Will Bill Clinton Help or Hurt His Wife's Candidacy?

Jan. 22, 2007 — -- As Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., announced her candidacy for president in 2008, another famous Clinton was conspicuously absent.

Where was Bill Clinton? Even as campaign posters say "Hillary for president," the former U.S. president is nowhere to be found.

It's clear that having Bill as a spouse will be a mixed blessing for Hillary, the presidential candidate.

Bill brings distinct assets: He's still tremendously popular as recent polls show his approval rating at 61 percent. That's bound to rub off, observers believe.

The former president is a formidable fundraiser. He'll bring in money for his wife by the bucket load. And he's one of the best political brains going. She gets free top-drawer advice.

"He is a brilliant intellect, a synthetic thinker. He's a brilliant tactician. He's a prodigious fundraiser. He's a fantastic communicator," said Mark Mellman, a Democratic strategist.

But there are liabilities.

Bill treasures public attention so much that he could turn into a glutton for the spotlight and overshadow his wife.

"Bill Clinton can light up a room," said Democratic strategist Jenny Backus. "Bill Clinton can light up a campaign, but he can also burn very brightly and people can get burned."

And there is the scandal that marred his presidency: lying about having sexual relations with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

That certainly seems less of a big issue now, but the taint of those days still drives some anti-Hillary sentiment.

Still, if Hillary is elected, Bill will make history as the country's first first husband.