It is my strong opinion that you can't really write intelligently about this until you examine the work of Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, and to a lesser extent, Brian Williams.

These Jack Welch's media figures have tended to do their darndest to exploit every Clinton (and Gore) weakness they can find.

I completely agree that HRC is 100% fair game for attacks on rhetoric from any of the candidates, but for those Nantucket boys to pile on is just unseemly, and unprofessional.

I will freely admit that because of my schedule, I have not read all there is on Bill's swift boating comment, but from what I did read, it appeared to me that he was referencing the kind of orchestrated attacks that have been coming from Guiliani, Romney, and Thompson, not Obama or Edwards. If this is the case, then your psycho-emotional analysis probing the latent context of Bill's psyche seems off base.  But, as I said, I have not read everything and perhaps he was referring solely to Obama and Edwards and your Sigmund Marty speculation is accurate..

I went back on found another article - on Fox of all places - and they put Clinton's comment in the context of the hand raising question at a debate and Bill's warning that this kind of question "opened all the Democrats to a swift boat like attack in a general election."  Interesting.  Sounded like good advice to me.

I usually steer clear of The Spine, but given that we're not talking about the Israeli/Palestinian situation, I'll dip my toe in.

Marty, your analysis of Bill Clinton's comment is unfalsifiable hogwash.  You might just as well ask, "Does BC's swift-boat comment indicate that he is a space alien visiting from Planet Xenu with three penises and an extra a****** at the back of his head?"

That said, I too have wondered whether Bill's heart is in a Hillary victory.  And realistically, why should it be?  From where I stand Bill's having the time of his life tooting around the world in other people's private jets, lending his name to various world-saving causes, being treated to lots of savory food and drink.  Why would he want to give all that up to move back to the swamp in DC and have to shuck and jive his way through an interminable string of state dinners, his style thoroughly cramped by protocol.  Honey, I love you, but give me Park Avenue.  

Let's see, if Bill means "swiftboating" as in "incompetent media response from a Democrat", then he's right on!

Bill as Zsa Zsa - nice one, walto! A classic TalkBack post.

One more perk that should tip the balance in favor of Bill not wanting Hill to win: all that action available to Bill on the OneWorldGasbag celeb circuit. Naomi Campbell in Davos this week, Miou-Miou LaRue in Nice next week, Svetlana in Dubai the week after....

Not to pick nits, tep, but it was Eva, I believe.

Context shmontext--he used the phrase swift boat for very calculated reasons, which was to smeer her opponents.  He could have said what Reagan called the 11th commandment, slightly paraphrased, "Thou shalt not criticize another Democrat."

There are lots of reasons, the ones mentioned by tep and aeromonas among them, for Bill to prefer a life unencumbered by living in the White House, but so far the evidence is thin, and there is more substantial evidence on the other side.  Referring to Hillary's detractors as swiftboaters was his way of discrediting them.  It was a clumsy metaphor for what he saw as other candidates ganging up on his wife.  I do not think he expected it to backfire.

On the other side, he is widely seen as providing major strategic guidance to Hillary's campaign, helping her to be a more effective candidate.  Given his experience, talent, and success, this is a huge asset and contribution.  One sour, inapt metaphor doth not a sabotage make.  Bill may indeed harbor in his heart of hearts (or other parts) a secret aversion to another White House stint, but if so, it remains well hidden.  

Someone, maybe Kissinger, said "Power is the ultimate aphrodesiac."  That sounds more like the Bill I know.