Clinton talks his way back into hearts of Americans

Monday, February 1, 1999

Clinton talks his way back into hearts of Americans

CLINTON: President shows trademark charisma during State of the
Union address, glosses over impeachment

By Courtney Crowley

The Breeze

University Wire

Ladies and gentlemen (of the jury), the greatest actor of our
time, the master showman, the slickest of the slick, the man who
Don King should get into a ring because he is the most promotable
fighter on Earth, did it again. The Comeback Kid came back from
oppressive adversity, stared it in the face, mowed it down and
saved his presidency with a State of the Union speech that was
worth an Oscar nod.

If I wasn’t ill before, I am now. Clinton affects me like
E-coli, and it ain’t pretty. He’s used his bully pulpit to
completely denigrate anything of meaning in the office of the
president, or anything related to the integrity of the Constitution
for that matter. And last Tuesday night (Jan. 19), he did it again
in grand fashion.

He owns the hearts and minds of Americans now after fancy
talking about every ideological, unifying topic he could: Social
Security, taking care of the elderly, giving tax credits, suing
tobacco companies. The list goes on and on, just as his speech did.
And so does the B.S. He talked of bipartisanship and congratulated
the Republicans on their achievements. It’s endless, and it’s all a
bunch of crap.

That was not a man up there who had been impeached. That was the
greatest politician in the history of the world, and it makes me
sick. I had always heard that he was the finest politician of his
generation, but he eclipsed anything he’s ever previously done in
this speech. Amazing. Masterful even.

He made himself look so good that night, it’s like the man had
not a care in the world, despite the fact that he was carrying bags
under his eyes larger than the Grand Canyon.

No matter what the Republicans do from here on out, they will
lose.

Two talking heads on ABC said it well last night.

"He is the consummate State of the Union speaker," said Leon
Panetta, former chief of staff. "He touched every button, and
helped himself in terms of preserving his presidency."

Another said, "Clinton uses these (State of the Union speeches)
to untie himself from the railroad tracks."

The state of the Union is (surprise!) … strong, he says. What
else is he going to say? Of course it is. But this has nothing to
do with his leadership. Washington has been paralyzed since the
Lewinsky scandal broke around this time last year, and it’s his
fault.

But he comes out smelling like a rose anyway.

Another thing that bothers me is that Clinton had the gall to
use icons of American culture to his own gain. It was the Night of
1,000 Stars – Rosa Parks, Sammy Sosa and the widows of the Capitol
Hill police officers who were slain last summer. I realize that
Clinton has stocked his night full of celebrities before, but never
have I seen manipulation like this.

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert invited the widows to sit
with his wife. But why did Clinton have to point them out? Because
Hastert, who seems like one of the only honorable men in Washington
right now, beat him to the punch? How dare he pull police widows
into this spectacle.

And Rosa Parks? How can he pull a national icon, a woman that so
many respect and admire, into his spider web? The man, we all know,
has no shame. Ms. Parks will mean more to this country than Clinton
ever will. She should not have been called on as a pawn to save
this man’s presidency.

And what about Sammy Sosa? What the heck was he doing there?
He’s not an American citizen and proud of that fact. Was Mark
McGwire not available? The thing that really makes me mad, though,
is the nature of this event as a three-ring circus. I was eagerly
awaiting the fire swallowers and the high-wire act. The bearded
lady? Actually, wait, I think I saw a few of those among the
members of his cabinet.

And the worst part of it all is that the Republicans sent up the
two worst speakers in history to give the rebuttal. Reps. Jennifer
Dunn and Steve Largent looked like they should be hawking power
tools on late-night infomercials or something. Where’s J.C. Watts?
Bring back J.C.!

The GOP could have at least used someone who has some
personality, but instead they picked two people with none. No
wonder the GOP is going to lose this battle any which way they
try.

I feel like I’ll have the stomach flu until the day the next
president is inaugurated. Even worse is that Clinton’s job approval
rating after the State of the Union Address stands at 69 percent
according to a Wednesday ABC News Poll. Sixty-nine percent? Are you
kidding me? What kind of people are being polled?

Apparently the vast majority of Americans polled seem to have
developed some type of disorder where they turned their brains in
for free tickets to Disney World when Clinton became the leader of
the free world.

I want to renounce my citizenship to this country and move to
Bora Bora after this spectacle.

I think I’ll buy my plane ticket tomorrow.

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