Matthew Continetti: The Era of the Eisenhower Democrat has Passed
[Matthew Continetti is an associate editor at the Weekly Standard.]
Once upon a time there was a Democratic president who, despite his faults, championed the power of markets, technology, and the global economy. He spoke about building “a bridge to the 21st century.” He ratified major trade agreements like NAFTA and the WTO. He supported balanced budgets and signed into law a tough welfare reform. He cut the capital gains tax. He boasted that government spending as a share of the economy fell on his watch. He went so far as to call himself (privately) an Eisenhower Republican.
It wasn’t an accident that Bill Clinton’s policies contributed to a half-decade of prosperity. It wasn’t a coincidence that Clinton, mostly as a result of this prosperity, was and remains popular. It isn’t any wonder that today, almost a decade after he left office, Democrats are clamoring for the ex-president to join them on the stump.
No, what’s surprising is that the Democrats are embracing Clinton while rejecting Clintonism. They’ve forgotten the lesson Clinton learned in 1994. And they’re about to pay for it on November 2....
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Once upon a time there was a Democratic president who, despite his faults, championed the power of markets, technology, and the global economy. He spoke about building “a bridge to the 21st century.” He ratified major trade agreements like NAFTA and the WTO. He supported balanced budgets and signed into law a tough welfare reform. He cut the capital gains tax. He boasted that government spending as a share of the economy fell on his watch. He went so far as to call himself (privately) an Eisenhower Republican.
It wasn’t an accident that Bill Clinton’s policies contributed to a half-decade of prosperity. It wasn’t a coincidence that Clinton, mostly as a result of this prosperity, was and remains popular. It isn’t any wonder that today, almost a decade after he left office, Democrats are clamoring for the ex-president to join them on the stump.
No, what’s surprising is that the Democrats are embracing Clinton while rejecting Clintonism. They’ve forgotten the lesson Clinton learned in 1994. And they’re about to pay for it on November 2....