Former President Clinton Offers Obama Re-election Advice

April 2, 2012

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has offered some re-election advice to President Barack Obama, saying he needs to convince voters that his administration upheld a U.S. economy that was already in collapse.

Mr. Clinton weighed in on the 2012 presidential race Monday in an interview with ABC's morning show, “Good Morning America.” He says Mr. Obama must make clear to voters that the September 2008 financial collapse occurred prior to him taking office.

“I think that his argument will be we put a floor under a recession and kept it from becoming a depression.”

The former U.S. president says he believes President Obama, a Democrat, will “handily” win his re-election bid this November. Mr. Clinton says Mr. Obama's likely challenger from the Republican party, former Massachusetts' governor Mitt Romney, will not be able to stage a comeback.

“The problem that Governor Romney has is his character attack was, you don't really know what he believes. He did this. He says that.”

More than half way through the Republican presidential primary season, frontrunner Romney seems the most likely candidate to run against President Obama in the general election later this year.

Romney has claimed nearly half the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the Republican party nomination, and is expected to win primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland, and in Washington on Tuesday.

Key political figures on both sides have voiced support and criticism of Romney in recent days suggesting the Republican party will choose him as its candidate.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden took aim at Romney on Sunday on CBS's “Face the Nation,” calling his foreign policy “uninformed” and saying he is “out of touch” with the American middle class.

Republican leader in the Senate Mitch McConnell has became the latest top Republican to offer his support of Romney saying he would be an “excellent candidate.” McConnell stopped short of endorsing Romney Sunday on CNN's “Face the Nation,” but urged the Republican party to look ahead to the general election, saying the nomination phase seems to be wrapping up.

Romney claimed major endorsements from former U.S. president George H.W. Bush, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and top House Republican Paul Ryan of Wisconsin last week.

The Republican party rally around Romney has not slowed the efforts of the three other remaining Republican presidential hopefuls. Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum continues to vow he is the true conservative voters are looking for, while former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Congressman Ron Paul maintain they will continue in the race.

The Republican party will formally announce its candidate at the national convention in August.