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How is Bill Clinton's presidency perceived in the US today?

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Fritz

Member
I believe in Europe his presidency is generally held in high regard. Does his legacy affect Hillary's campaign in any way? It feels like it is hardly ever talked about.
 
Depends on who you ask. The right thinks he destroyed the economy. More moderate and left people realize he wasn't all that bad
 
D

Deleted member 20415

Unconfirmed Member
Most have a fondness for his time in office, even if not for him.

The 90s were the go go 90s for most people, and wage increases, positive economic movement were felt all over.

But the Monica Lewinsky impeachment dogged him. That's probably not forgotten by most people who were of age. I don't know if they hold it against him necessarily, but he can't remove himself from that.
 
It's held as a high regard in the States too. If he ran for office again he would likely win because of how well the economy fared under his administration.
 

Grym

Member
clintonthumbsup.jpg
 
Varying depending on age, region, race, education level I've found.

My professor hated him and the Republicans of that era who convinced him to pretty much destroy welfare. It and a lay off costed him his Wife and home. I imagine a lot of people have similar stories, and I'm sure a lot of wall Street and banker professionals loving him due to his deregulation. Clinton is a Democrat in your face, but a Republican in value.

Most regular people just remember the sex scandals.

This is what you get from people who aren't politically aware.
 

~Devil Trigger~

In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
Good and Bad

Good and the short term for the country over all.

But now the long term affect got more people second guessing.

- Dont ask dont tell
- Defense of marriage act
- NAFTA
- "Tough on Crime" laws
- War on Drugs expansion
- Welfare reform
- Glass-Steagall Act repeal


there where positives, dont get me wrong, but yeah, His presidency, for me, is largely questionable in hindsight
 

HylianTom

Banned
Not bad. Prosperity. Peace.

A lot Republicans think he was the devil incarnate for cracking their lock on the Electoral Map. A lot of liberals are deluded about what was politically feasible back then.
 

Fritz

Member
The Lewinski part was really just a side note over here. Iirc there was more discussion on how these private failings should not put anyones presidential qualities into question. Like in France a president was basically required to have at least one mistress.
 
D

Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
I mostly remember him as the charismatic and charming sax playing guy who preceded 8 years of G. W. Bush making an utter mess of a large part of the world.
 
I think this country is so polarized it's tough to get a straight answer out of anyone, but if you can cut through it, he's mostly seen as a good president who gave us eight good years of peace and prosperity. The 90's are pretty good memories for the most part, and GWB's reign makes Bill's look even better in retrospect. His scandals do weigh heavily for some, though. But for the most part, I think he has a great legacy in the memory of Americans, and that's overall a positive thing for Hillary.

I've definitely heard people say things like "if her presidency is anything like Bill's, I'll take it".
 

Effect

Member
Good and Bad

Good and the short term for the country over all.

But now the long term affect got more people second guessing.

- Dont ask dont tell
- Defense of marriage act
- NAFTA
- "Tough on Crime" laws
- War on Drugs expansion
- Welfare reform
- Glass-Steagall Act repeal


there where positives, dont get me wrong, but yeah, His presidency, for me, is largely questionable in hindsight

The short term and long term thing is fair I think. Context for the time is also important when talking about a number of things. Which is why there is a divide between young and old on things like the crime laws. Some consequences you can see coming and others you can't and just have to deal with them as they come. Then there is the case of things getting twisted in their implementation. Complicated. I don't think he'll ever be on the list of bad presidents though. No way.
 

Cerium

Member
Depends on who you ask. The right thinks he destroyed the economy. More moderate and left people realize he wasn't all that bad

What? No one thinks he destroyed the economy, the economy was booming in the 90s. If anyone questions him on the economy it's the left because of the Glass-Stegal repeal, but the consequences of that weren't felt during his Presidency.
 

Voras

Member
The funny thing is it kind of seems like he is viewed more positively by the right now than the left. A lot of republicans I know believe that in his later years as president he became more fiscally conservative and they think that is part of the reason for the economic success of the country during the 90s. I'm not saying that they are correct or that it's a large enough sample size to suggest a trend but I do find it interesting that some of the right has embraced him while some of the left has turned on him.
 
I think this country is so polarized it's tough to get a straight answer out of anyone, but if you can cut through it, he's mostly seen as a good president who gave us eight good years of peace and prosperity. The 90's are pretty good memories for the most part, and GWB's reign makes Bill's look even better in retrospect. His scandals do weigh heavily for some, though. But for the most part, I think he has a great legacy in the memory of Americans, and that's overall a positive thing for Hillary.

I've definitely heard people say things like "if her presidency is anything like Bill's, I'll take it".

Which is actually kinda fucked up because many of the things GWB did were using the foundations that Bill built with his initial laws and reforms.

