I was on the floor of the 1992 Democratic Convention at MSG as the

balloons and streamers rained down for an hour while "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow" played over and over, and Bill and Hillary were up there waving and smiling more than I'd seen a Democrat smile in my life. Everyone was crying and dancing. Ross Perot had just dropped out, and we knew Bush was going down.

So as to whether Bill Clinton ever did anything for the Democratic party?

Yeah, he did something. And contemporary Obama fans would have appreciated that scene at the garden... it was the first draft of Obama's campaign. It was hope and unity like I had never seen it in the party before or since.

He showed us we could win the Presidency, something that most Democrats were afraid to even dream about anymore after disasters in 1980, 1984 and 1988.

He wasn't perfect, but it's all to easy to forget where we were in 1991.

An amazing night it was :)

Due in a large part to Bill's idiocy.

Thank you.

Wasn't he?

But he did nothing to further the Democratic Party in his two terms.

Most of his positions were more Republican than Democrat, more pro-corporation than working people.

The Democratic Party suffered large losses across the country while he was President.

And they were proven correct when he won the presidency but lost everything else. Clinton's success was singular.

I didn't come around on Clinton 100% until Gingrich shut down the government.

But he won, and Tsongas would have lost. I have to admit that in retrospect.

The point about unity is that I didn't like Bill, but I liked the prospect of deposing Bush very much! Winning heals many wounds.

preferred Tsongas just from watching him in the debates.

Later I became quite an admirer of Clintons intelligence and perseverence and actually learned a good deal about politics from observing him and his administration.

but the hangover hurt like hell
we need a new page - a new beginning
I think you are right that Obama fans would appreciate the emotions from back then
and if we are honest I think we would acknowledge that that sense of hope and unity is not gonna come again from Hillary and Bill - the fractures in this country that are hanging on from that time are too deep
at least Obama stands a chance for a new beginning - and yes - I know that he's not perfect either

on TV. it was wonderful.

And four years later we lost the Senate

Oh well.

So you're going to blame him for others' losing after control of Congress for decades?

Losing the Presidency they felt entitled to led to 1994. Any Democrat would have faced the same social forces.

I saw the first "Impeach Clinton" bumper sticker before he was inaugurated.

It's not like any Dem was going to get a fair shake in that environment. I can't see that Paul Tsongas could have prevented 1994.

And the biggest reason for 1994 was Clinton's economic program, which history suggests was a great success.

(Even Reagan lost the Senate in 1982, and lost something like thirty additional house seats.)

which made him less popular, but also for being more centrist which made him more popular.

scroll down to myth #3

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14441

Too bad he was either misled or by nature a Milton Friedman fan and corporatist.

Plus, for some reason beyond reason, he was hated for it... a fiscal conservative free trader, who wasn't a conservative.

A lot of people say he was the first Black President. I say he was the first Libertarian President.

That he gave his enemies so much ammunition to use against him was his biggest failing.

But, his time has passed... it really is time to move on. I don't want 4 or 8 more years of Clinton v. VRWC.

At that point, it was impossible to imagine anything being worse than the previous 12 years. But Clinton failed to deliver on many of his promises and instead gave us NAFTA, the telecommunications (permission to consolidate) act, DOMA, Don't Ask Don't Tell, welfare "reform", etc.

Better than Poppy? Sure. Better than Chimpy? Obviously. But not better than his own myth which he sold us. And certainly not worth a re-run.