Can't Help Lovin' That Man Of Ours
In the fall of 1996, as Bill C. was steaming towards re-election, I was beginning my fourth and final year as a student in the College of the University of Chicago. It was also the quarter I was taking Intro to Gender Studies with the highly divalicious Lauren Berlant, who is walking and talking proof that subversive intellectualism/humor/politics are in fact part of the same brain muscle. In class on Election Day, Lauren tells us that she walked into the voting booth that morning whistling "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine."
This is of course pre-Monica, and Bill's transgressions to this room full of Judith Butler-wavin', queer theory lovin', patriarchy subvertin' college kids were more about unfulfilled promises and unfulfilled promise than transgressive sexual behavior. Yet, the snappy line of Lauren's comes to mind whenever I see or hear Bill out there. It's even more pronounced when he's giving a public speech, and when you get him in front of the Democratic faithful like last night, you just gotta get pumped.
In short, We Love This Man. We love him more truly than the Republicans love Reagan, because we generally embrace his faults as well. His imperfections make us smile knowingly and almost wistfully -- we've all been there, right? If not in action, but in thought (see the evening's other excellent speaker, fellow ex-Pres Jimmy Carter). On top of all that, we get to pat ourselves on the back, which everyone loves to do... we're better than those guys across the aisle, whose electorates demand hypocrisy from them. We get it, good ol' ugly human nature. We don't condemn the achievements of public figures to the dustheap just because of their flaws and failures. How very Continental of us. More Sauvignon Blanc, anyone?
Detour aside, Clinton is settling nicely into a paterfamilias role. Watching him speak last night was just so perfect -- the speech was good although not great, but it allowed him to elucidate Dems v Repubs in a nice manner. He kept talking about John Kerry - as he should. Four years ago his speech at the DNC was a swan song to his own presidency instead of a strong endorsement of Gore/Lieberman. I think most of us agree that Gore's biggest mistake was not letting the Clinton charisma machine work for him. The DNC isn't doing that this year, because (finally) there is some recognition that in these elections about "swing states and swing voters" the argument can be made just as strongly that elections can be made about mobilizing you base. No one gets out the Dems like our Bill does. We just love him so damn much. Anyone else notice what happened when the camera turned on the black folk in the convention hall? Bill's popularity amongst African-Americans has been oft-commented upon, so I don't need to rehash all of that.
Now that our Bill has been released from having to actually run himself, he can be even more rhetorically brave than before. In praising John Kerry's voluntary Vietnam service, he contrasted it not only with GWB's decision to avoid Vietnam but his own to do the same thing. (Obvious partisan aside: Clinton's jaunt on a Rhodes was draft-dodging, but GWB's tenuous National Guard service wasn't. Um, OK) We're getting a new and more playful Bill -- he looks rested, thinner, energetic. He is getting to work on lots of good issues that motivate him, and he seems to be having a grand old time of it. Four years ago we had tons of speculation on how he'd handle leaving the White House, and he's done pretty well methinks.
That all said, I wish he was running again and I bet he does too. We're going with Kerry because we think he can beat Bush. He's generally fine but somewhat uninspiring, and while we have plenty of "GWB has got to go" rage running around, I wish I had more enthusiasm about Kerry/Edwards than I do. Remember how energizing Bill made us feel? Of course, I want the pre-9/11 world back too and the times they have changed away from us...
I want the lovin' feelin' back. It was such good stuff -- we could change the world. Bill would help us change the world. For that we loved him, and it's why we can't help lovin' that man of ours.
This is of course pre-Monica, and Bill's transgressions to this room full of Judith Butler-wavin', queer theory lovin', patriarchy subvertin' college kids were more about unfulfilled promises and unfulfilled promise than transgressive sexual behavior. Yet, the snappy line of Lauren's comes to mind whenever I see or hear Bill out there. It's even more pronounced when he's giving a public speech, and when you get him in front of the Democratic faithful like last night, you just gotta get pumped.
In short, We Love This Man. We love him more truly than the Republicans love Reagan, because we generally embrace his faults as well. His imperfections make us smile knowingly and almost wistfully -- we've all been there, right? If not in action, but in thought (see the evening's other excellent speaker, fellow ex-Pres Jimmy Carter). On top of all that, we get to pat ourselves on the back, which everyone loves to do... we're better than those guys across the aisle, whose electorates demand hypocrisy from them. We get it, good ol' ugly human nature. We don't condemn the achievements of public figures to the dustheap just because of their flaws and failures. How very Continental of us. More Sauvignon Blanc, anyone?
Detour aside, Clinton is settling nicely into a paterfamilias role. Watching him speak last night was just so perfect -- the speech was good although not great, but it allowed him to elucidate Dems v Repubs in a nice manner. He kept talking about John Kerry - as he should. Four years ago his speech at the DNC was a swan song to his own presidency instead of a strong endorsement of Gore/Lieberman. I think most of us agree that Gore's biggest mistake was not letting the Clinton charisma machine work for him. The DNC isn't doing that this year, because (finally) there is some recognition that in these elections about "swing states and swing voters" the argument can be made just as strongly that elections can be made about mobilizing you base. No one gets out the Dems like our Bill does. We just love him so damn much. Anyone else notice what happened when the camera turned on the black folk in the convention hall? Bill's popularity amongst African-Americans has been oft-commented upon, so I don't need to rehash all of that.
Now that our Bill has been released from having to actually run himself, he can be even more rhetorically brave than before. In praising John Kerry's voluntary Vietnam service, he contrasted it not only with GWB's decision to avoid Vietnam but his own to do the same thing. (Obvious partisan aside: Clinton's jaunt on a Rhodes was draft-dodging, but GWB's tenuous National Guard service wasn't. Um, OK) We're getting a new and more playful Bill -- he looks rested, thinner, energetic. He is getting to work on lots of good issues that motivate him, and he seems to be having a grand old time of it. Four years ago we had tons of speculation on how he'd handle leaving the White House, and he's done pretty well methinks.
That all said, I wish he was running again and I bet he does too. We're going with Kerry because we think he can beat Bush. He's generally fine but somewhat uninspiring, and while we have plenty of "GWB has got to go" rage running around, I wish I had more enthusiasm about Kerry/Edwards than I do. Remember how energizing Bill made us feel? Of course, I want the pre-9/11 world back too and the times they have changed away from us...
I want the lovin' feelin' back. It was such good stuff -- we could change the world. Bill would help us change the world. For that we loved him, and it's why we can't help lovin' that man of ours.
posted by Kevin Bogart at 1:48 PM
1 Comments:
Agreed -- wish Al Gore had been able to be as relaxed, funny, and natural four years ago as he was last night. I wish Bill & Al had allowed themselves to be a little friendlier four years ago.
And do I love me some Jimmy. His work and his faith, his legacy as a President and more importantly as a human, is both awesome and accessible.
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