Tipsheet

What's Real, What's Not

Politico runs a story about "Clinton nostalgia" -- contrasting the former President's lower-lip-biting, feel-your-pain style with President Obama's aloofness.

But so often happens when the MSM seeks to analyze Democrats, they've got it all wrong.  "Clinton nostalgia" isn't really about missing Clinton himself; it's about missing the strong, vibrant economy that America enjoyed back when he was President (at least, after 1994, when he had a Republican Congress to ride herd on his more liberal impulses).

Think about it: Does anyone really miss the constant Clinton drama, the intra-couple jockeying, the womanizing, the relentless neediness?  Of course not.  His behavior with Monica Lewinsky disgusted just about everyone.  But Americans wouldn't boot him out then, and many of them miss him now, for the same reason: When he was President, America's economy was strong.

In fact, when Obama was running, his elitist "new cool" was deemed to make the old, more populist Clinton charm seem tired, passe, even dime store downscale.  Now Obama is aloof, and Clinton is charming again.

Oh, and what has changed?  The press' (and Democrats') ability to be proud of their sitting (Democrat) president's record.  And that, my friends, is the real reason for the Clinton nostalgia.  It has nothing to do with Clinton, and everything to do with Obama's record.