Posted on 11/11/2002 6:18:05 AM PST by NYpeanut
He wasn't on the ballot, but last week's Republican victory was a kick in the pants for Bill Clinton
A lot has been made of George Bush's victory last week. But while controlling the White House and both houses of Congress is impressive, there was an additional triumph to savor: driving a stake through the Clinton era. Although he wasn't running, Bill Clinton was a major presence, raising funds, campaigning for candidates and generally trying to help his party regain its mojo. Tuesday's vote was a repudiation of his efforts. What's more, last week's rout may well quiet critics who continue to suggest that with help from his brother and the Supreme Court, Bush had stolen the 2000 election from Al Gore. This is Bush Country now.
Clinton compounded his problems at the infamous memorial service for Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone. There he was, his face blown up on the Jumbotron, cheering and swaying as if he were at Woodstock IV, showing no disapproval then or later over the booing of Republican Senator Trent Lott, who had come to pay his respects. If Jesse Ventura, the ex-wrestler, can credibly take offense and, with impunity, order flags flying at half-mast to be raised early, you know it was unsavory. Here's how Congressman Tom Davis, chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee, summed it up: "Nothing gets Republican voters more hyped up than seeing President Clinton on the tube ... it got our base ginned up."
Coattails? Not on Bill. During the primaries, association with Clinton proved toxic. Three of his former Cabinet members lost. His intervention to help shore up black support for his wife in the New York State primary by getting his former Cabinet Secretary, Andrew Cuomo, out of the race led to one of the most impressive losses of the election. Comptroller Carl McCall lost to Governor George Pataki by 16 percentage points. In North Carolina, former Clinton chief of staff Erskine Bowles wouldn't even let the former Chief Executive visit. Where Clinton did go, candidates like Maryland's Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Massachusetts' Shannon O'Brien lost. In Florida, where Clinton went to help Bill McBride, who was still within striking distance of Governor Jeb Bush, the ex-President failed decisively to get out the vote. Turnout actually dropped 17% from 1994, the last Democratic gubernatorial win.
Clinton wasn't, of course, the primary reason the Democrats lost, but there's no reason to think he would accept responsibility if he were. At a postelection dinner in his Harlem office, Clinton, his voice hoarse after three red-eye flights, said only that you can't beat a party with a message with a party without one, ignoring the fact that he is the master of blurring the differences, of shaking down the same wealthy donors as the opposition in exchange for a similar nonthreatening agenda.
A parallel shift in the culture suggests that Clinton-era values are no longer America's. Though a baby boomer, Bush rejects the instant-gratification ethic embraced by Clinton, the nation's first baby boomer President. Bush went from party-hearty frat boy to hard liquordrinking Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (until he shaped up in his 40s) without stopping to dabble in the counterculture or go anywhere in a VW bus. He often laments not being one of the Greatest Generation he so admires (although he was no more up front about not going to Vietnam than was Clinton). Whereas Clinton liked going on MTV with 18-year-olds, Bush urges them and their parents to return to an "era of responsibility."
Clinton revered CEOs; they now appear regularly in televised perp walks. Clinton loved Hollywood; celebrities like Barbra Streisand had his ear and an invitation to the Lincoln Bedroom. Bush doesn't have movie stars over; he's in bed with Laura by 9:30. Hillary Rodham Clinton is the one politician to survive the association with Bill, although at a high personal price. If she decides to run for President, she may want to change her name yet again and become a Rodham once and for all.
Would someone kindly post that photo of hillary's full face laughing with the rapist and Mondale? The photo posted with this Time article neatly shows hillary from the back.
Because, as little Maggie clings pathetically to Hillary's bloated ankle, hoping against hope that no one will remember the co-presidency from hell, I want to remind her that I will never forget that inside bill's rotting, stinking core, hillary reigns.
Don't they look very sad? Note: Daschle in backgroud
I so agree with you--that when this "memorial" is discussed and pictures displayed, Hillary's beaming countenance be shown for all to see.
I was hoping Drudge would highlight her picture, too, but he just showed the he and Mondale.
