On the Trail, Spouses' Roles Evolve

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Bill Stumps for Hillary Clinton in Iowa

Former president Bill Clinton stumps for his wife in Carlisle, Iowa Sunday night.

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The crowds for both spouses border on the adoring. They interrupt speeches with cheers and, in Obama's case, quieter affirmations of "You go" and "Girl, we know." Afterward, scores of people press forward, reaching for a handshake or an autograph as Secret Service agents watch intently.

At Clinton events, supporters bring copies of his memoir, "My Life," for his signature.

"I love that guy. Bill's a good old Southern boy. He's old-school; I'm old-school. He's grass roots like I am," said Albert L. Ellis, a politics professor in Corpus Christi who is not an Obama fan. "All this talk about change is so celebrity: 'I've got the glow.' "

At a Michelle Obama event in Galveston, Suzanne Still arrived undecided and left with some of that glow. A Republican who voted twice for President Bush, she said that Obama "just seemed so down-to-earth. It's the naturalness of her. There's no pretend."

"With the Clintons," Still said, "you don't know what to expect."

Polling director Jon Cohen contributed to this report.