The following exchange is from Dialogue Group 1, Thread 24.

1. A Question to Clinton Supporters
Tue, Nov 10, 1998 - 9:43 AM/EST
Max

Liberals,
If I may ask a question of you without seeming to be antagonistic. I don't know anyone who can defend Clinton in any way other than to say that they are a Democrat and he is their President. When former President Bush signed the Tax Increase back in the day (remember "Read my lips"), I was furious. He lied and he lost my support from that point. But Clinton..he makes Bush seem like a sunday school teacher. How can anyone defend this man or his actions? You want to forgive him but why. Only because you belive that he can do good or he has done good for the country? I'm not trying to be mean-spirited here, please understand that. But I cannot understand compromising this man's criminal behavior simply because you like his politics. Please name any two or three things he has done domestically that make him a good President anyway. I really would like to understand what anyone sees in this shred of human debri. When Bush lied we took him to task. His own party went off on him. That's princible. A concept, I think, Liberals cannot fathom. Just a thought.....Max

2. I'm not a Clinton supporter, but...
Tue, Nov 10, 1998 - 1:35 PM/EST
Lance

Well Max, your question deserves more than a
sound-bite answer, so here goes:

I did not vote for Clinton (I voted
for Perot in 96). But, I have to say that he has
performed rather well considering he is a slimy,
immoral career politician.

I think many Clinton supporters like him for the
fact that he has put into action what many politicians
before him have promised. His cabinet, staff, advisors
and friends are diverse. They come from different
backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, and religions.
Also, he has continuously relied on the skills of
his wife Hillary, who has done more on behalf of
the Presidency than any other first lady.

Bill Clinton has held on to liberal ideals, like
supporting gays as much as politically possible,
while delivering on moderate issues, like putting
more cops on the street and balancing the budget.

With the help of his VP, Clinton has opened up the
government and the public schools to new and
emerging technology. And, he and his cabinet have
aggressively pursued different (and sometimes outlandish) solutions to various domestic problems, like HUD's
program to encourage cops to buy homes in low
income areas of big cities.

This has been more than the three things you asked
for, but let me continue to answer your question.

Most of the American people (up to 70%)like him
for the policy decisions that I have already
mentioned. Many of these people (who like the job
he's done so far) are continuing to support him
during the Lewinsky matter because they feel that
Republicans are big jerks who preach morality
and find fault in anyone who's not white, straight,
Christian, and male (or a female who knows her
subordinate role to males). Now, it seems to us that
these big jerky Republicans have investigating
every stupid little thing they could possibly find
for the past 6 years. D'Amato's hearings, Fred
Thompson's hearings, Starr's 5 year investigation,
Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, and now Zippergate!
And now, these big jerky Republicans have shunned
even the pretense of patriotism and have not only
started impeachment hearings, but have also made
public top-secret Grand Jury testimony only to
drag Clinton's name through the mud again.

We Clinton supporters are not so much Clinton
supporters as we are Republican haters. We hate
what the Republicans have done to this country.
We all knew that Clinton has a history of sexual
predatory tendencies, and yes, we had hoped that
his conduct has improved since he reached the
White House.

BUT, with the sole intention of furthering the
aims of the Christian Coalition, the Republicans
have sacrificed the integrity of the Constitution
by bringing these stupid charges to the floor of
the House.

And that's how I feel.

Lance

3. Big Jerky Republicans
Tue, Nov 10, 1998 - 2:20 PM/EST
Max

Lance,
I want to get into further detail about the Clinton "accomplishments", but first you should read my post in the " No More Newt" thread called :

Time has passed for "old white men"
Tue, Nov 10, 1998 - 7:45 AM/EST

But to continue on with the Clinton agenda; his cabinet and staff, aside from being the most diverse staff ever also are the most indicted in history. From Pena to Hillary you can't shake a stick at the number of laws these criminals have violated. Also, since when is putting together a staff an accopmplishment, no matter thier diversity. Hillary doing more for him than any other first Lady...(I use "Lady" hesitantly) if you call her covering up her affair and subsequent suicide of Vince Foster and the failed Socialism-like Health Care ideas doing something for Bill, it turned the entire country against both of them. His promise to put 100,000 cops on the street has materialized into only about a tenth of that amount, no more than current hiring trends would have done anyway. I belive the Congress are the one's that put the Gov't on the Web via the Thompson Act, not the Prez or the Tinman..uhhmmm I mean the VP.

Another aside on education, Clinton is against having vouchers for poor children to attend the same private schools Chelsey attended in DC. Real nice..His VP is such an embarrassment it's not even funny. The sky seems to be falling every time he opens his mouth. Global warming..20yrs ago we had headlines touting a Global Cooling..take the long view temps vary over eons. I agree with you that the GOP has a lot to learn about opening up and reaching out to more diversity, as I said, read my earlier post. Clinton promised us the "cleanist" administration ever..Yea right..All the investigations you are sick of..I guess we should just let the Administration do whatever they want.

Let them have money funneled in from China..who cares right? Private FBI files in the White House..get over it I guess huh? It's not like the GOP were voted to run Congress or anything. All the fiscal policies that since 1995 have brought prosperity to every citizen, and a Stock Market, which helps produce jobs by making companies money, goes up 5,000 points. Lowest un-employment since the 50's, no inflation..Thank the GOP and Alan Grennspan for that, but I guess you would rather hate them.

4. Hillary bashing
Tue, Nov 10, 1998 - 3:22 PM/EST
Lance

I always love to hear a frothy republican cringe
when they say "first laaadeeee Hillary" like she
is less female then the previous first ladies. It
just shows your tendency to keep women in subordinate
roles and your fear of strong women.

The President can choose any citizen to head any
task force he deems proper. Clinton correctly
chose Hillary to spearhead the health care issue.
Her knowledge and passion about the issue, and
her acute political savvy, made her the best
choice for the job.

The Clintons lost the battle for quality, affordable
health care for all Americans. That was inevitable.
But they fought the good fight, against some of
the most powerful lobby groups ever.

By the way, if you haven't noticed the pathetic
state of our health care system, then you must be
a highly paid executive with the best health care
this country offers. I think this because:

1. Our health care professionals cannot be equalled
in the quality of care and expertise, and people
who have the best, and most expensive, health plans
have nothing but great things to say about their