I miss Bill Clinton

[FightingIrish]

By that I mean the old bill Clinton. I see Bill Clinton differently now. I thought he was a great president and I defended him through the travails of impeachment and the painful admission of his own human failings. I was thrilled with his speeches in support of John Kerry and impressed with his global activism. Sadly, this bigger than life figure now seems very ordinary and venal. Perhaps it is his addiction to power that has driven him to betray his image as a true statesman. He is still the wily politician but he has shed the veneer of greatness in pursuit of a return to the White House, albeit as Laura Bush’s successor. In the very likely event that Barack Obama will be our nominee, Clinton has all but disqualified himself as a major player leading up to November.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

1. I liked Bill and had a lot of respect for him before this election

Now I see him as someone who will do anything to get ahead. It's sad really, because I don't believe he was always that way. Maybe it was the years of being hounded by the wingnuts, but in any case he has now become almost as bad as they are.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. I honestly haven't felt his heart's been in this campaign.

Take that away, take away the desire to serve, the better angels, and too much of what you have left is simply the politician laid bare. And that ain't pretty.

[pscot]

3. I've learned things about Bill Clinton

that I really didn't want to know. Maybe he was always like this and I just didn't see it. It's all rather sordid and depressing.

[BklynChick]

4. Never liked him or his moderate politics, but I feel your pain.

[stray cat]

5. I also miss the Bill Clinton I saw as a statesman

He gave a great speech at the dem convention in 2004

[KittyWampus]

6. the old Bill Clinton was a myth. A big part of that came from the necessity of defending him

against some stupid rightwing smears when he was POTUS.

But all the scandals involving Bill and Hillary Clinton were NOT just rightwing hit-jobs.

Despite what Joe Conason tries to convince us with.

Clinton really was bankrolled by Jackson Stevens and really did sweep Iran/Contra under the rug.

Bill really did sell pardons as he left the WH, for money and votes for Hillary's Senate run.

And Bill really HAS been pimping himself out since leaving the WH, using his days as POTUS to make huge sums lobbying for unsavory foreign nationals.

[MarjorieG]

7. Agree on sweeping Iran-Contra/BCCI, and unethical since POTUS

Also, when we could have needed a Kerry presidency, all Clinton could do was defend Bush on his book tour. I question how many other Democrats stood down and didn't help in 2004 because of Bill. Certainly McAuliffe could have built a better Party organization and protected the vote if he wanted a Kerry win.

[AllentownJake]

8. Bill

Bill's time was the 90s its time to move on. He did a good job as President but its time to turn the page. I don't miss him or hold and grudges against him, he did what he could.

Its time for a new generation to take charge and make its mark. Just as Bill represented the new generation in 1992 Obama represents that generation in 2008.

[murielm99]

9. They are the same generation.

Both are boomers.

Stick to the facts. Don't give me all that symbolic crap and Obama idealism. It is simply a matter of presentation and public perception.