Mandate for Change

Premise: Bill Clinton entered the White House in 1992 surrounded by an aura of excitement and expectation. He was the first Democratic President since Jimmy Carter, breaking a chain of twelve years of Republican rule. Clinton’s victory brought the promise of a new era of progressive government and a shift away from the politics of Reaganism. But as is often the case, high expectations lead to disappointment. President Clinton’s first two years in office were fraught with mishaps and scandal. Conflict with a Democratic Congress and an inability to pass major legislation were the result. In November of 1994, voters strongly repudiated Clinton and delivered Republican majorities to both Houses of Congress. The next six years were a mixed bag for Democrats. President Clinton oversaw an era of economic growth and fiscal responsibility. It was a time of plenty, a time of innovation, and a time of renewed faith in the American Dream. But Clinton also signed some very unpopular legislation. He lobbied Congress to ratify NAFTA, supported conservative welfare reform, and rarely took on Republicans in major legislative battles. And then there was Monica. The impeachment scandal that followed Clinton’s affair with a White House threatened to bring down the President. But even then, Clinton’s charisma helped to save his Presidency and legacy. The defeat of the impeachment trial in the Senate was arguably Clinton’s greatest political victory. But two years later, all of Clinton’s efforts failed to send Al Gore to the White House. In the years since, Bill Clinton’s legacy has grown in stature. He has become a symbol for how a Democrat can capture the White House. He has also become a weapon for Republican attacks. Conservatives often chide liberals for lacking moral fiber, while at the same time labeling them fiscally irresponsible when they do not embrace Clinton’s belief in a balanced budget. Whatever the case, Bill Clinton has remained a divisive figure in American politics. He entered the White House with great promise, and left it with many wondering “what-if?”

This timeline will deal with that question. Specifically, the premise of this project is to imagine an America in which Bill Clinton more stridently pursues the centrist platform upon which he was elected. I will attempt to stay a close to reality as possible while pursuing limited, yet significant, changes. This is not a coronation of President Clinton, nor is it an attempt to change the fabric of the Democratic Party. The goal of this timeline is to image what-if? What if Bill Clinton governed as a centrist from the start? What if he had not scuttled his first two years in a failed attempt to reform the health insurance system? What if Newt Gingrich and the Republican Party lacked much of the ammunition used to take Congress in 1994? Would Al Gore have won the White House in 2000? Would George W. Bush be remembered as just another son of a former President? Would the political debate in America be as vitriolic and tinged with anger? These are some of the questions I will try to answer as a part of this project. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

P.S.: For those wondering on the state of my pending timelines (namely Madam President) those have not disappeared. I am merely waiting for the right moment to take them back up. I view AlternateHistory.com as a writers forum; a chance to improve my writing and knowledge while providing entertainment for viewers. I hope this timeline can prove to be entertaining for both old fans and new.

A note on sources: I will use a variety of sources for this timeline. These include the excellent PBS documentary on President Clinton as well as the book Mandate for Change. That book was written in the lead-up to Clinton’s inauguration and laid out proposals for the next four years. Other sources include news articles and television stories pertaining to that time.
 
Have a good idea. Have Clinton pass Welfare Reform in his first years instead of focusing on health care reform. The Welfare Reform wouldn't be PRWO and would be something that Peter Edelman, Robert Reich, Henry Cisneros, and others who opposed PRWO can support.
 
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