That's some of the revisionist nonsense that clintoons worshipers in the media have spread for years. And it is bunk.
Fact: Clintoon beat Dole (a VERY weak candidate)by only 8.2 million votes.
Clintoon did NOT even get a majority of the vote as that jug eared numskull Perot got over 8 million votes.
When you look at the single biggest decrease in voting by block between 1994 and 1996 - yep - the most conservative had the biggest decline.
Clintoon did NOT win that election - it was handed to him by the apathy of the conservative base, caused a weak candidate and some kind of misplaced feeling that we had ‘won’ in 94, and no more work was required.
And yes, sadly that does feel like today.
Revisionist? No, I was right there, nearly 28-years old and voting for Dole. Republicans fielded a weak candidate because nobody felt confident about beating Clinton. "Might as well run ol' man Dole. It's his turn and we're going to lose anyways" was what the Republican establishment was thinking. Even if every Perot vote is added to Dole's numbers, Clinton still wins.
It's a little different this year. In 1996, the economy was booming and people were relatively optimistic. Today? Malaise, depression and anxiety. Yet the Republican front-runners are possibly the two worst candidates the party could field. We have Mitt Romney, a liberal with an 'R' next to his name who sends the base fleeing and Newt Gingrich, who retains the base and sends everyone else fleeing. In the worst economy since the Great Depression, the race seemed impossible to lose. I'm afraid we're going to find a way.