The Clinton Legacy

I am just now beginning to see how the Bush presidency was doomed from the start. My clue came in an off-hand remark made by my wife. “Clinton was the one who damaged America’s standing in the world,” she said. This had never occurred to me, especially since he is routinely held up as the gold standard of American politics by the mainstream media. Yet, what he did - what he will forever be known for - was so outrageous; it blindsided everyone. Any corporation executive, anywhere in the world, could not have survived a similar situation ten minutes. Any self-respecting wife would have walked away. Any court would have been justified in sending Bubba to prison.

None of this happened. Republicans were too cowardly to act. Those assigned to the matter were ceaselessly attacked. Meanwhile the Clinton spin machine went into overdrive, besmirching America’s founders one by one. “See, what Bubba did wasn’t so bad” went the drumbeat day in and day out on the front pages of newspapers and on network TV. It went on for years; the public felt hurt and humiliated; ashamed that the man, in whom they had placed their trust, would act like a cad. They felt sorry for his wife and especially for his daughter. Eventually everyone would get tired of this sordid business and tried to pretend it never happened – just like they do now with respect to 9/11.

The entire world watched in disbelief as Bill Clinton continued to be defended by his party. The effort continued throughout the Bush/Cheney years: In order to excuse the inexcusable, the man who would come after (Bush) had to be destroyed. It was the only chance the Clinton legacy (as well as the Democrat party) would ever have for redemption.