alternatehistory.com

Last week, the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas opened its doors to the public for the first time last week. The purpose of the library is to chronicle the achievements of Bill Clinton's Presidency (1993-1997) and store his personal papers.

In reality, the achievements of the Clinton administration are very few. First, there was the health care commission fiasco followed by the backlash over Clinton's tax hike in 1993 and Don't Ask Don't Tell which resulted in Republicans taking back Congress in the 1994 elections. Then, there was that extramarital affair and leaks to the press that Newt Gingrich cheated on his wife and the recorded phone conversations with his mistress (forcing Gingrich to resign as Speaker of the House and Congress in early 1996).

After Clinton survived a challenge from the left by Senator Paul Wellstone and won re-nomination by the Democrats, Vice President Al Gore decided not to run for reelection. In November, John McCain won a landslide victory over Clinton thanks to the campaign run by Dick Morris (who was rewarded with the job of Chief of Staff).

Gore returned to Tennessee. In 1998, he was elected Governor over incumbent Republican Don Sundquist. By 2002, he was the most popular governor in the nation and was reelected with 70 percent of the vote. In 2004, Gore was elected President over incumbent Vice President Tommy Thompson. In 2008, President Gore was reelected over Senator Sarah Palin of Alaska, the nominee of an increasingly conservative Republican party.

As we go into this upcoming election, Vice President Susan Davis is on her way to clinching the Democratic party nomination and leads every Republican in head to head match-ups. Hilary Rodham lives quietly in Chicago where she practices law (she divorced Bill Clinton in early 1997).

Paul Wellstone ran again for President in 2000 and won the Democratic party nomination. However, he and his running mate Dennis Kucinich lost to The McCain/Thompson ticket. In 2008, Wellstone retired from the Senate for health reasons.

My question to you is: What would have made Bill Clinton a successful President and got him reelected in 1996? Would Al Gore have been elected President in 2000 following a hypothetical two-term Presidency? And would an earlier Gore Presidency be successful in fighting the War on Terror that defined the McCain Presidency? And would a successful Clinton Presidency mean that he and Hillary stay married?
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