by: F.R. Duplantier

Los Angeles Times political correspondent Robert Shogan believes that the American people have learned "some important lessons" about Bill Clinton. "Probably the most important lesson," he suggests, "is that presidential character does matter a great deal. Simply put, if what Clinton did made no difference, why did he lie about it? Of course his behavior made a difference," Shogan insists, "and Clinton understood that. This was the reason for the carefully crafted dissembling which marked his initial response to the charges against him, followed by months of stonewalling and denial."

Shogan is wary of poll results that seem to indicate widespread indifference to Clinton's moral failings. Writing in a recent issue of The Public Perspective, published by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, he emphasizes that "the impact of this sort of behavior cannot be measured by a simple yes or no question. The evidence of polls and focus groups since Clinton's first national campaign in 1992 is that such things are freighted with significance and tend to erode credibility and trust in the president and the political system over the long run."

Shogan argues that "Clinton's success in elections and in surviving scandal is only part of the story of his presidency. It does not reflect the damage done to the public's attitude toward political institutions and toward the political system. Nor does it take into account the opportunities lost and the potential unfulfilled for betterment of the national condition." Shogan also laments "the moral confusion created by [Clinton's] presidency and heightened by the storms that broke over the White House in 1998." He predicts that "the environment created by the controversies over Clinton's behavior will remain to vex our culture and our politics for a long time to come."

Shogan takes solace in the knowledge that "the presidency is an eminently resilient and dynamic institution. From George Washington to Bill Clinton," he observes, "just as the presidency has suffered from the flaws of presidents, it has thrived on their strengths and virtues. The lesson for the public," Shogan concludes, "is to monitor both sides of their behavior closely."

In the same issue of The Public Perspective, Roper Center President Everett Ladd cautions against misinterpretation of polling data. "One set of poll findings -- asking respondents whether they approve or disapprove of the way Clinton is handling his job as president -- is constantly trumpeted as proof that the people are standing by the President," he observes. Ladd argues, however, that polls regarding possible sanctions against the President give a better indication of his standing with the American public. He cites a Gallup poll in which "72 percent of respondents favored impeachment and/or resignation, or [a] severe form of censure. What's more striking," he continues, "57 percent of those who said they approved Clinton's handling of his job favored his impeachment, resignation, or censure!" Ladd concludes that "the verdict on the Clinton presidency, as shown in the polls, is already a harsh one."