Has Bill Clinton's legacy been tarnished by this primary season?

[doyourealize1]

I'm looking for opinions about whether people think his legacy has been tarnished by this election season, provided you thought he was a decent president while in office. I am of the opinion that the way he is acting as of late is "unpresidential" but it does not tarnish my opinion about what he did in office.

Let's hear yours.

[easy_b94]

1. Yes....

I used to like Bill but he has been rubbing me the wrong way since the SC primaries.

[invictus]

2. Bill Clinton's legacy is a conservative one: NAFTA, job outsourcing, bubble economy, recession, DOMA

welfare reform, banking liberalization, etc.

[formernaderite]

14. you nailed it

I remember pointing these things out to people...and they'd scoff at me. His brand of triangulation moved the country and both political parties further right. His behavior during the primaries was less than "charming" which is why people are looking at him in a new light.

[bobthedrummer]

17. "Inconvenient truths about the New Democrats, the Third Way, Democratic Leadership Council, etc."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2973191

I voted for him twice, not realizing he really hated me, a part of the traditional Democratic Party base.

[scheming daemons]

3. Abso-fucking-lutely.... I used to be one of his biggest fans.....

...he's tarnished himself beyond repair with me.

[BobRossi]

4. Absolutely.

He has proven that he is just another greedy politician.

[datadiva]

5. Yes n/t

[graywarrior]

6. Man, I used to love that guy.

Now he's acting desperate, almost as if his life depends on Hillary's winning. Hmmmmm.

[elehhhhna]

7. Yes, and hers has CRUMBLED.

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. Did Bill Clinton have much of a genuine legacy to begin with?

Name one positive accomplishment of his administration that has had long-term beneficial effects for this country. (Personally I can't really think of any.)

[blm]

13. His positive efforts had NO lasting effect while his negative efforts have been tragic for the

party, the country and the world.

Protecting BushInc so thoroughly throughout the 90s led to the emergence of Bush2, 9-11, this Iraq war and our next war with Iran.

Deep-sixing BCCI matters for the BFEE's Global Fascist Agenda and the powerful elite Clinton served for Poppy, was the biggest failure and most negative act against our country that ANY Dem president could have made.

[dionysus]

9. he destroyed it basically...

[karynnj]

10. Yes, the actual accomplishments seen in a clearer light and the personal charm demolished

Clinton's legacy benefited by many things - contrast to W, having had a lucky period in the business cycle, a period where we were unchallenged as the the world's only superpower, and his personal charm.

What has been lost the most is the picture of Clinton as likable. In the past his charm hid less positive characteristics - lately the charm is gone - and what is left is an unlikable man. This has caused people to shine flashlights on decisions made and the current day ramifications. That review is more severe than it would have been without this run.

Funny that both he and Bush would likely have been seen better by history had Kerry become President than they now will be. Bush because he might have escaped some of the blame and Clinton because, even with Kerry working as hard as he would have to fix things, this would still have been a very tough 4 years compared to the 1990s seen nostalgically as good times.

[Eurobabe]

11. He has become an über-freak n/t

[Bonobo]

12. Is there any doubt? He has diminished himself greatly.

[maximusveritas]

15. Depends how he responds during the general election

If he campaigns non-stop for Obama and starts to attack McCain like he did Obama, then he might regain his legacy. If not, it will be forever tarnished.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. Yes.

He comes off like an ass when he gets pissy and petulant.

[Zachstar]

18. Yes!.......

[Shae]

19. my opinion of him has dropped

quite a lot.

[ramapo]

20. Yes in regards to my opinion

He seems to have gotten a bit, well a bit, wacky. It is after all his wife and I think that has tainted his view.

[BlueIdaho]

21. Hell yes

Used to love this guy - now it looks like I was dead wrong.

[NDambi]

22. Yes. And I've heard it from many in my circle. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. Yup. Almost feel sorry for him.

He was enjoying a reasonably dignified retirement.

Oh well.

[MethuenProgressive]

24. Not at all!

Peace!

[ecstatic]

25. Yes. Hillary's lies now emphasize Bill's past lies,

which I never minded before... But now I just think of them both as pathological liars. Both of them are tarnished. Hillary is tarnished for life, but Bill might be able to recover one day if he divorces her.