Jillian Greatrex
Dr. Brown
ENC 1101-8310
July 8, 2013
Historiography: Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton was in office for six years, while he was in office he did many great things but also bad things that led to his impeachment. William Jefferson Clinton was elected the 42nd president of the United States on November 3, 1992. President Clinton finished his first term of presidency in 1996. President Clinton beat out his republican challenger Bob Dole in 1996 and went on to continue in his second term of presidency. Once elected, the pressure was on from the citizens for President Clinton to help better the economy and keep his other promises made during his campaigning. From 1992 to 2013 the views on President Clinton changed. In 1992 when President Clinton was elected, America thought of President Clinton as someone to trust and lead them as their president. Six years later President Clinton was involved in an affair which later led to his impeachment, and many Americans felt betrayed. Now in 2012 Clinton, as described by Albert R. Hunt, Is an “indispensable politician.”
In 1992 when President Clinton was elected, articles revolved around the campaigns between Bush and Clinton. The articles written talked about things both the men said they would do for America if they were elected president. In an article called “THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Democrats; Clinton Unveils His Economic Blueprint” the author B. Drummond Ayres Jr. talks about the promises president Clinton made to America. President Clinton talked a lot about raising taxes on the wealthy and proposed relief on middle-class taxpayers. “It’s time to put people first” said Clinton when campaigning. Drummond mentions that Clinton says that he will create “high-wage jobs” and help America “compete in the global economy”. The U.S. maintained more “peace and economic well-being” than ever when Clinton was president.
Drummond’s article is about Clintons campaigns and what he promised to do once he was In office. The article was published in the New York Times in June of 1992 five months before Clinton was elected. While Clinton was in office his health care reform failed in its second year. Clinton sought legislation to strengthen environmental rules, upgrade education, restrict handgun sales, and more. There were some things that Clinton did that weren’t so good either. Clinton signed the defense of marriage act in 1996 that brought him a lot of hate. As written in Drummond’s article Clinton promised more good than bad.
In 1998, two years into his second term of presidency, Clinton was accused of having sexual relations with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. Clinton, at first, denied all relations with Lewinsky. Clinton eventually told the truth and admitted to the affair. After Clinton admitted to the affair, politicians said that “the lying offends [them]” in an article named “In Washington, That Letdown Feeling.” in the article written by Sally Quinn are quotes form politicians, former deputies, and journalists that all talked about how Clinton “came in here and trashed the place” (place, being Washington D.C.). The American people “feel let down” as mentioned in the article. Clinton was the second president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. Clinton was found not guilty by the Senate of the charges he was accused of.
Quinn’s article is about how people feel about what Clinton did while he was in office. Quinn has a lot of quotes in the article from tons of different types of people. There are four headings in the article that talk about different things but the most important would have to be the number 2 The Lying Offends Them. This part in the article Quinn talks to people and asks them how they feel about the whole situation. Almost every person Quinn talks to say something about feeling betrayed. The people Quinn talks about how