All Blog Posts from Horserace

If the headlines inspire the questions at tonight's Democratic debate in South Carolina, expect former President Bill Clinton to come up nearly as often as Hillary Clinton, the one who's actually a candidate.

Bill Clinton's actions, both during his administration and on the campaign trail on behalf of Hillary, have become a central point of contention in the Democratic race, and Obama recently added fuel to the fire when he suggested that Clinton failed to "change the trajectory" of the country while president, but Ronald Reagan did.

An angrier, edgier side of the president "from a place called Hope" has emerged in recent weeks, starting with his comment just before the New Hamsphire primary comparing Obama's views on Iraq – or his whole campaign, depending on who you listen to – to a "fairy tale." The former president has also accused Obama's campaign and its supporters of dirty tricks ahead of Nevada's caucuses, and in general, the man known as "Big Dog" has taken on the role of attack dog for his wife's campaign.

Tonight's debate will likely keep the Clintons vs. Obama story in the headlines for at least a few more days, barring a "burying the hatchet" moment like we saw at the previous debate that brought an effective end to a racially charged back-and-forth over the role of Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon Johnson in the passage of civil rights legislation.

But such peacemaking is unlikely, given Obama's comments today on Bill Clinton's aggressive posture. Speaking to ABC News, the Illinois senator said Clinton "has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a level that I think is pretty troubling," and said he would "directly confront Bill Clinton when he's making statements that are not factually accurate."

Read full post…