clinton's ability to excite Democrats, he also has the potential to remind Republicans and swing voters of his scandal-ridden administration.

This tension is inevitably drawing parallels to four years ago, when then-Vice President Al Gore was portrayed as the hapless figure in Clinton's shadow. Gore kept Clinton at arm's length during the campaign, for which he was criticized after his narrow loss to President Bush.

Complicating matters, there will be another Clinton at the convention: former first lady, now New York senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Sen. Clinton is a front-runner among Democrats for the next presidential race if Kerry fails this time. Her supporters were outraged when she was omitted from the original lineup of convention speakers. She was quickly added to speak and introduce her husband.

Her speech will be watched closely for hints about her political ambitions.

"People will endlessly turn over Hillary Clinton's remarks for what's there and what's intended and what people think was intended," said Steve Grossman, who served as a Democratic national chairman under President Clinton.

Leading Democrats say the senator will work unstintingly for Kerry's election.

Meanwhile, the former president yesterday rejected the idea that he would overshadow Kerry.

"I feel good about the way he relates to voters," Clinton said of Kerry. "I'm going to give a talk and get out of town."