Clinton appeared to be promising greater things than he could ever deliver—in fact, nothing less than a political renaissance, a return to the days when public affairs seemed central to the life of the republic, when government was seen as a moral force, when politicians were seen to be wise rather than corrupt. If Ronald Reagan had challenged the pessimism of the post-Vietnam era, liberals hoped that Bill Clinton would challenge the cynicism. In the end, cynicism won—with a major assist from Clinton himself. But amid the dashed hopes and the scandals and the bitterness, a great deal of real
...more
