Can’t wait to see the spin from Atrios on this one:
Most Americans say that Ronald Reagan, who died this month, will be remembered as a better president than Bill Clinton, who is trying to improve his image with a new autobiography, according to an Associated Press poll.
Seven in 10 say history will judge Reagan superior, based on the survey conducted one week after the Republican icon’s state funeral and nonstop media coverage focused not only on the ceremonies marking his death at age 93 but a lifetime of achievements from Hollywood to the White House.
Out of office just 3 1/2 years, Clinton recently returned to the limelight with a primetime interview to publicize his memoir, “My Life,” which goes on sale Tuesday. The expectation long before the 957-page book reached the stores was a tome that would provide insights into the sexual scandal with a White House intern and impeachment
Jay
“Oh that’s just because the old coot died John!!” – The Usual Suspects
That doesn’t explain Clinton’s negatives though…
Kimmitt
I don’t think anyone was holding that Reagan was the Least Popular Modern President.
Jane
Perhaps the poll should be re-taken 20 years after Clinton has been president and a similar length of time after funeral week.
Jane
Correction to a badly-constructed sentence “twenty years after Clinton’s presidency”
Andrew J. Lazarus
What Jane said, except I do hope that it’s more like 40 years after his Presidency.
I also think Clinton’s negatives went up, unfairly, out of a perception of Reagan as a faithful, traditional family man. Now, leaving aside that Reagan was married more often than Clinton (so far), Clinton seems, if nothing else, to have a much better relationship with Chelsea than RR did with any of his kids. That doesn’t seem widely recognized, though.
Ricky
No matter what one thought of his policies, I’m assuming that America doesn’t have the beaming “family man” notion of Clinton that you seem to, Andrew, (when compared to the vastly more popular Reagan) because he publicly shit on his family.
Just a wild guess….
Oliver
Then again, Reagan didn’t have $40+ million spent to make up lies about him for 8 years straight. I think Reagan will go down as one of the most popular – and I think in 20 years, so will Clinton.
kelly
“…”Reagan didn’t $40+ million spent to make up lies…”
I can think of three reasons someone might say something this stupid.
1) Someone is not old enough to remember the genesis of the Independent Council Statute. Fair enough.
2) Someone overlooks the glee in which the Dems attacked Reagan’s administration with this statute. Pathetic.
3) Someone who thinks Clinton did nothing wrong and the IC was unfairly hounding him. Partisan hack.
Clinton may still rehabilitate himelf in my eyes in the coming years but the present effort to manufacture a great legacy is pretty lame. Clinton always could count on a sycophantic press and his self-aggrandizement is as unseemly as it is limitless.
Right now Clinton is only the tackiest ex-pres.
kelly
Or someone could look stupid by not quoting another comment correctly:
“…Reagan didn’t have $40+ million spent…”
SDN
Kelly,
“There you go again,” trying to apply facts and logic to Lefties. 8-)
Chris P
Just as an aside, the wife heard that Clinton’s book got trashed by the NYT. Anyone else hear that?
Ricky
Obviously, the NYT is part of the VRWC.
Just ask Oliver.
Rick
$40-million is chicken feed compared to how much “Richard Mellon” Soros is spending to spread lies.
Oliver gets a cut, so that makes it okey-dokeyl.
Cordially…
kelly
$40 million spent amounts to $.13 per person in the US (pop. est. at 300 million.) That’s right: 13 cents.
Just to be fair, divide the $40 mil by half of the population to better represent just taxpayers and it comes to $.27. 27 cents.
It’s hilarious when democrats start screaming about fiscal resonsibility. Congress spends $40 mil about every seven minutes.
Rick
Not to mention, that $40-million racked up a bunch of convictions. Maybe cleaned corruption out of Arkansas for a good while.
Gee, maybe that’s why Clinton can’t go home again.
Cordially…
Kimmitt
“It’s hilarious when democrats start screaming about fiscal resonsibility.”
Better to laugh than cry, I suppose.
Ken Hahn
A century after his Presidency, Bill Clinton will be fairly ranked. Like James Buchanon, he left his country unprepared for a coming war. Like Warren Harding, he couldn’t control himself. Like Chester Arthur, he presided over a corrupt and venal administration dedicated to blaming his opponents for his misdeeds. Like Jimmy Carter, weak on the issues, although stronger on the image. Like Richard Nixon, willing to sacrifice his friends and subordinates to preserve his “legacy”. In short, the worst President in American history. Even the scrambling of the liberal media, academia and others to whitewash his failures will fail. The Americans of the 22nd century would like to ask us how we could elect this clown.
Kimmitt
Not only that, but the CLENIS created SARS, produced the Backstreet Boys, and was responsible for the cancellation of “My So-Called Life.” Worst. President. Ever.
Ken Hahn
Strawman, Kimmitt? Or just too much cheap booze?
Kimmitt
I forgot to mention the part where the CLENIS was responsible for the 1995 heat wave that killed 500 in Chicago. We’re still not sure how he managed that.
Ken Hahn
Multiple strawmen are not more effective than one Kimmitt. Clinton did not cause the fall of Rome or the Chicago fire. He did not design the black plague or the institution of slavery. He did not poison the water supply or spend his afternoons poking holes in condoms. So what? You refuse to refute what I say while bring up idiotic examples. Strawmen.
Go ahead and knock ’em down. No one cares. Clinton did not cause the San Francisco earthquake, but he was the worst President in American history. Clinton did not cause global warming, although he did contribute enthusiastically to the hot air supply.