Even the Forever Young Former President Is 80 Now
Now Bill Clinton has celebrated his 80th birthday, too. Wasn’t he once the third-youngest president to be elected in U.S. history, after Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy?
Well okay, his inauguration in 1993, at the age of 46, wasn't exactly yesterday. A turbulent quarter-century has gone by since he left the White House in 2001. During his eight years in office, the Democrat from Hope, Arkansas, notched up some successes, including solid economic growth. And yes, he also caused a scandal with the Monica Lewinsky affair.
Partly due to that scandal, the polarization of American politics began around that time. The Republicans sought to remove him from office out of pure partisan malice, while Clinton's neoliberal policies drove Democratic voters into the Republicans’ arms over the long term. Since then, however, this division has taken on entirely new proportions. If fate had been kind to the United States, the Clintons would have moved back into the White House in 2016, with Hillary assuming the presidency. Instead, a disaster named Donald Trump took place.
It was interesting to see four of the five living U.S. presidents sitting together in June at the opening of Barack Obama’s Presidential Center in Chicago. The Obamas, Bidens and Clintons were also joined by George W. and Laura Bush. The incumbent Trump was the only one missing – not even former Republican President George W. Bush wants anything to do with him. Incidentally, both Republicans, Trump and Bush, recently turned 80. Obama is the only one of the group of former presidents who is not yet 80, having turned 65 at the beginning of August.
Now, the once ever-youthful Clinton has also grown older – visibly and audibly so. And, naturally, we rue the absence of someone like him these days. The Democrats are looking for another Obama. Clinton appears frequently – just as Trump does – in the Epstein files, which does not reflect well on him. But at least there’s no evidence he did anything wrong. And, unlike Trump, the idea of holding a mixed martial arts fight party on his birthday would never cross his mind.
Well okay, his inauguration in 1993, at the age of 46, wasn't exactly yesterday. A turbulent quarter-century has gone by since he left the White House in 2001. During his eight years in office, the Democrat from Hope, Arkansas, notched up some successes, including solid economic growth. And yes, he also caused a scandal with the Monica Lewinsky affair.
Partly due to that scandal, the polarization of American politics began around that time. The Republicans sought to remove him from office out of pure partisan malice, while Clinton's neoliberal policies drove Democratic voters into the Republicans’ arms over the long term. Since then, however, this division has taken on entirely new proportions. If fate had been kind to the United States, the Clintons would have moved back into the White House in 2016, with Hillary assuming the presidency. Instead, a disaster named Donald Trump took place.
It was interesting to see four of the five living U.S. presidents sitting together in June at the opening of Barack Obama’s Presidential Center in Chicago. The Obamas, Bidens and Clintons were also joined by George W. and Laura Bush. The incumbent Trump was the only one missing – not even former Republican President George W. Bush wants anything to do with him. Incidentally, both Republicans, Trump and Bush, recently turned 80. Obama is the only one of the group of former presidents who is not yet 80, having turned 65 at the beginning of August.
Now, the once ever-youthful Clinton has also grown older – visibly and audibly so. And, naturally, we rue the absence of someone like him these days. The Democrats are looking for another Obama. Clinton appears frequently – just as Trump does – in the Epstein files, which does not reflect well on him. But at least there’s no evidence he did anything wrong. And, unlike Trump, the idea of holding a mixed martial arts fight party on his birthday would never cross his mind.
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