The Clinton Presidency

For all the turbulence and complexity of the man and his Presidency, Drew notes a number of patterns which were revealed even before his term began. In fact, "The preparation of Clinton's inaugural address was to set the pattern for his Presidency" (18). Drew goes on to say that

. . . The speech was a continuation of the campaign. Clinton had figured out a formula for getting elected, and . . . by this same formula . . . he hoped to create and maintain a governing majority . . . under the heading the 'New Covenant.' He wouldn't be a traditional liberal; he would be a 'different kind of Democrat,' one who found 'a third way' between the either/ors of politics (18-19).

One of the major reasons for the difficulties Clinton has encountered in his Presidency is that he has tried to fashion such a "new" way of governing, fashioned out of bits and pieces of the "old" ways. It has been a precarious balancing act, trying to blend the best of both liberal and conservative approaches to governing, and especially to economic issues. At the same time, Clinton set himself a diffi

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program was built on simple declarations and simple aims. People may have virulently disagreed with Reagan, but there was no doubt about what his intentions were. Clinton, on the other hand, is a much more complex and thoughtful individual than Reagan, and he has not shown any tendency to make his intentions as simply and clearly understood as were Reagan's. An even more serious problem is that Clinton enjoys thinking out loud as he works his way through these complex thought processes. In the foregoing context, Drew writes: [Presidential spokesman] Stephanopoulus alluded to the fact that Clinton hadn't learned to discipline himself about what he said. As a Cabinet officer put it, Clinton tended to toss off ideas that he hadn't fully yet considered. It was his long-standing method of trying out thoughts. But it could be confusing to the public and lead Clinton to put out half-baked ideas (56). Like Carter, and unlike Reagan, Clinton likes to be deeply involved in every aspect of the decision-making process. This prevents the kind of quick decision-making which is often necessary in order to keep the momentum of a Presidential action, and which is also necessary to keep the public from becoming frustrated and confused. Anothe
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Approximate Word count = 1783
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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