During the early George W. Bush years, when a boy king seemed to be inhabiting the White House, Bill Clinton appeared as sage as King Solomon, minus the latter’s 700 wives and 300 concubines (although it might depend on how you count), and people sought him out as a shepherd. In 2008, however, Barack Obama made Clinton lose his cool, in more than one way, and, today, people are suggesting that Clinton has lost the magic entirely. This Wednesday, he defended his support for tough crime measures in 1994 and welfare reform in 1996, putting on a spirited and sincere show, but one that earned him accusations of being condescending and tone-deaf and “very dehumanizing.” Just a couple of weeks ago, he spoke of the “awful legacy of the last eight years,” a complaint probably uttered with Republican opposition in mind, but one that could not have pleased the current White House. Some have now urged Hillary Clinton to bench her husband. “She can’t divorce him,” Michelle Goldberg wrote recently in Slate, “but she can fire him.”

Picking on the Clintons is not without its rewards, campaign stumbles aside. Their habit of approaching the line of vulgarity (or illegality), like a drunk trucker swaying almost (but not quite fully) out of his lane, can drive even their fans crazy. But while Clinton’s mind may be as disorganized as ever, it is still strong; his unvetted remarks are excusable; and his voice—for all its foibles—remains valuable. In fact, it might be insidiously valuable during this particular election cycle.

We’ll start with the gaffes, which have set people talking about mental decline. This narrative is a pesky one that’s hard to get rid of once it takes root, and every misstep becomes another confirmation of it. But it’s silly. While all of us are going downhill after age 25, more so at 70 than at 50, Clinton’s mind still seems to be in fine repair. Politicians say rash things all the time. That’s unavoidable in the profession, unless you want to go pure robot. Anyone remember “I didn’t inhale”? That dumb line was voiced over two decades ago, but no one thought it meant Bill Clinton had lost his political gifts. They simply concluded that he could be full of it, a belief that subsequent years didn’t dispel. This year, however, Clinton is making far less trouble than in 2008, when he was insisting, for instance, that Hillary and Obama hadn’t really differed on Iraq. Despite a few glancing digs at Bernie Sanders, he has been pretty peaceful. Even when protesters try to disrupt events, he’s patient.

The charitably minded will also acknowledge that mastering the twin roles of ex-president and spousal campaign surrogate is tough, not to mention unprecedented. Sit out the campaign, and it looks weird, generating other sorts of embarrassment and headlines. Is Bill under house arrest? Is Bill being hidden? Exclusive: Bill has 6 months to live! On the other hand, any president, even a former one, looms dangerously large on a stage next to a mere aspirant. Get too involved in the mud-throwing of a primary, and you not only lose your statesmanlike aura but also look like you’re taking the wheel of the car. That happened in 2008, when Clinton couldn’t help but act like someone desperate to be in charge again. In 2016, though, he looks much more like a supporting player. He’s performing before Podunk venues across New York and doing his best to play to his strength: connecting with people in a non-giant room. Are you going to advise Hillary not to send her husband to talk to 850 people at the Grapevine Banquets in Depew (just east of Cheektowaga, if you’re looking to place it) on the grounds that it’ll hurt more than help? Please.