Bill Clinton resigns

samcster94

Banned
That seemed to have only affected Rockefeller in the soonest election cycle after it had happened. Remember he would later serve as Vice President.

Gingrich's own two divorces would hurt him a bit more in 2000 than a normal presidential election, but it wouldn't end him by any means. Having said that, still doubts he wins, but it wouldn't be because of the divorces (although it'd become a commonly held idea that it did like for Rockefeller).

Gingrich wouldn't win because he was deeply unpopular with his mid-90s political stunts and the only thing that's even sort of resurrected his image is time. Two decades out of office causes a lot of ill will to dissipate.
He tried OTL in 2012 and it failed badly.
 
What do you have in mind? Earlier FDA regulation? Taxes? Additional lawsuits?
This was actually the first legislation that got McCain national exposure.

McCain Unveils Proposed Tobacco Policy

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 30) -- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday unveiled his long-awaited legislation to set national tobacco policy, calling it "the best proposal" to address the complex issue. But its prospects are uncertain.

The proposed bill would cost the tobacco industry more than $506 billion over 25 years. It also includes a $1.10-a-pack raise in cigarette prices over five years, and a $6.5 billion yearly cap on damages tobacco companies could be forced to pay.

"I believe this is a good bill, I believe it will pass muster and the important critical aspect of it is what it does," said McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which was appointed to write the tobacco legislation.

Limiting the tobacco industry's future liability was one of the main sticking points during round-the-clock negotiations over the weekend. The figure McCain announced was a compromise between those who believe such a limit is necessary for making a national policy work and those who say the industry should get no such protection.

"To obtain the myriad of public health benefits without challenge and obstruction, the bill will place a $6.5 billion removable cap on the industry's yearly liability," McCain said. "That will allow, underneath that cap, no restriction on consumer and class-action lawsuits."

Settling another contentious issue, it was announced the Food and Drug Adminstration would get the authority to regulate nicotine products.

Granting FDA regulatory authority was pushed by the White House, as well as former FDA Administrator David Kessler and Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. But McCain received heavy pressure from Republican congressional leaders, as well as tobacco industry officials, not to include it in the bill.
 
As others have said, Bush Jr. doesn't challenge an incumbent with 1 year behind the scandal/resignation and a booming economy. 2000 election is not close. Political climate is much calmer and rational OTL.

Americans take Bin Laden more seriously instead falling for the "missile strikes are just to deter from Monica scandal" line. Perhaps, with political capital and the the scandal behind him, Gore chooses to use special forces, not cruise missiles as in OTL. 9/11 potentially butterflied away.

No claims of foreign election hacking/interference in 2000 since there is ZERO evidence for that at that time. Note: 2000 election debacle affected the US political climate as much as the Monica scandal ever did (Monica-gate was a show, the 2000 election was prolonged national fervor/trauma that widened the cavern).

With a sane political climate, whoever follows Gore has an easier time. More bi-partisanship. Climate is not one like today in which Reagan would be laughed off the stage by his own party.

Hmm, I see a lot of that. Bear in mind Ford almost won in 1976 and Gore, with two years under his belt and an economy that’s doing quite well would be hard to beat in 2000, moreso than OTL. The MoveOn movement would be galvanized even moreso than the GOP was in the 70s - picture Clinton as the GOP Nixon, add in a strong economy and figure up the Dems saying “We had to get Nixon on all that shit while you got your pound of flesh for THAT?” You get an entire generation of pissed-off Democrats. Whatever the blue enequivalent of the Southern Strategy and the Religious Right will take hold in the 2000s.

Basically the two sides will be mirror-images of one another by now, each thinking they are the only side who deserves to govern, and I get the feeling moderates will feel very left out in a battle between diehard right-wingers demonized as fascists and diehard left-wingers demonized as communists. Even progressives will be mostly cynical and doing what appears to be good for selfish reasons. Basically it will come down to Team Red vs Team Blue with a third of the country in the middle declaring “fuck this shit.”
 
Another thing that's worth considering is why Clinton resigns. I think he would be forced to do it if the Democratic leadership turns on him, but as it was the Democrats rallied around Clinton after they saw that the GOP was rushing to judgement in order to remove a President. Ironically, in a more moderate and bipartisan political environment where the GOP is more cautious and decides to work with Democrats to get to the bottom of the scandal, there would've been a stronger chance of Clinton resigning sometime in 1998. In the same vein, Nixon would've stayed on longer had he been President in the 1990s since his party would've rallied around him and attacked Democratic investigations as a "witch hunt."
 
Another thing that's worth considering is why Clinton resigns. I think he would be forced to do it if the Democratic leadership turns on him, but as it was the Democrats rallied around Clinton after they saw that the GOP was rushing to judgement in order to remove a President. Ironically, in a more moderate and bipartisan political environment where the GOP is more cautious and decides to work with Democrats to get to the bottom of the scandal, there would've been a stronger chance of Clinton resigning sometime in 1998. In the same vein, Nixon would've stayed on longer had he been President in the 1990s since his party would've rallied around him and attacked Democratic investigations as a "witch hunt."

The Lewinsky story really broke wide the week of Jan 19th.

Without too much change, the resignation probably would've been around Jan 23rd, 1998. That was when Clinton was at the nadir of public polling and there had not yet been a party rallying to his side. By the 25th, polling shows only a small minority thought he should leave office, 23%.

It is a really small window but people honestly thought he would not last the week.
 
The easiest point of departure is for Monica's mother to convince her to cooperate with Star right out of the gate, she turns over the blue dress quietly; and admits that Vernon Jordan set up the other lawyer to draw up the false affidavit. Star indicts Jordan for conspiracy, obstruction and witness tampering; Jordan flips on Clinton, and admits on the setting up Monica's false affidavit and the no show (bribe of silence) consulting gigs for Webster Hubbel as all being performed on Clinton's behalf.

Star's people also do not inform Clinton (by not taking the blood sample first and by not actually telling his lawyer, like they did in the original timeline) that they have the blue dress; prior to deposing him

Clinton then (ignorant of the dress) perjures himself to the independent counsel, denying the relationship with Lewinsky in the same manner he did during the Jones deposition earlier in the year

Star then obtains the order for Clinton's blood and confirms the dress after the fact; and offers Clinton the option of resigning in return for not immediately indicting him the moment he leaves office
 
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