What are politicians to do with an election whose mandate was, in so many ways, negative? President Clinton rebuilt his standing not by proposing bold new programs, but by promising to protect the country from the excesses of the Republican Congress. In the end, the Republicans hung on to Congress by presenting themselves as the people who would save the country from the excesses of unified Democratic government.
So here's what really happened.
ReplyDeleteClinton won in 1992 and tried to implement a progressive agenda a bit too quickly. This allowed the Republicans to take Congress with their Contract for America. And Clinton pivoted. He brilliantly cooperated with them and that move, combined with a weak opponent in 1996, got him re-elected.
Gospel according to Garnel
DeleteNope, that's what happened. It was a brief 2 years of cooperation that led to amazing changes in the American economy for the better.
DeleteThe Republicans ruined it by becoming obsessed with prosecuting Clinton.