In the Clintons’ long political history together, each has played the supporting role at some point in time. As much as their reciprocal campaigning has garnered support, it has led to some public missteps that have proved difficult to sweep under the rug or past the ever-vigilant media.
Hillary has been haunted by remarks she made in 1996, calling certain children “super predators” in defense of racially discriminatory criminal justice legislation like her husband’s 1994 crime bill.
On a few occasions, Bill Clinton has proved to be a liability during his wife’s bids for the presidency. His temper and defensiveness occasionally gets the better of him. While campaigning for Hillary in her 2008 primary race against Obama, Bill made multiple comments suggesting Obama’s enthusiastic base of support was only due to his race. Most people thought it hurt her and helped Obama.
A few weeks ago in Philadelphia, the ex-President aggressively defended his wife’s comments about “super predators” as well as his criminal justice reform policies in the 1990’s. Bill almost immediately apologized, saying he had gotten carried away defending his wife.
Reacting to political attacks is nothing new for him. In this video from 1992, shown on THE 90’s series on PBS, then-Governor Bill Clinton loses his temper at then (and current) Governor Jerry Brown when he brought Hillary into the Democratic presidential primary debate.
This footage of Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown during the 1992 Democratic Primaries is taken from The 90’s Election Special: the Primary. You can watch the whole video at mediaburn.org.
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