EDITORIAL : CLINTON'S NIGHT PRESIDENT SEEKS RE-ELECTION BY STRESSING CENTRIST THEMES.IN many respects, the president's address accepting the Democratic nomination was vintage Clinton. It was long. It had some catchy phrases, such as building bridges to the future. And it had an upbeat ending: ``My fellow Americans, after these four, good hard years, I still believe in a place called Hope (his birthplace in Arkansas), a place called America.'' It wasn't, however, a typical acceptance speech. The president didn't spend much energy Thursday night throwing political raw meat to the highly partisan delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Instead, President Clinton, unlike candidate Clinton in 1992, was doing his best to act presidential. In some respects his speech resembled a State of the Union address “State of the Union” redirects here. For other uses, see State of the Union (disambiguation). The State of the Union is an annual address in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of Congress (the more than a conventional appeal to the party faithful. Clinton did touch some familiar Democratic bases by pushing tax benefits for higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. , extending the family and medical leave law, broadening the Brady bill to keep guns out of the hands of people with records of child or spousal spou·sal adj. 1. Of or relating to marriage; nuptial. 2. Of or relating to a spouse. n. Marriage; nuptials. Often used in the plural. abuse and expanding the cleanup of toxic waste toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It usually is the product of industry or commerce, but comes also from residential use, agriculture, the military, medical facilities, radioactive sources, and sites. But he also went on at considerable length to discuss his record on deficit reduction and welfare reform, issues that generally are dearer to the hearts of Republicans than Democrats. His defense of welfare reform legislation, which most Democrats in Congress opposed, generated little enthusiasm among delegates - except when he challenged businesses to offer jobs to welfare recipients. All that clearly was by design. The president, to defeat Republican Bob Dole in November, needs to attract votes from centrists. That has been his strategy since the great 1994 congressional upset, when Republicans captured both Houses of Congress. The centrist strategy was crafted by Dick Morris, Clinton's chief campaign adviser. But Morris resigned Thursday after a tabloid reported that he had an extended relationship with a call girl, and even allowed her to eavesdrop eaves·drop intr.v. eaves·dropped, eaves·drop·ping, eaves·drops To listen secretly to the private conversation of others. on telephone conversations with the president. The Morris affair won't help the reputation of a president who has been accused of being a womanizer wom·an·ize v. woman·ized, woman·iz·ing, woman·iz·es v.intr. To pursue women lecherously. v.tr. To give female characteristics to; feminize. . It also might tarnish tarnish, n 1. surface discoloration or loss of luster by metals. Under oral conditions, it often results from hard and soft deposits. 2. a chemical process by which a metal surface is discolored or its luster destroyed. the attempt of the Democrats to seize the issue of family values family values pl.n. The moral and social values traditionally maintained and affirmed within a family. . Likewise, the downfall of Morris - who had plenty of liberal enemies in the White House - might produce some changes in the president's re-election strategy. But even if it doesn't, the Morris affair certainly will be a distraction for the Clinton campaign for some time to come - not exactly what the president was hoping for on his big night. |
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