After all, she is sitting as a Senator, (God help us), and it was her colleague she was "mourning".
I am happy Time at least has this picture as clearly Hillary is yucking it up along with the guys. Better than nothing!
Because *abortion* is the only thing that matters to these RATS---and Bill supported all kinds of abortion.
Abortion trumps all other so-called RAT virtues---support for it even allows them to excuse rape.
Clueless indeed! Who besides Maggie says Cankles has survived this? She wasn't running this time. Wait till next time she does, so much more will have been revealed that she won't have a chance.
"Put it behind you" is one of her favorite phrases. We'll have put it (and the 'toons) behind us. Her time is nearly over.
When people like Carlson, who have carried Clinton's water faithfully, dishonestly and consistently for years, turn on a politician, it is a sure sign that his days are over. Billyjeff Clinton will never say "Goodnight." But he will become a shadow, a nasty poltergeist that haunts fewer and fewer of Deomcrat get-togethers as the years pass.
I look forward to the day that his obituary is written (death from natural causes, I hasten to add). "Clinton is dead. A persistent voice in American politics has been stilled. Let us thank God."
The bottom line is, Clinton (him) is now, finally, poltically dead. The biological part will, alas, have to wait. Now we have to put up a political death watch for Clinton (her). I hope she engineers the Democrat nomination in 2008. Because only a defeat that enormous will pound a wooden stake through her political heart. (And it will take the skill of a surgeon to aim that wooden stake, given how small the target is.)
Congressman Billybob
The recent party-sanctioned nonsense by the Democrats (Reps in Iraq, smearing Bush, election rigging, dancing on Wellstone's grave for advantage) will resonate far beyond the vote returns of 2002.
The mask has been stripped from the liberal beast, and numerous facets of its ugliness are now on full view.
The media is acting surprised and detached from the situation, although the mask was entirely of their making.
Behind all the moralistic verbiage in this column lies the presumption that Margaret Carlson, and her vehicles, Time and PBS have any credibility on the matter. Wasn't it the sincere responsbile opinion of these people that Democrats would lead us bravely from 2000 to eternity. It will not be so easy for them to de-hitch their wagons from the crippled Democratic horse in the minds of the American people. The cultural shift she describes is not complete until there's a housecleaning in the leftist media circles as well. Nice, try Margaret. But you and your employers are scheduled for irrelevancy as well.
What an extreme, mean and callous thing to say. Whenever I see Margaret Carlson's face I think of those words. She was always one of the biggest sycophant Clinton-era butt-kissers and I hope she is proud of herself for those words.
I have a feeling that the Clintons are not going to do any fundraising in 2004 so the Dems have no choice but to come crawling to them in 2008 and annoint Hillary as their Presidential candidate. She probably knows that she has no shot against GW in 2004 (barring unforeseen disaster).
Too bad she's going to run smack dab into Condi. HeHeHeHe.
Man, this is too good to be true.
Talk Radio, Free Republic, and other sources now serve as our daily digest of news and facts. And even in the case of a rag like Time, articles and liberal reporters (like Carlson) and appropriately dissected and marinated here, so as to expose (and remind us) what press whores they are.
Credibility? Objectivity? Hardly.
These people don't know that they are as "gone" as both Clintons.
I'm not so certain that Clinton will slip away, though.
I am certain that he still sees himself as the Indespensable Democrat. And I think a lot of Democrats still see him that way. To expect Clinton, the ultimate celebrity-pop political rhetorical master to shut up and go away is to expect him to suddenly become the anti-Clinton.
It will be fasinating to watch Hillary forced to play the dance of distancing herself from her only link to prominence. Without Bill, she's just another hack trial lawyer.
I don't see how she divorces Bill without a backlash of public cynicism. She might gain a ruthless enemy in Bill himself. She has sheltered herself from the normal rigors of campaign combat. She is a poor salesman for her cause. Her rhetorical style, like Gore's, is to rely on marxist sloganeering which is gratifying in a NY union hall or the DNC convention, but is a big loser in Presidential politics.
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