What lasting effect did Bill Clinton really give the party or the country?

[Joe the Revelator]

You want to talk trajectory, right?

Did I miss Clinton Democrat-ism?

Because I sure didn't miss Reagan Conservatism.


Like it or not, Reagan did change the trajectory of the Country in ways that Bill Clinton did not.

[thunder rising]

1. What is "is"? Does that count?

[BringBigDogBack]

31. lol. nt

[yourout]

2. Bill redefined a BJ so that the rest of us men can get them without having sex.

My wife doesn't see it that way though.

[wtmusic]

Clinton was the first president in 40 years

who left the country with a budget surplus.

You don't know what you're talking about.

[HeraldSquare212]

7. Gosh, that's why I'm a Democrat! So the budget is balanced! nt

[Sparkly]

10. That economy helped a lot of people, actually.nt

[HeraldSquare212]

17. There's no necessary correlation between balanced budget and economic performance

the economy was due to Greenspan and productivity increases due to technology innovation and adoption. We ran deficits in the sixties and that was a good - better - economy.

[wtmusic]

21. Short term outlook

Interest on the national debt is our second biggest expenditure after defense.

If you don't think that money could be used better elsewhere, or that continuing to run $400B deficits won't be a crushing burden on our grandkids, then you won't understand how it could also cause a cash crunch in the next 10 years that will make SE Asia's economic collapse look like child's play.

The deficits of the sixties, as a proportion of GDP, were microscopic compared to the current ratio.

[HeraldSquare212]

25. I'm just opposed to the Dem agenda being hijacked by Rep deficits

I've seen that show before - Dems clean it up, next Rep comes in, cuts taxes and spends like hell. Why don't we keep deficits around to impede their military adventurism?

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Unfortunately, It Wasn't A New Trajectory

It was a good thing, but only temporary.

[wtmusic]

13. Of course it was

is he responsible now for GWB's legacy as well?

[MannyGoldstein]

20. If You Think I Meant That

I did not.

[Joe the Revelator]

11. Real inspiring stuff that was able to be changed within a year of a new president taking over

you didn't answer my question at all.

[Bluerthanblue]

24. yes he did, and I

have admired him quite abit. He did bring us 'welfare reform' though. And there were things done clandestinely in terms of foreign policy that I was totally ignorant about, and cannot say were good. He tried very hard to help facilitate a peaceful solution to the Israeli/Palestinian situation, and came very close.

Yet, as much as he didn't intend it- there are some who might argue that in a minute way his presidency may have helped pave the way for these last 8 years of hell.

But in the end, we only have ourselves to blame.

We need to find a way to truly change for the better.


peace~

[elleng]

DLC

-ism

[MannyGoldstein]

3. He Pioneered The Use Of Outsourced Torture

And set the stage for a lot of outsourced jobs.

Pretty significant stuff.

[madeline_con]

4. Rethug neocons blame all their fuck-ups on him. n/t

[skipos]

5. Bill Clinton didn't give the party very much other than his own victory

I expect Hillary to be the same.

[HeraldSquare212]

6. Other than caving into Republicans on welfare reform and the Defense of Marriage Act

because he was afraid they would try to paint him as liberal if he didn't not much. Except, of course, for losing a sixty-year majority in the House of Representatives - there's effective party leadership!

[polichick]

8. Too bad Obama didn't mention that it was the WRONG direction...

He used words like "optimism" and "clarity" ~ which sound very positive.

About Bill ~ I think he squandered an incredible opportunity, for all of us.

[Iceburg]

12. When Clinton was president most of the WORLD believed in America.

Sadly there are no takers now.

Just a Canadian point of view.

[Hobarticus]

14. You ask this at least once a week...

Go back to your old thread and read through that one.

[Joe the Revelator]

16. I have NEVER asked this question before, so put you money where your mouth is.

Show me a post from before todays date where I even mentioned this topic and I'll pay-pal you 50 dollars. If you can't find one by midnight, you do the same for me.

[Hobarticus]

27. Yah, send me your e-mail address and I'll get right on that...

That's adorable, really.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

15. Psst, Wolsh.

This was posted in the middle of your GD-P OP posting spree:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4099749&mesg_id=4099749

FWIW.

MKJ

[ArkySue]

18. Not a fair question.

Stinkin'W has spent the last 7 years dismantling any gains that Clinton made, not to mention flushing the $urplus down the drain.

[suston96]

19. Obama's trajectory? Just like Reagan? I hope not.

Reagan's trajectory led to a doubling of the national debt, Iran-Contra, Grenada, and so much more.

And Bill Clinton halted that trajectory with balanced budgets, surpluses, payments on the national debt, and left office with a projected 5.8 trillion dollar surplus -

- which Bush snatched up and blew in a matter of months with tax cuts and a war.

[Catherine Vincent]

22. Why do you always refer to it as "the party"?

Why not "our party"?

[Tulkas]

23. Multiple definitions of the word... is...

"I did not inhale" is a good one too


Also ane entire generation that needed to explain oral sex to thier small children because it was all over the news.

[cd3dem]

26. Amazing, dems praising Reagan... Hell has froze over!!!

and we are in it!!!!

Obama Reaganites get in line for your masks!

[madrchsod]

28. it was better than reagan/bush-bush

but not as good as it should have been. in his defense he was the winner in a three way race and never had the american people solidly behind him. the health care disaster sealed his fate. after that he could`t do anything that was`t a compromise from weakness not from strength.
reagan had everything going for him when he took power then after he was shot his revolution was organized by the boys in the basement. by his second term he was a talking sock puppet.

[JVS]

29. Led to a personality cult that destroyed the Democratic party's ability to pursue policies

Everything is now person-driven, not idea-driven.

[Joe the Revelator]

30. I don't really know Captain Semantics....

probably the same reason I refer to it as 'The Country"

[Renew Deal]

32. His hard on gave us 8 years of Bush.

Does that count for something?