Interesting find: Congressional ads for Bill Clinton from 1974

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Found this on Youtube. Interesting to see the rather humble political beginnings of the 42nd President.

[Beacool]

1. That was cool!!!!

Thanks for posting it.

Bill lost that election, but we all know what happened later on.

Yes, Bill had humble beginnings. The Clintons were the poorest couple to enter the WH in decades (which still stands). They didn't even own a home. Their home had been the governor's mansion for 12 years. The first home they bought, since the little house that Bill had bought in the early 70s to get Hillary to agree to marry him (she kept saying no), was the house in Chappaqua, NY they bought after they left the WH.

They are quite wealthy now thanks to their books and Bill's speaking fees, but they had millions of dollars in debt after they left the WH due to the Whitewater investigation. BTW, Bill paid the staffers' legal bills too. It was reported to have been $14M. he should have sent the bill to the GOP.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. I love that all 3 Democratic presidents in my lifetime have come from humble origins.

Carter, Clinton and Obama all grew up in simple surroundings and therefore I think it shaped their ability to understand the common person.

Contrast that with the three Republican presidents in my lifetime. Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. were born into aristocracy and political dynasty. And while Reagan may have come from a middle class household, he didn't get his political aspirations until after he was living in Hollywood as a movie star.

[Beacool]

3. There is something to be said for growing up knowing what it means to be in need.

But there are exceptions to every rule. The Roosevelts and Kennedys are very wealthy and these two families gave us three great presidents.