Inside the Beltway: Hillary, Bill and the ‘co-presidency’

NEWS AND OPINION:

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton journeys to three Wisconsin cities Tuesday; there also 11 private fundraisers in seven states for her campaign in the next 72 hours, some boasting the presence of Mrs. Clinton herself and others high-profile representatives ranging from Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan to longtime adviser John Podesta. Mrs. Clinton’s talking points bristle with such words as “fairness” and “justice” — with a few jiggers of “progressive” thrown in for good measure. Her efforts are as relentless as her 2008 bid for president — which was supposed to be her year to win. But some say she was running for the nation’s top office almost a quarter-century ago.

“The first time Hillary Clinton ran for president was, in fact, 1992. Long before Claire and Frank Underwood conspired to form a conjugal presidential ticket on ’House of Cards’, Hillary and Bill Clinton were test-driving a real-life co-presidency on the campaign trail, the culmination of a 20-year political partnership. Governor Clinton boasted that by voting for him, you could ’buy one, get one free’,” writes Sean Braswell, a senior writer for OZY, a news and opinion site.

“The Clinton campaign had devised what they called a ’slow build for Hillary’ in 1992, a gradual insertion of the Arkansas first lady into the spotlight — and into what they hoped would be the hearts of millions of Americans. That approach went out the window in late January when, weeks before the critical New Hampshire primary, a former cabaret singer named Gennifer Flowers came forward with allegations of an extramarital affair with the governor,” Mr. Braswell notes, recounting the further complications which were to follow, along with a prediction from Mrs. Clinton herself: “We’ll have a woman president by 2010.”

’DISTINCT SHADES OF HILLARY’

Hollywood’s creative teams have not forgotten the aforementioned Mrs. Clinton’s role as wife-of-steel and component of a famous power couple, apparently. She appears to be a role model of sorts.

“Hillary Clinton’s shadow looms large over TV’s political spouses,” points out Hollywood Reporter broadcast critic Caryn James. “Melania Trump and Heidi Cruz may be grabbing headlines, but portraits of political spouses on shows from ’The Good Wife’ to ’House of Cards’ and ’Scandal’ have distinct shades of Hillary.”

Mrs. Clinton’s longtime aide Huma Abedin also gets a mention as a “sympathetic but enigmatic” political wife — but not for prime-time fiction. “Weiner,” a documentary recounting the political demise of former congressman Anthony Weiner after a sexting scandal, debuts next month.

WISCONSIN NOW CENTER OF 2016 UNIVERSE

It is intensely grass-roots fare. Every campaign rival of Hillary Clinton will also be in Wisconsin on Tuesday. Sen Bernard Sanders rolls through Appleton, Milwaukee, Kenosha and La Crosse. Among Republicans, Gov. John Kasich visits Greenfield, Waukesha and LaCrosse; Republican front-runner Donald Trump journeys to Janesville. Notably, Carly Fiorina has joined Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign as he visits Brookfield, Cedarville and Rothschild.

“Just touched down in the land of cheese curds and the great Governor Scott Walker. See you soon, Ted Cruz,” Mrs. Fiorina tweeted late Monday, with a picture of herself enjoying a nice cup of coffee and down-home breakfast with bacon and hashbrowns in a local Denny’s.

And a reminder: All of the GOPers will be in Milwaukee for a CNN town hall, with voters asking the questions — to air live at 8 p.m. EST.

A HIDDEN TRUMP BENEFIT

“An impersonator who has been imitating billionaire Donald Trump for 12 years says he is now making $40,000 a month since he became the Republican front-runner in the race for the White House. John Di Domenico first mastered the voice and characteristics of the hotel tycoon when TV show The Apprentice started in 2004. But since Trump announced he would be standing for the US presidency, the 53-year-old has seen his bookings skyrocket and can now charge up to $10,000 for turning up at events.”

— From Jennifer Newton, a correspondent with the Daily Mail.

DON’T FEAR THE GEEZERS

Fatigued millennials may fret that the boomer generation will never step out of the spotlight. This may not be the case, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which has tallied the 65-and-over population in the U.S. and elsewhere. America is not the biggest geezer nation on the planet.

“The United States was the 48th oldest country out of 228 countries and areas in the world in 2015,” says demographer Wan He. “However, the U.S. will fall to 85th because of the more rapid pace of aging in many Asian and Latin American countries.”

“Japan is the current oldest country in the world and will retain that position in 2050” the Census found. “However, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan are projected to overtake Germany, Italy and Greece for second, third and fourth place by 2050.

Worldwide, the 65-and-over population will more than double to 1.6 billion by that date. Stateside, 14.9 percent of the U.S. population — 48 million people — are currently 65 or over. The number is projected to reach 88 million by 2050.

POLL DU JOUR

• 37 percent of voters who support Donald Trump are “extremely” enthusiastic about voting for him; 28 percent are “very” enthusiastic, 23 percent “somewhat” enthusiastic, 10 percent are not enthusiastic.

• 25 percent of voters who support Hillary Clinton are extremely enthusiastic; 29 percent are very enthusiastic, 23 percent somewhat enthusiastic, 22 percent are not enthusiastic.

• 23 percent of voters who support Sen. Bernard Sander are extremely enthusiastic; 21 percent are very enthusiastic, 27 percent somewhat enthusiastic, 28 percent are not enthusiastic.

• 22 percent of voters who support Sen. Ted Cruz are extremely enthusiastic; 17 percent are very enthusiastic, 25 percent somewhat enthusiastic, 35 percent are not enthusiastic.

• 16 percent of voters who support Gov. John Kasich are extremely enthusiastic; 17 percent are very enthusiastic, 51 percent are not enthusiastic.

Source: A Gallup poll of 1,358 registered U.S. voters conducted March 21-23.

Ballyhoo and balderdash to jharper@washingtontimes.com