As a surrogate for the Obama campaign, Clinton somehow felt the need to make a show of differing with President Obama and Democrats in Congress. First, the former president publicly endorsed the idea of a temporary extension of tax cuts for the rich. Clinton also undercut the Obama campaign's criticism of Republican Mitt Romney by praising the Republican seeking to keep Obama from a second term as a businessman with a "sterling" record.

With those words Clinton, like Jeb Bush, asserted the right of royal disdain for elements of his party that fail to follow his leadership.

In both cases, the former president and the former governor spoke without fear of political reprisal because their future political prospects appear at first glance to be limited.