The same as my Bush Vs. Romney thread
Out of B. Clinton and B. Obama, who would you choose to be president and why?
Ignore the question of constitutionality.
Clinton, based solely on his political skills. He’s the rat bastard responsible for foisting Bush the Stupider upon us, and the distastrous state of the country and the world that accompanies that. But Obama has not been skillful in using the presidency so far. It’s a pragmatic choice.
Bill Clinton besmirched the Presidency with his horndog ways. Unbecoming, no matter how much charm the guy has. Then he lied about it, and weaseled around, and made us all watch. Yuck.
Obama on the other hand has single handedly returned dignity and and gravitas to the office. No small trick after GW. He doesn’t do personal attacks, or slimey politics, it seems.
I like that in a president.
Love Bubba like a brother, but he’s gotten to be a stuck up PITA lately. I’d rather listen to Barry.
Clinton, he seemed more capable of actually accomplishing things and somewhat less right wing than Obama.
No, the Republicans did by dragging into the public and making a public circus out of something that should have been between Bill and Hillary, or at most a matter for a divorce court. In fact, I consider it a testament to Bill Clinton’s good character (for a politician) that after such a massive and ruthless fishing expedition, an affair was the best they could find to smear him with.
Barack Obama mostly because of this…
Also, wasn’t it Clinton who nixed Glass-Steagall, or at least put the final nail in its coffin?
Obama. Unlike most people, my opinion of Obama has only gone up over the last 4 years. Republicans hated Clinton for sure, but the level of obstructionism aimed at Obama is incredible. It’s almost as if the entire Republican platform is “obstruct Obama” regardless of the issue, and even if they had previously agreed with him on the issue.
I sort of wonder if he had the exact same policies, personality, demeanor, etc, but had Bill Clinton’s ethnicity and life story if he would be seeing the same level of pushback from Republicans. It seems like there was a lot of vitriol being spewed against Clinton back in the day, but it seems almost quaint in comparison to what Obama’s been getting.
Granted, part of it is that the whole right-wing media apparatus is better developed these days, but even ignoring the small group of plain old racists it seems like his life story allows some people to form much stronger opinions of him than they would based on his policies alone.
I doubt it; the Republicans are severely infested with racists. I think we are talking about tens of millions of them, not a “small group”.
I’m not sure, many 'pubs accepted Herman Cain, General Powell and Foreign Minister Rice. I think it is more a case of xenophobia (he grew up outside the CONUS) and islamophobia/atheistophobia.
That’s why I said “life story” instead of race. I don’t think a black politician with a more typical politician background would elicit the same reaction, but Obama’s life story is such a perfect embodiment of the liberal vision of America that I think that alone causes people to assume the man himself is therefore some sort of arch-liberal when his actual positions and policies do not bear that out.
Oops, I meant to quote Der Trihs
I’m not sure how many of the people who hate him so much know or care what his life story actually is; they seem to be heavily invested in an imaginary one where he’s some sort of Communist Satanic Muslim Manchurian Candidate.
Well, in fairness, the story he told about himself was also imaginary.
Obama passed HCR and repealed DADT in his first term. Clinton spent much of his first term trying and failing to do those things.
Obama
Clinton did accomplish a deficit reduction bill that may have led to the greatest boom in postwar history, however. He also got NAFTA and welfare reform done in his first term. So he has Obama beat on quantity and quality.
Obama, only with Dem majorities in both houses. Then we’d see what he is made of.
Obama passed “health care reform” that was originally created by Clinton’s enemies as a spoiler. If anything it just demonstrates how right wing Obama is.
I get the general impression that Clinton was a little asleep at the wheel vis-a-vis certain issues. Hindsight is 20/20, and all that, but I blame many of our current problems on him.
Nice try, but I’m not drinking that Koolaid, thanks anyway.
Turned out he was just another politician who couldn’t keep it in his pants. Even in the Oval Office. That’s all on Clinton, and no one else.