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Can Clinton Save His Candidacy?
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20345 |
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CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
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6 / 1992 |
2,037 Words |
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Donald Lambro
Donald Lambro is chief political correspondent for the
Washington Times. |
This is a year of turmoil and terror in the Democratic Party: Their likely presidential nominee battered, bloodied, and ridiculed even before the general election has begun; angry, unforgiving voters appear ready to wreak punishment on the scandal-ridden Democratic-controlled Congress; and a fiery anti-incumbent mood may be sweeping the nation.
Rarely, in contemporary American politics, has a prospective Democratic presidential standard-bearer emerged successfully from his early primaries burdened by so many deep public doubts about his character within his own party. This is the astonishing situation that now faces the Democrats and Bill Clinton as he moves to lock up the nomination and convince a doubting nation that he is not the "slick Willie" portrayed by his political enemies, depicted by the new media, and lampooned by late-night comedians.
The Arkansas governor's candidacy has been deeply weakened by allegations that he committed adultery during his marriage; that he personally took steps to avoid being drafted during the height of the Vietnam War; that he and his wife, Hillary, an influential lawyer with a prominent law firm that does business with the state, were insensitive to the appearance of conflict of interest throughout his governorship; and that he has been slippery and evasive in answering questions from the news media about his personal and professional conduct.
Clinton made his dubious national television debut on the CBS network's popular 60 Minutes program, following the Super Bowl telecast. On this show, in response to charges that he had engaged in a 12-year affair with Geniffer Flowers, Clinton admitted that he had "made mistakes" in his marriage. Shortly after fighting his way back to emerge victorious in a no-holds-barred New York primary, and with the presidential nomination almost assured, his picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine beneath the ominous headline, "Why Voters Do Not Trust Clinton."
Although he had won 14 of the 20 primaries and caucuses since Super Tuesday, a good two-thirds of all Democratic primary voters said they wished they had another choice for the nomination. And 41 percent of all voters said they had a negative view of the former boy wonder of southern politics.
Troublesome Win
The results of New York contest, a linchpin in any Democratic election strategy, were even more
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