Staff Reports
Bill Clinton recently took time out of his busy schedule of political backpedaling to praise the appearance of Kari Lake, the Republican Senate candidate, while in Phoenix supporting Kamala Harris and fellow Democrat Ruben Gallego. One has to wonder if Clinton’s new campaign strategy involves flattering the competition and hoping for the best, as his comments were aimed at promoting Harris’s run for the presidency. The former president described Lake as “physically attractive” in a rather amusing juxtaposition against his partner in political despair, Gallego, who has the more “noble” backstory of overcoming hardship.
Clinton’s remarks aren’t exactly subtle. He painted a picture where Gallego, a candidate supposedly shaped by adversity, is pitted against Lake, whom he surprisingly deemed as merely a pretty face believing that “politics is a performance art.” It’s as if he conjured a vivid scene from a soap opera, where the beautiful villain gets overshadowed by the underdog hero. But in true Clinton style, he couldn’t resist the temptation to link Lake to other Republican figures, likening her to J.D. Vance of Ohio. The insinuation that she needs to kneel before the great and powerful Trump comes off less like a campaign strategy and more like projecting.
Lake didn’t shy away from the limelight of this awkward compliment. During a Trump rally in Tempe, she flippantly acknowledged Clinton’s remarks, chuckling delightedly at being called flattered by a man who keeps questionable company. Her retort that she thought she was too old for Clinton—jokingly alluding to his past escapades with interns—had the crowd roaring. In a single quip, she managed to steal the spotlight from Clintons’ flailing attempts at political relevance, deftly poking fun at a narrative voters have long since tired of.
Of course, she didn’t stop there. Lake reminded everyone in attendance that she is happily married, taking a playful jab while pointing out her husband in the audience. This witty riposte only adds to her appeal among independent voters tired of the old guard’s antics. In the final touch of comedic brilliance, she advised that crossing Hillary Clinton is a perilous endeavor, a statement highlighting both her enjoyable humor and an underlying truth that many recognize about the Clintons.
Bill Clinton made a very strange comment about Kari Lake while supporting Kamala Harris in Arizona. https://t.co/Jgxkqyrahx
— The Western Journal (@WestJournalism) October 25, 2024
While Lake has found herself trailing Gallego by 6.1 percent in polls, there is a glimmer of hope as recent surveys show her narrowing the gap. Numbers indicating early voter turnout favor Republicans compared to Democrats signal that the tides might be shifting in favor of Lake. It suggests that perhaps, just perhaps, Arizonans are looking for more than just a political puppet show.
In this mighty performance of political theater, one thing is for certain: Kari Lake has proven she can hold her own against Democratic antics, even when they come from one of the party’s most notorious figures. With the election around the corner, her ability to connect with voters and to turn jest into a rallying rallying cry might just make all the difference in this campaign. Onward, Arizona, it seems the game is afoot.
