A few thoughts on Clinton I and the prospect of Clinton II:
I had a feeling we would never get rid of him. When watching the inaugural ceremonies in 2001, when Bill Clinton lingered, and lingered, and lingered a bit longer, I knew that not only would he not go away, but that the media wouldn’t let him. This week the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy celebrated its ten year anniversary and the woman who coined the phrase looks poised to return with Bill Clinton to the White House. Considering how reluctant they were to leave it, it is no surprise they are fighting so hard to return. What remains to be seen is whether or not the public is ready for Clinton II.
For those who have forgotten, Bill Clinton made the tackiest of departures.
He sucked up the final moments of his presidency by delivering a 1000 word speech using the words “I” or “me” 56 times and instead of a single goodbye, embarked on a full-fledged goodbye tour. I guess that’s what you do when you are convinced you are a rock star. Jonah Goldberg writing at the time described the way Clinton “tried to deprive the new president the limelight” by quoting Mayor Daley. “In the past, they shook hands, the (former) president went to a helicopter, and that was it. This was different. He had a rally at the airport, a rally in New York and a rally at his home. It was really different, really unusual,” Daley said. “That’s his style. He wanted two or three more parties.” Goldberg went on to quote Bill Clinton from the airport rally: “You see that sign there, ‘Please Don’t Go’? I left the White House, but I’m still here. We’re not going anywhere.”
Read the full column at Townhall.
