Will former President Bill Clinton hurt or help Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) bid for the presidency? This is one of the most intriguing questions on the minds of most Americans, as Hillary is considered to be a frontrunner alongside Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for the Democratic presidential nomination. How closely Clinton relies on her husband during her campaign should be considered a balancing game; she should rely on his strengths and political connections while also distancing herself from his personal weaknesses in an effort to give her campaign a sense of validity and independence.

Bill Clinton is a tremendously polarizing figure. To many Americans, he is a shrewd and gifted politician. His entire presidency marked a time of relative peace for America, as well as economic surplus and prosperity. Despite his political successes, many people remember him as a dishonest politician whose second term was distorted by his highly publicized "slick willy" sex scandal. It will be Hillary's name on the ballot in 2008, assuming she wins the Democratic primaries for the presidential nomination. However, Hillary will be forever linked to both her husband's strengths and weaknesses. While people should separate Bill's personal vices from the brilliance of his administration, many Americans are unable to do so. This could poison Hillary's efforts to win the office.

According to a recent Newsweek article, the Clinton campaign has been making decidedly acute decisions about the role that Bill is playing in Hillary's campaign, noting that "the Clintons are fully aware of the perils and promise the 42nd president brings to her bid, and depicts a campaign carefully working to manage an asset no other presidential candidate has ever had: a spouse who has run, and won, twice."

For example, Bill has been a major fixture at fundraising events for Hillary, using his political connections to drum up support for his wife. Generally, though, Bill has "confined his strategic advice to conversations with Sen. Clinton and a few close aides at the top of her staff. He maintains a full-time commitment to his foundation, traveling the globe working on AIDS, climate change, childhood obesity and other issues. He knows it's Hillary's moment, aides say, and he's tried hard not to meddle too much."

Bill will most certainly be an asset, as Hillary is forced to battle Obama for the presidency. Obama is a Kennedy-esque figure, whose preaching and charismatic speeches have sparked comparisons to Martin Luther King Jr. He is considered to be the first black man to have a real shot at winning the presidency.

Although Bill refrains from directly attacking Obama when he speaks at fundraising events, he did allude to the impact that a charismatic figure would have of the Democratic party. Ironically, it was even before Obama announced he was going to run. "Someone is going to come along. ... a fresh face," Clinton said.

Clinton has looked into his crystal ball of political candidates, according to the Newsweek article. "Invoking the tale of the tortoise and the hare, the former president imagined a Howard Dean-like trajectory for this nameless challenger — discovery, rapture, disappointment — at the end of which the party would return to solid Hillary."

The war in Iraq, in connection with the "Bill factor," could also negatively impact Hillary's campaign. Bill's policies were decidedly domestic, and critics have argued that his administration essentially ignored the potential threat of Al Qaida, which eventually led to Setp. 11, 2001 and indirectly to the war in Iraq. This, coupled with the fact that Hillary initially voted to support the war in 2002 could pose serious problems for her campaign. Public antipathy for the war and the Bush administration is at an all-time high, and Obama was been vocally critical of the war, although Bill has indirectly criticized Obama's position on the war and plan for withdrawal.

Hillary Clinton is in a position that no American presidential candidate has ever been in; she gets to couple her husband's experience with her own, as in the eyes of the American public, Bill and Hillary Clinton are politically intertwined. Given the current disdain for the Republican party, now seems like the perfect time for a minority Democratic candidate (a woman or a black man) to seize the presidency. By including Bill in her campaign, Hillary is making a move that will benefit her in the long run. Bill's charisma, clout and political experience could prove an effective counterweight to the public appeal, not to mention the relative youth and inexperience of Obama.

One cannot discount the effect that Bill's political connections and supporters will have on Hillary's campaign. If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, and eventually the presidency, we will see what role Bill will play in the White House. Will we be getting two presidents for the price of one? Would that be a good thing? Most definitely.

Reach columnist Chris Heide at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.