Who is responsible for the declining presidency?

Question

Clinton had an affair with an intern in the white house and lied about it, taking the presidency to a new low. Bush has taken it to a whole another level with a plethora of lies, deceit, incompetence and greed. It can be argued that had Clinton not had the salacious affair, the issues and politics of the 2000 election would have been quite different. The presidency would have not had the sad decline it has had in the past 10-12 years. And the degree of partisanship would have been much much lower as a result. What say?

Answer 1

I would have to put most of the recent blame for the decline on GW Bush. His pathological impulse to lie to the American people is beyond belief. Add to that his inability to admit a mistake, even when that mistake is clear to almost everyone else in the country is pathetic.

Nixon of course brought a great deal of disgrace to the office.

I would have a hard time comparing Bill Clinton's affair to either of these men's deeds however. Only a stupid man stands up and announces to the world that he has been cheating on his wife. The other thing of course is that this was a personal matter relating to the Clinton's marriage, not national security, foreign policy or economic growth. The Republicans' fascination with talking about anything but policy in oder to distract the voters in the 2000 election was typical.

Answer 2

Actually, Clinton was not the first president to carry on with women during his presidency. There have been several in our history. What was a first about it was it being made a huge public issue.

In years past, the office of the presidency was given respect even if the president wasn't personally so these indiscretions were kept quiet. Nothing is off the table now or in the future where it comes to the actions of our elected officials no matter how high or how low their position is.

Scrutiny of these officials is the new American pastime. Also, if some of them can't find something bad to say, they just make something up. The whole political process has reached a new low.

Answer 3

The responsibility for the declining level of the Presidency can be attributed directly to one single source: the press.

Back in the days of JFK, the press had higher principles and a strong sense of self restraint. Although the press knew of JFK's marital infidelities with Marilyn Monroe, they respected the office of the Presidency of the United States of America instead of giving into the slimy urge to scandalize JFK's personal life. Can you imagine how different the outcome of the tense Cuban Missile Crisis could have been if JFK's attention was constantly being taken off serious matters of national defense in order to protect himself from an unprincipled media?

Some people blame Clinton for not doing enough to combat terrorism, but are these critics blind to the fact that Clinton would have had a lot more time to devote to this matter if he weren't constantly having to defend himself against a litany of accusations?

Who even wants to run for President anymore? Unless you have a very bland social life and personal history like Gerald Ford or Richard Nixon, the press is going to make your life and that of your family a living nightmare. Imagine all the creative, intelligent, dynamic people who could lead our nation but are completely unwilling to accept the nomination due to the bloodthirsty jackals of the press?

Answer 4

THE PEOPLE are responsible!

Sure it might be a lot easier to blame the liberals or the conservatives or the corporations or the churches. But the reality of it all is that we the people are at fault for letting this happen. We are a lethargic, complacent people that has been sitting by and watching our country and government collapse on itself.

The people who speak out are criticized, told they are somehow anti-american. These people are the most American of us all, the people who AREN'T willing to sit around on their asses and pretend everything is just fine and dandy. Some of us might have different ideas about what we need to do...but at least the ones who make their movements known have the drive and the courage to attempt to make a change.

Answer 5

Bush has - unpopular as it's been with his political rivals, and many of the American people - actually had a strong presidency. He's made agressive use of many presidential powers, and history may even find that he has enhanced some of them.

Clinton was not as a strong a president, though, really, he wasn't called on to be, as he sat durring a less troubled time. The only damage he did was to the perception of and respect for the office - and much of that damage can be rightly blamed on /his/ political rivals at the time, too...

Answer 6

Before I reply let us be very clear there is agreat difference between lying about having had oral sex and lying to the American people and the world about the reasons Bush decided to wage an illegal war of choice that has so far seen the slaughter of over 400,000 innocent Iraqis .

It was in fact the monumentally hypocritical moralizing/demonizing/vilifying Republicans that blew a simple lie under oath that effected very,very few (as opposed to Bush's lie that has killed over 400,000) to a HIGH CRIME AND MISDEMEANOR and into the Impeachment process.

So overwhelming was the Impeachment process in terms of coverage and distraction from the real work of goverment that it polarized many large groups and in particular the horrid Christian Fundamentalist movement which ended up voting en bloc for Bush.

There is no doubt that the Impeachment process did effect the 2000 election outcome but I am not of course sure how.Would another Republican have one ? Would Gore have one?

You refer to the sad decline of the Presidency in the past 10-12 years.I do not agree

Having oral sex in the Oval office I am sure is nothing new as JFK perhaps could attest to.Lying under oath about having oral sex although serious is NOT A HIGH CRIME AND MISDEMEANOR .

You need to read the history of other Presidents and their "picadillos" while in office.

As a number of historians have already begun musing about,Bush could go down in history as the worst President in history.

His lying about the reasons why Americans were going to have to kill and be kill in Iraq is morally outrageous and SHAMES the Presidency .Bush and his neo-con's obfuscation of how prisoners were to be handled ended up seeing the US Military killing and torturing thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan putting forevermore US soldiers in jeopardy as prisoners .

Bush's obscene war has as virtually all experts agree ,increased the threat of terrorist acts ten fold and has greatly increased al qaida's membership and their ability to strike anywhere .

All of this has resulted in the greatest US harm that Bush has shamefully visited upon the US and Americans and that is an extraordinary high animosity towards the US by virtually all peoples of the world and an enormous loss of RESPECT and MORAL AUTHORITY in the world .

No,lying about oral sex in the Oval Office did not havec to diminish the Presidency but what Bush has done certainly has.

Answer 7

If Presidents having affairs is your reasoning for the decline of the Office then it started with FDR as far as we know and more than likely much further back than that. Presidents lying (shamelessly) started with Nixon, Bush just made it an art form. As Billy Joel said "We din't start the fire...It's been burning since the world been turning..."

Answer 8

The failure of "The Great Society" which gave birth to radical conservatism. As a result, we have a deeply divided nation that has to choose among mostly poor candidates.

The media is also to blame. It's been taken over by large corporations that are too timid and won't spend the funds to investigate our politicians.

Answer 9

How is Clinton's BJ and lie about it worse than Nixon and Watergate? Answer - it wasn't, thus it wasn't a new low.

Though without the BJ, Gore may have been elected, and then Bush couldn't have dragged the country through the gutter. Still, Bush has to be held responsible for his own actions.

Answer 10

first I wish anyone inluding linton was punished for lying as he did.

Second, all clinton'sscandal did was agive reason for republicans to attack him and now blame andcompare immoralities to that as justification for --(for there is none)

As far as there would be more partisanship, I doubt that, since there is complete opposition on the views and actions of repubs and dems.
Lets see, for 6 years, repubs gave no contest bids bu the billions, mismanaged this war, and have fought to keep this president doing whatever he wanted with no accountability.

And the democrats will always strive to right that wrong.

sounds like 2 separate mentalities that cant agree on anythign unless it would benefit both parties simulataneously.

But it goes to show, that republicans are always republican first, america second.
Because republican with any amount of integrity woul have stepped up and called this failed administration for what they are -- and would not assocaite with it.
And if you cant see all bush has done, and agree with him to continue as he does, then you have to truly question yourself as to are you american first or republican first?