How To Destroy A Legacy

By BlackJack

As late as January of 2008 the Democratic Party had only one seemingly untarnished elder statesman in the form of President Bill Clinton. All of the other leadership had been left muddied and bloodied in one way or another through the campaigns of 2000 and 2004 and William Jefferson Clinton stood alone with his legacy intact.

His charisma and joviality had pulled him through the 7 years of his post presidency, and his philanthropic partnerships with the elder George Bush had been enough to keep the Republican attack machine at bay. Bill wasn't Teflon, but he was as close to it as a somewhat divisive former President could be.

A couple of verbal fumbles later, along with his willingness to serve as his wife's campaign attack dog, and Clinton's position in history may be permanently damaged. He is now perceived by many as a bitter man with character issues. The man from Hope is a soldier without a country.

Bloggers and pundits have whispered about payback: Bill has accepted his position within Hillary's campaign not out of excitement for her race for office but because he owes it to her for her willingness to stand by his through his White House scandal. He's and owned man, they say, and his place in history has been diminished.

Before Mrs. Clinton's run, many had called him the 'First Black President' - a badge he obviously wore with pride, being a southern politician, for his inclusiveness and his ability to appeal to black voters. His verbal jabs at Barack Obama, coupled with his verbal gaffes on the campaign trail, have seriously damaged his credibility within the African-American community.

During his 8-year tenure in the White House he helped make the career of many a political cartoonist and his return to the evening news has given them opportunity to revisit their old friend. The late night talk show hosts have enjoyed the trip down memory lane as well. I would have to imagine the curator of his Presidential Library will strategically avoid adding those clippings and clips to the permanent collection.

Maybe it's better, in the long run, that Democrats don't worship their leaders - blind trust hasn't worked out too well for the Republican's. I'm sure Bill Clinton would like to restore his legacy but I think we're too far down the road for any of that. Perhaps time will heal the wound, but right now the scar looks pretty bad.