Bill,
Part of the reason why I was the only person to respond to the questions is because I am in fact not a Clinton defender nor an apologist for mainstream Democratic Party liberals, but rather terrified of the extreme rightwing core of the Republican Party. If you wish to insist that every one who doesn't want Clinton tarred and feathered is a liberal, I'll live. But I have no ideological stake in the fortunes of the Democrats or Clinton. I've never voted for Bill, opting to sit out the last two presidential elections (I lived in Democrat-heavy New York and Massachusetts, so under the electoral college system, my vote wouldn't have mattered anyway.)
People like me merely dislike the Republicans' social vision and values more than we dislike the hypocrisy of the Democrats.I believe many Americans share my views, as indicated by recent polling data, which roughly coincided with my opinions on the president and Congress.
The bottom line, I believe, on this whole Lewinsky thing is this: The Republicans sullied their own reputation and made themselves unelectable on a national level when they allowed their party to be infiltrated and dominated by a sector of the American population whose social views and values are far to the right of the independents and so-called Reagan Democrats. Until such time as the Republicans disassociate themselves from their extreme elements, they will continue to be thwarted by people like Clinton. Nothing short of a coup within the Republican Party--not an impeachment, not a resignation, not even proving that all Democrats cheat on their wives and lie about it--will change that fact.
Republicans and unenrolled conservatives get frustrated because this mediocore man Clinton, with obvious character flaws, continues to outwit them at every turn. "Why do the stupid voters keep backing this guy?" they seem to wonder. "What's his magic formula? Is it his charisma? How does he sucker these people?"
But Americans aren't stupid. They know what Clinton is. They don't care. The mainstream, suburban voters as well as sexual and ethnic minorities see Clinton as the only dam holding back the flood of conservative zealots within the Republican Party. They see how the Republicans treat moderates like Pete Wilson, William Weld, and Arlen Specter. They may vote the local Republican to Congress, to keep their taxes down, but they will likely never give the contemporary Republican Party the presidency.
Statistically, it will be almost impossible for Republicans to regain the presidency. Republicans sense this. Out of frustration they grab onto this worthless Monica Lewinsky thing in hopes of toppling the President and tarnishing the Democrats. But it won't work. It will definitely backfire, confirming Americans' worst fears about the Republicans. Americans didn't vote for Clinton, and they won't vote for Gore, Bradley, Kerry, etc. in 2000 because they are passionate about the men's beliefs or trust their characters. Gimme a break! They don't give a shit. All other things being equal, as long as the paychecks keep coming in, they'd vote for Bozo the Clown, and you can't really blame them for that.
But all other things are not equal. And they'll vote for a Democratic president because of people like Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson; because they have daughters whom they don't want to go into back alleys for abortions; because they have a live-and-let-live attitude toward gays that they don't see reflected among the Trent Lotts of the GOP; because they don't appreciate the self-righteousness of the Christian Coalition and sense the threat Christian fundamentalism poses to the dream of a tolerant multicultural society America.
To all the Republicans and conservatives: blame yourselves, not Clinton for your failures. |
