Bill Clinton resigns

samcster94

Banned
Pretty much my view, and several friends who were still Republican voters. A colossal waste of time, run by people who likely had worse buried in their back field.

Now if Clinton had cover up or other connection to the Mena Murders firmly pinned to him the public would definitely shift away from him.
Having the Monica(or other scandal) happen in his first term would have interesting repercussions. Gore in 96???
 
Having the Monica(or other scandal) happen in his first term would have interesting repercussions. Gore in 96???

Clinton's first term was pretty much a disaster, he was unusually fortunate to make a comeback by contrasting himself with Gingrich and riding the tech boom to reelection. If a sex scandal comes out before 1996, then even with the good economy his reelection chances are seriously jeopardized. Gore would stick with Clinton, he'd only run for POTUS if Clinton withdraws and pushes Gore as his successor.
 
Have women decide that even though they like his policies his personal behavior is unacceptable. This is a powerful man who liked taking advantage of powerless women. A minimum wage clerk when he was governor (Paula Jones) and an unpaid intern when he was POTUS. That very arguably represents an abusive attitude toward women.

So instead of the attitude of Nina Burleigh who famously said, “I would be happy to give him a blowjob just to thank him for keeping abortion legal. I think American women should be lining up with their Presidential kneepads on to show their gratitude for keeping the theocracy off our backs.” you have something akin to today's Me Too movement and have women, specifically the feminists decide that his behavior was unacceptable and that he needed to go. That happens and he is done...
 
So instead of the attitude of Nina Burleigh who famously said, “I would be happy to give him a blowjob just to thank him for keeping abortion legal. I think American women should be lining up with their Presidential kneepads on to show their gratitude for keeping the theocracy off our backs.”

Wow. I didn't believe that quote was real until I looked it up myself and well...there you have it. I think that attitude, and the opposing extreme that Clinton was evil incarnate, was the result of the increasing polarization of our society and in particular our politics that has been happening since the Vietnam War. So you'd definitely need a POD before 1998 for that to change. Otherwise the only reason an overwhelming majority of 1990's feminists would turn on a Democratic President during a sex scandal is if there's clear evidence he committed rape or sexual assault.
 

RousseauX

Donor
Clinton's first term was pretty much a disaster, he was unusually fortunate to make a comeback by contrasting himself with Gingrich and riding the tech boom to reelection. If a sex scandal comes out before 1996, then even with the good economy his reelection chances are seriously jeopardized. Gore would stick with Clinton, he'd only run for POTUS if Clinton withdraws and pushes Gore as his successor.
Only really true for 1992-94 after 94 he passed the more popular parts of the gingrich agenda like welfare reform
 
Only really true for 1992-94 after 94 he passed the more popular parts of the gingrich agenda like welfare reform

Ironically, if the US didn't have midterm elections then many Presidents like Clinton would probably do worse when running for reelection. They can't favorably contrast themselves with a more unpopular Congress that takes power in the midterms or, in Clinton's case, co-opt popular elements of their opponent's platform. If Congress hadn't switched parties in 1994, then Clinton would still be fumbling with a Democratic Congress in 1996 and he'd have accomplished little.
 
Wow. I didn't believe that quote was real until I looked it up myself and well...there you have it. I think that attitude, and the opposing extreme that Clinton was evil incarnate, was the result of the increasing polarization of our society and in particular our politics that has been happening since the Vietnam War. So you'd definitely need a POD before 1998 for that to change. Otherwise the only reason an overwhelming majority of 1990's feminists would turn on a Democratic President during a sex scandal is if there's clear evidence he committed rape or sexual assault.

Perhaps, but I also think a lot of it is just the normal hypocrisy of partisan politics. The fact is no matter how much people talk about the importance of character in public officials, they will twist themselves into pretzels making excuses for people they voted for and who support policies they want. It's why conservative Christians will support a president who had an affair with a porn star shortly after his third wife gave birth to their son and why feminists who ostensibly demand an end to "typical male behavior" in the work place will support a president who cheated on his wife numerous times and had an affair with an unpaid intern half his age when he was the most powerful man in the world.

Disclaimer - I am an independent, I don't belong to either political party.
 
Have Juanita Broaddrick first come forward in 1998, at the height of the Lewinsky scandal (instead of filing a sworn affidavit saying nothing happened in the early 1990s); she did get an interview with Lisa Myers of NBC IOTL, but it never made it to air...

Having an affair is one thing; being credibly accused of rape is quite another...

This will probably cause Clinton's resignation...
 
Have Juanita Broaddrick first come forward in 1998, at the height of the Lewinsky scandal (instead of filing a sworn affidavit saying nothing happened in the early 1990s); she did get an interview with Lisa Myers of NBC IOTL, but it never made it to air...

Having an affair is one thing; being credibly accused of rape is quite another...

This will probably cause Clinton's resignation...

IMWO you would need pretty hard evidence (no pun intended) otherwise she would just be an accuser and Clinton's defenders would have gone after her with abandon and would have continued moving the goal posts absent credible physical evidence. See this piece from Gloria Steinem:

http://www2.edc.org/WomensEquity/edequity98/0561.html
 

Cook

Banned
the american electorate didn't think Lewinsky was a big deal

Ah, the good old days; when perjury, obstruction of justice, sexual misconduct and abuse of power weren't big deals. God how we miss those days.
 
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