I second this...
David Greenburg's argument from Slate.
Obama's rhetoric about Republicans being the party of "new ideas" is
confusing. The Clinton administration was a bastion of ideas,
particular, as Greenburg notes, the fusion of populism and
neoliberalism.
What Greenburg doesn't mention is foreign policy. Despite Secretary of State Madeline Albright's rhetoric about the United States being the "indispensible nation" of the world, Clinton really made an effort to see that international law and international institutions become the keepers of the global order. This is evident even in his political failures over issues about which he was (and still is) correct, such as Kyoto and the International Criminal Court. Also, despite his deeply regrettable failure to act in Rwanda, Clinton set the precedent and framework for future humanitarian interventions with our actions in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Of course, Clinton was an ideas man, and ruthlessly targeting your opponent over an issue on which he or she has the slightest vulnerability was a Clinton trademark (see Florida Democratic primary against Paul Tsongas, 1992). And that's what Obama is doing -- criticizing the perceived failure of Clinton on delivering long-term liberal reforms, such as the Clinton Health Care Plan, and the decline of Democratic officeholders during the Clinton years.
Of course, the decline of Democrats in Ohio started in 1990, two years before Clinton ran for President. The so-called Republican Revolution of 1994 could have been inevitable.
What Greenburg doesn't mention is foreign policy. Despite Secretary of State Madeline Albright's rhetoric about the United States being the "indispensible nation" of the world, Clinton really made an effort to see that international law and international institutions become the keepers of the global order. This is evident even in his political failures over issues about which he was (and still is) correct, such as Kyoto and the International Criminal Court. Also, despite his deeply regrettable failure to act in Rwanda, Clinton set the precedent and framework for future humanitarian interventions with our actions in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Of course, Clinton was an ideas man, and ruthlessly targeting your opponent over an issue on which he or she has the slightest vulnerability was a Clinton trademark (see Florida Democratic primary against Paul Tsongas, 1992). And that's what Obama is doing -- criticizing the perceived failure of Clinton on delivering long-term liberal reforms, such as the Clinton Health Care Plan, and the decline of Democratic officeholders during the Clinton years.
Of course, the decline of Democrats in Ohio started in 1990, two years before Clinton ran for President. The so-called Republican Revolution of 1994 could have been inevitable.
