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ALTHOUGH SHE DESERVES CREDIT for running a strong campaign for the Democratic nomination, there is no doubt that if her name were merely Hillary Rodham, she would not even be a part of the conversation. As obvious as this is, it is important not to underestimate the importance of Bill Clinton to her campaign, especially among the Democratic electorate.

Not only does Hillary strategically deploy Bill for fundraising events and campaign videos, but she subtly integrates him into her appearances on the stump. The connection between her and Bill is so strong in voters' minds, it doesn't take much to drive the point home. "When this president came into office, we had a balanced budget and a surplus," she said in Maquoketa, Iowa, "and I was proud of my husband for working those eight years to make that happen."

In Webster City, she said, "When my husband left office, we were number one in the world in access to high-speed Internet, we're now down to about 25th." Interestingly, in New Hampton, Hillary off-handedly referred to "the prior Clinton Administration" as if in her mind it is already a foregone conclusion that there will be a second one.

At campaign stops, vendors sell buttons with slogans such as: "Miss Bill? Vote Hill"; "Bring Back Peace, Prosperity, and the Clintons"; "Bill Clinton for First Gentleman"; and the more casual "Bill Clinton for First Dude." Democrats feel chummy with Bill, and they will often refer to him by his first name, or even by a nickname.

"I think she'd get some good information from her husband," speculated Wayne Heiar of Charlotte, Iowa, who came to the Maquoketa event. "I thought right away that Billy Boy might help her out."

In a sense, these two desires -- to extend the Clinton dynasty and to elect a woman president -- go hand in hand, as if the prospect of Bill Clinton being around to offer advice if needed provides an added layer of reassurance. It's the political equivalent of Michael Corleone calming nerves when he took over the family business by saying, "Besides, if I ever need help, who's a better consiglieri than my father?"

Keene Pickrel, who came to a Hillary Clinton rally in Marshalltown, Iowa, from a nearby home for veterans, wants to see a woman in the White House.

"I'm for women's rights, and this is the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life," Pickrel said. "If she could win this, if she could pull this baby off, it'd be great." As if it were an added bonus, he predicted: "If Hillary goes in there and she has any trouble, Bill will help her out."

While the affection for Bill may be providing a boost for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, it is unclear how the prospect of extending a two-family dynasty would play among the general electorate.

Hillary not only performed policy functions in her husband's administration, but she was also a major player in many of the scandals that dominated the era, including Whitewater and Travelgate. If she decides to run on her husband's record during the general election, "then that means she has to answer for his entire administration," said Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus. "And why don't we start with the fundraising scandals, since she seems to have a problem in that area in this campaign."

In August, when major Clinton donor Norman Hsu was revealed to be a fugitive who had run an elaborate ponzi scheme, it brought back memories of the Clinton fundraising scandals of 1996. Further questions were raised in October when the Los Angeles Times reported that dishwashers and waiters living in Chinatown tenements had become a source of Clinton campaign cash. "It's a double-edged sword for Hillary Clinton," Jacobus said of Bill's involvement in the campaign. "On the one hand, she wants to look strong and presidential, but every time she stands on the stage with her husband, she doesn't look presidential, she looks more like a first lady. And I'm not sure that's going to cut it on Election Day when people have to pull a lever for a commander in chief during wartime."

Oddly, a casual exchange she had with Barbara Walters on The View could be quite revealing about how Hillary Clinton would approach the job of president. During a discussion of Bill's role in a second Clinton administration, Walters asked, "Who's gonna be first lady?" and joked, "You'll have to do both." Hillary responded, "You know, give a busy woman a job, I'll probably have to do all of that as well."

Having served just over a term in the Senate, Clinton is drawing on her time as first lady to present herself as more seasoned than her rivals. But just as she was said to have transformed the role of first lady by assuming policy responsibilities, she may transform the role of president by drawing on her ceremonial experiences as first lady. By merging the roles of first lady and president while maintaining her collectivist impulses, she could become the ultimate symbol of the modern caretaker government.

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