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The Clinton Presidency

Elizabeth Drew, in On the Edge: The Clinton Presidency, "follows the turbulence as well as the achievements" of the first eighteen months of Clinton's administration "and tries to explain the phenomenon" (16). She gives a fair and comprehensive portrait of the man and his leadership, both the positive and negative aspects, in her attempt to understand this complex President's character and style as President.

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 difficult agenda by promising to be an activist leader with a number of broad domestic programs designed to alter the very structure of the government.

To be fair, it must be noted that Drew is trying to assess a Presidency which is still in its early stages. Certainly the first eighteen months of a term can yield patterns to the researcher, but it is not possible to judge a man's leadership success or failure based on those eighteen months. Keeping that l...

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The Clinton Presidency. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 09:13, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1690720.html