2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging • April 28th, 2008

The Bill Clinton legacy

by Chris Lato

This article crystallized some thoughts I’ve had about whether Bill Clinton is wrecking his legacy with his behavior on the campaign trail in support of Hillary’s run for President.

It’s clear he is really bitter, feels he hasn’t gotten his due as a ‘great’ President, and feels he was shafted by the press. That has all built up and now, in the heat of another campaign, Bill Clinton is letting loose and showing some of that famous temper.

But what about his legacy within the Democratic Party? Will the Clinton ‘scorched earth’ policy of campaigning mean he’ll have a lot fewer friends left, assuming likely nominee Barack Obama ascends to the throne? Or will everyone have a short memory about these things if all goes well for the Dems in November?

Because this race is going down to the wire, and is historic for a number of reasons, it will almost certainly be one for the books, a race that is talked about for decades to come. That cannot bode well for the Clintons.

Presidents care about their legacies. Richard Nixon went to great lengths to beef up his foreign-policy bona fides after his shameful exit from office. Jimmy Carter’s spectacularly mediocre tenure has been buffed up somewhat by his activities for Habitat for Humanity - although he still steps in it on a regular basis – just Google ‘Jimmy Carter Hamas.’ The whole Iran hostage thing must still chafe him because he’s busy trying to prove he can broker peace in the Middle East – and to hell with anyone who tries to tell him otherwise.

Ronald Reagan gradually disappeared from the public eye, due more to illness and the fierce determination by his handlers to protect the Reagan Legacy. Then there’s Bush 41, who recently scored points by pairing up with Bill Clinton to raise money for tsunami relief efforts. He also parachuted out of airplanes, in addition to racking up huge speaking fees.

Bill Clinton is making a post-Presidential mint, which is his prerogative. He raked in more than $80 million from book and speech income, according to the Clintons’ 2000-06 tax records.

In the wake of 2008’s bitter campaign, will the Clinton legacy be irreparably dented?

Put it this way. If we are all watching the comings and goings of President Obama a year from now, Bill Clinton will continue to fade away while his own legacy should remain relatively intact. He will still be a force. But unless Obama chooses to involve the Clintons in some meaningful way, a lot of pain is going to linger for a long time to come, and you can’t count on Bill Clinton to keep his thoughts to himself.

And really, at this point, Bill Clinton’s own worst enemy is himself - not the press or the vast right-wing conspiracy.

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