Giuliani could make a big mistake in the coming months. Hawkish Jews have been one of Giuliani's strongest support bases since he entered electoral politics. He's still remembered for throwing Yasser Arafat out of a United Nations 50th anniversary gala in 1995. From the outset, Clinton's Senate candidacy has been an experiment. No first lady ever ran for office from the White House before.
Nobody knows what it means or how it works.
Critics have warned all year that mixing the two roles would set up impossible conflicts, to the detriment of both. Clinton's defenders insisted she could pull it off, because she had the political instincts and skills to navigate that kind of obstacle course. Last week's Middle East trip was the first laboratory test. But the results seem clearcut. Candidacy and first ladyhood don't mix.