The Conservative Tide began with the optimism of Regan, not with supposed attacks on Clinton.
Good point.
Dionne's bias does show when he characterizes the current Republican majority stemming from "attacks on Clinton". There is an historical series of events, from Goldwater's "Conscience of a Conservative" to the years in the wilderness following Nixon and Watergate to the beginnings of ascendecy with the election of Reagan in 1980 and the Contract with America in 1994.
The emerging conservative majority did not begin by attacking Clinton, it began during the counter culture revolution of the 1960s and has gathered ground slowly over time. In fact, for all his shortcomings, Clinton governed in large measure as a "centrist" in order to appease conservatives. Compared to the other candidates the Democrats could have nominated in 1992 (does anyone remember Paul Tsongas?) Clinton was the (relatively) conservative choice.