Opinion: Bye, bye Billary

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Hillary Clinton is back on her own this morning campaigning in Iowa for the Democratic presidential nomination. She spent yesterday and the two previous days campaigning across the Hawkeye state in a well-publicized tour with her husband in what some dubbed the Billary Show.

There were serious concerns going in that the controversial ex-president would outshine his wife. And, it turns out, Bill Clinton shared those worries.

In a conversation with The Times’ Peter Nicholas after marching hand-in-hand with his wife down the streets of Clear Lake in a sweltering July Fourth parade, B. Clinton said he purposely waited long enough into the campaign to allow her to develop her own identity with voters before joining the senator.

Dressed in a blue short-sleeve polo shirt and blue jeans, the former president said he believed the trip’s focus was where it belonged - on his wife.

‘People,’’ he said, have been asking him ‘about her, which is what I wanted to happen. I didn’t want to come out in this campaign in any place before voters had an opportunity to establish an independent feeling about Hillary.’’

He said his worry was not so much about ‘overshadowing’’ his wife, but ‘blocking’’ her.

‘If 95% of the people know me - positive or negative - then whether they’re negative or positive feelings, it will interfere with their ability to know her,’’ he added. The ex-president rejoins the current senator for more campaigning in New Hampshire later this month.

What do you think? Does Bill Clinton’s presence help his wife’s campaign? We’re taking a web poll and the results are surprisingly close. To vote, go here.

--Andrew Malcolm