Bill won’t campaign for Hillary in 2015, aides say
President Clinton will not hit the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton in 2015, aides told The Washington Post, keeping in line with his promise to be a “backstage adviser” to her White House run.
“He’s completely focused right now on the foundation,” Tina Flournoy, President Clinton’s chief of staff, told the paper.
“That does not mean that he does not realize his wife is running for president. But he is not directly engaged in the campaign. As he has said before, if his advice is asked for, he’s happy to give it.”
Aides told the Post that President Clinton also won’t do any events this year, including appearances at fundraisers for Hillary Clinton’s campaign or for super-PACs supporting her.
The former president was both a blessing and a curse for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign.
While he helped draw supporters and was effective on the stump, he, at times, made controversial comments about then-Sen. Barack Obama that were seen as hurting her candidacy.
“Bill Clinton is like nuclear energy,” David Axelrod, a former top Obama aide, told the Post.
“If you use it properly, it can be enormously helpful and proactive. If you misuse it, it can be catastrophic.”
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