The Hillary and Bill Show

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Playing the proper candidate spouse, Bill Clinton performed a subtle version of the fixed eyes and adoring nod. But frequently he rested his face in one of his oversize hands, looking—depending on one's perspective—captivated or faintly restless.

The crowd seemed similarly ambivalent. About eight minutes into her speech, some started to get distracted, holding audible conversations, even moving away from the stage rather than angling forward. The moment highlighted the risk of following the former President's act. Bill Clinton sounds intimate and conversational when he's discussing energy policy. Hillary Clinton sounds like a policy wonk when she talks about her mother's childhood struggles.

The next day, at rallies in Iowa City and Davenport, Bill Clinton again kept his remarks short, focusing on his wife's qualifications and résumé. "We sorta changed roles now," he said, drawing laughter. "I'm a little rusty, so you'll have to forgive me."

Afterward, the Clintons worked the rope line, accompanied by his and her (make that her and his) Secret Service details, and fans pressing equally for autographs, handshakes and photos. Bill Clinton, leading the way, stopped for a brief interview with Time. Asked how someone named Clinton who serves in the Senate could be considered the best change candidate, the former President had a ready answer.

"[Voters] don't want to change from what we did," he said. "They want to change from what was undone about where we were going ... Basically, every election is a change election. All elections are about tomorrow, not yesterday. Yesterday is only relevant as it gives evidence about tomorrow."

The Clintons' Iowa tour also included a Fourth of July parade and a stop by Whitey's Ice Cream in Davenport. In Grinnell, they took a break for chicken sandwiches and Diet Cokes at a Dairy Queen, then worked the crowd, the kind of retail campaigning that Bill Clinton does best. David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist, has said of the former President, "It's hard to shine when you stand next to the sun." But for now, Hillary Clinton is in nobody's shadow.