DBWI: President Bill Clinton

What would happen if "Old" Bill Clinton, Arkansas's 10 term Governor (1979-1981, 1983-2001), and longest serving Governor in the US (not counting George Clinton of New York, as New York wasn't yet part of the US) became President?

Given his youth he could have run anywhere from 1992 to 2012 (46 years old to 66). For now lets say if he beat Jerry Brown for the 1992 nomination, who would he choose for a VP. I was thinking he might choose a New Englander or South-westerner to balance himself out, like how Brown did with Jim Hunt. Could he do as well as Brown did in 1992? Or would people pass him up as too young, inexperienced, and controversial (given all those sexual harassment rumors)?
 
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I think he could definitely win, Bill's the man. However, his best bet might be if Brown either sat out or lost in 1992, giving Bush a second term and letting Clinton run in 1996 with a bit more experience and no incumbent. While we remember Brown doing well in 1992, the race was actually pretty close until the end. I think Clinton, with less national standing, might have had more trouble going up against a fairly popular sitting President like Bush.
 
Personally, I was always surprised Bill didn't run in 2000, to tell you the truth. I remember there being some talk about him challenging Hunt for the nomination then (I was in High School at the time, but still paged a lot of attention). Personally, I think Bill would have done better against Jeb.
 
I think he could definitely win, Bill's the man. However, his best bet might be if Brown either sat out or lost in 1992, giving Bush a second term and letting Clinton run in 1996 with a bit more experience and no incumbent. While we remember Brown doing well in 1992, the race was actually pretty close until the end. I think Clinton, with less national standing, might have had more trouble going up against a fairly popular sitting President like Bush.

By 1992, with the economy in a recession, and 12 years of Republican rule, how badly would a Democrat need to perform in order to lose?

Personally, I was always surprised Bill didn't run in 2000, to tell you the truth. I remember there being some talk about him challenging Hunt for the nomination then (I was in High School at the time, but still paged a lot of attention). Personally, I think Bill would have done better against Jeb.

Like above, 8 years of a party is hard to beat, even with a good economy. While President Moonbeam was popular, he wasn't canonized as Reagan was by his base, and Hunt couldn't match Jeb's "smart Republican" brand.

I find it funny how Brown came in after Reagan in both the California Governorship and Presidency (other than Bush), and how Hunt and Bush were both education focused Governors in the South. (I'm going to say Jeb wins in '94, otherwise with less than 2 years in office I don't think he can win in '00)
 
I really doubt that someone who was an admitted draft dodger and pot smoker would be elected to the presidency. I think that the voter basis would choose someone more "presidential." That is not even including his sexual indiscretions.
 
I really doubt that someone who was an admitted draft dodger and pot smoker would be elected to the presidency. I think that the voter basis would choose someone more "presidential." That is not even including his sexual indiscretions.

I have to agree with you. The man had no foreign policy experience either, he probably couldn't have handled that kind of pressure on a day-to-day basis, not to mention he'd have a terrible working relationship with Congress like Carter, being an old Southern governor with no Washington D. C. connections. He wouldn't have lasted a term between his scandals and inexperience.

I can't think of an easier way to hand George H. W. Bush re-election.
 
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