NRC Handelsblad, The Netherlands

Keep an Eye on Bill this Week

By Tom-Jan Meeus

Translated by Dorian de Wind

January 21. 2008

The Netherlands - NRC Handelsblad - Original Article (Dutch)

Democrats travel this week to South Carolina, where the primaries are held on Saturday.  Confrontation hangs in the air.  Republicans are looking to Florida, where Rudy Giuliani in one-and-a-half weeks-- on January 29--must show that he is still really in the race.

Now that it is clear that Hillary’s campaign is consciously using Bill as a special offensive weapon, the attention on him will grow.  Even the Conservative media have him again in their sights.

But the fact that Obama has put him directly under fire, shows how effective Bill is for his wife.

Obama announced  that his campaign this week will hit back immediately when Clinton launches new, inaccurate attacks, “…one of the things that we’re gonna have to do is to directly confront Bill Clinton when he’s making statements that are not factually accurate.”

The Clintons now have him exactly where they want him:  it is of course difficult for a person who so readily claims that he will not sow division, to defend his own conduct as a street fighter.

But the following is also at play:  because of tensions over racial questions during the past weeks—because of which black voters stepped over to Obama—it is important for the Clinton camp to mend ties with the black community.

Thus, during the following days, Bill Clinton will use his excellent relations with black leaders to regain ground. The old ties with Latinos in Nevada proved to be invaluable this past weekend.

And he and his wife also know that “winning ugly,” as they did during the past weeks, is very risky in the long run—as this piece convincingly explains.

Latest news about Giuliani:  according to summary reports from last night, news will be released today that will make it apparent that his strategy in Florida is falling to pieces.

ORIGINAL DUTCH TEXT HERE