Decision 2012: Clintons Warm to President Obama

Four years ago, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton fought a tough battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. Today, Clinton is Obama's secretary of state and the Obama campaign helped pay off her campaign debt. Former President Bill Clinton has turned from criticizing Barack Obama to becoming an increasingly vocal advocate for him in his race against Mitt Romney.

Class discussion: Find news reports about the primary battle between Obama and Clinton. What did the candidates say about each other? How rough was the battle? What did former President Clinton say during the primary campaign? Find other examples of primary rivals who later became allies. Is it uncommon? Is it just part of the political game?