Since I'm stuck at home sick with a respiratory infection, I thought I'd spend a little time writing. I was going to write a note about the media coverage of last week's election but after reading my notes I realized that it's not any different from the other dozen notes I've written about media bias. The only real difference was the overtly confrontational nature from the panel at MSNBC towards Michele Bachmann and their obvious lack of objectivity as the night wore on. As the returns came in, the panel seemed less like journalists and more like the character Glum from the "Gulliver's Travels" cartoon. Remember him? Always the sad sack who would pronounce, "We're doomed. We'll never make it." One wonders if the impending sale of NBC to Comcast will shake up the blatant partisanship of MSNBC.
One interesting point during MSNBC's coverage of the election was something that didn't happen all night. Not once during the entire coverage did anyone on the panel utter the word "Teabaggers" to describe the movement that played such a pivotal role in the Republican rout. I asked myself why that would be since both Olbermann and Maddow, and to a lesser degree Chris Mathews, made it a habit of using that word freely during their regular broadcasts. Was it a directive from on high? Was it a pact between the three? Was it the knowledge that their future bosses at Comcast might be watching? Who knows. Either way, it was a grim joy to see the defeat of the Democrats played out on the faces of the unholy trinity. Revenge may be a dish best served cold but it's even better when it's being filmed.
That is old news now and not nearly as surprising nor newsworthy as I first thought it would be. The media is biased. That's been clear for years and I find it hard to add anything more to it. What I really wanted to write about was related to our present situation but on more of a historical tangent. Oh hell, why not just say it.
I miss Bill Clinton.
There, I said it. Moreover, I'm not ashamed of it either. I did vote for him twice after all. Some of you already know that I was once a Democrat although I held some moderately conservative beliefs. I was raised a Kennedy Democrat. John F., not Teddy. Most of my immediate family are still Democrats to this day. I try not to get into too many political discussions during family get-togethers but it's a well known fact I lean to the right. I grew up believing that Democrats were the party of the little guy and I thought that was an admirable thing. I never questioned those beliefs and apart from voting for Reagan in his second term, I voted Democrat regularly. Hell, I even voted for Michael Dukakis. That was more of a protest vote than anything else. The senior Bush was head of the CIA at one time and that just had a creepy feeling in my mind. I voted for Reagan for two reasons; first, I was in the army at the time and he was wagging his finger at the Russians nearly every day on TV and second, I liked having someone who was the Commander of the military who wasn't afraid to flex his military muscle when it was needed. I still like to say that at one time, many years ago, Ronald Reagan was my boss.
On to the real meat of this note though. I miss Bill Clinton. A lot. Despite his failings as a man he was one hell of a good leader for this country. He represented a new style that matched the attitude of the nation. We were quickly approaching the new millennium and he was well suited to the task of leading us into it. He was given an economy that was just beginning to roar back into life, job growth was good, people were making money and his ability to connect with the common man was uncanny. Who can forget, "I feel your pain."?
While his moral compass may have been stuck pointing south, to his crotch, his leadership was spot on. When he lost the house in '94 he realized quickly that things would have to change in order to govern effectively. He rose to the challenge and made quick work of forming new partnerships in the Congress. While he is still credited for signing welfare reform into law, it's hardly mentioned that it passed his desk 3 times before he actually signed it. It was a sweeping reform and wildly successful and it showed his willingness to reach across the proverbial aisle. He was a keen political animal, the likes of which we weren't quite used to. He was smart, likable and always on the lookout for his next moment of glory. He also represented a new era in politics. He was the first politician that we stopped putting on a pedestal. We recognized him as a man. Flawed and imperfect but with a good heart. He loved his country and it showed.
He took what appeared to be a crushing defeat and turned it into a chance to showcase his astounding adaptability and his expert political gamesmanship. His ability to triangulate became the stuff of legend. He was able to bring all sides to the table and forge an outcome that left most feeling like they won the day.
So why the wistful remembrance about a man I find so reprehensible today? Quite honestly I wish I saw the same traits in our current President. What I've seen so far from Obama is more of the same rhetoric that led him to the defeat he just suffered. His post election statements and his subsequent interview on 60 minutes were both filled with laments about how he didn't get his message out clearly enough. How he should have done a better job at convincing his opposition that his way was the best way. His arrogance will simply not let him believe that the American people might not agree with him. Bill Clinton wanted approval more than anything else. Maybe his childhood played a role in his need to be liked but whatever the case, it served him well in the aftermath of the 94 midterm. He played it beautifully, masterfully and with such ease you hardly noticed that he had just had his political head handed to him.
If Obama has any political instincts at all, he will learn an important lesson that Bill Clinton already knows. You either listen and learn or you become a weak footnote in history.
Can you say Jimmy Carter?