Bill did some good things and had good intentions but just because it wasn't politically feasible in that environment to get everything he wanted, he still pandered way too hard and came down disproportionately hard on the downtrodden and marginalized. He was not a poor mans president I'll say that as someone who grew up low income for most of the 90's.

At the time and in the years following he was viewed positively, but as we separate those that lived in the era and those that prospered in it from it, from a purely historical PoV, I think he'll mostly be viewed as a below average president.
 
D

Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
Should probably also state that I remember him from afar, both in time and like from another continent, I'm sure there are plenty of issues to be unhappy about, more visible to american citizens
 

jstevenson

Sailor Stevenson
Some of his things had long-term repercussions, as others mention.

I think many now, in hindsight, also view the economy as something he didn't actually drive. The digital era and tech boom was going to cause an economic explosion regardless of who was the President at that time.
 

richiek

steals Justin Bieber DVDs
The 90s were a prosperous time, before 9/11, so most sane Americans view Bill Clinton's presidency in a positive light.
 

xandaca

Member
I suspect he strongly benefits from the consequences of the mass economic deregulation he started only being felt much later on, that the 90s are remembered as pre-9/11 good times, so his damaging cuts and reforms to welfare and housing are easily overlooked, while there's also that juicy sex scandal. I don't think he was a bad president, but there's certainly some rose tinting (among UK people, anyhow).
 

Kthulhu

Member
Good and Bad

Good and the short term for the country over all.

But now the long term affect got more people second guessing.

- Dont ask dont tell
- Defense of marriage act
- NAFTA
- "Tough on Crime" laws
- War on Drugs expansion
- Welfare reform
- Glass-Steagall Act repeal


there where positives, dont get me wrong, but yeah, His presidency, for me, is largely questionable in hindsight

I thought don't ask don't tell was a necessary compromise with the Republicans
 

cruets

Member
I remember it very fondly. Cheap gas.cheap hamburgers, ps1, ffxii, metal gear solid, resident evil. Good times. Impeached for lying about a blow job. Meh
 

Chmpocalypse

Blizzard
People who know the facts regard him as a charismatic neoliberal who did a lot of shit to make life worse for minorities and the poor.
 
What? No one thinks he destroyed the economy, the economy was booming in the 90s. If anyone questions him on the economy it's the left because of the Glass-Stegal repeal, but the consequences of that weren't felt during his Presidency.

Many people on the right believe Bill Clinton destroyed the economy. Just look at Trump attacking NAFTA
 

ccbfan

Member
Thought he was great when I was young.

90s was a great time and the 2000s sucked.

Then realized a lot of the shit from the 2000s was causes by the things he put in place. His policies were all short term gain, long term pain.

Now?

I'm a bitter old man completely cynical about the 2 party system.
 
I think this country is so polarized it's tough to get a straight answer out of anyone, but if you can cut through it, he's mostly seen as a good president who gave us eight good years of peace and prosperity. The 90's are pretty good memories for the most part, and GWB's reign makes Bill's look even better in retrospect. His scandals do weigh heavily for some, though. But for the most part, I think he has a great legacy in the memory of Americans, and that's overall a positive thing for Hillary.

I've definitely heard people say things like "if her presidency is anything like Bill's, I'll take it".

But the modern polarization of this country kind of started with Bill Clinton. It's definitely when Rush Limbaugh style conservative radio took off.
 

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
Short term quite good, long term mixed bag. The severity of, or lack of, which depends on your perspective I guess, but there's no shortage of concrete bad choices.

Overall his legacy is and will continue to be way better than Bush's, either really, but especially W. And deservedly so for the vast part.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
I don't know how I read the thread title as Bill Cosby but I did and I was mighty confused at first.
 

Kusagari

Member
Many people on the right believe Bill Clinton destroyed the economy. Just look at Trump attacking NAFTA

Many people on the left hate NAFTA too. Bill's economic policies were probably more pleasing to an establishment Republican like Paul Ryan today than a leftist.
 

JohnsonUT

Member
His legacy has gotten much worse as time has gone by and his administration's fingerprints were all over several low points in American history.
 
Well, I guess this thread just showed me. I was in the usual camp that merely thought "dotcom bubble", "economic prosperity", and "sex scandal". I took that ridiculously gushing endorsement Family Guy gave him at face value.

In this case, hope Hillary wouldn't be the same. That's just crazy :(
 
All I recall was the economic boom, since I was too busy playing video games and living pretty damn well in Middle Class America. When you go back and examine the impacts of other events, like the expansion of crime legilations and the war on drugs, there are other ill and longer lasting effects. It's a tough line to walk, since violent crime in the late 80s and early 90s was a real and legitimate concern, but then that was met with a massive, overreaching spike in incarceration.

All that being said, and speaking personally, it's still tough to find people out there that loathe Bill Clinton. His charisma is off the charts. Hell, I'm willing to bet him playing sax on the Arsenio Hall Show is still the most common memory of ol Slick Willie.
 
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