On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, former President Bill Clinton spoke in a nearly five-minute video about the role of the presidency and how he believes the incumbent, President Trump, is not suited for the position. This appearance was not surprising. Former presidents publicly support their parties after leaving office and especially so in election years. What was really suspect is the fact that the party that initially pushed and continues to push #MeToo into politics would showcase Clinton in light of his troubled history.
There are enough questions in Clinton’s past as it relates to his treatment of women to realize that he should not be a role model for any political party. The time before he entered the White House is peppered with allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. While president, Clinton, a privileged man in power, entered into a sexual relationship with an intern that he initially denied. For years, he and his supporters made Monica Lewinsky out to be the truly awful person in the scenario. And Clinton? His charisma and smooth-talking still seem to win people over. In addition, Clinton’s connection to wealthy sex predator Jeffrey Epstein is concerning, to say the very least. Yet, this former president is still a fixture on the national stage for a party that says decency must return to the White House. That reeks of hypocrisy.
During his taped appearance, Clinton explained why he believes that Trump is incapable of leading during the pandemic or any similar crisis. He mentioned “determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame” as a chief example of Trump’s failure. Ironically, this same behavior could be applied directly to Clinton himself with a number of situations involving women. But again, this glaring connection to the former president is not made, because right now, the Democratic Party’s mantra is, “at least he’s not Trump.”
It is true that the Republican Party must contend with and call out Trump’s behavior when it requires censure. It is quite another to look past the deep, moral failings of another politician just because he is not in the spotlight at present. Trump’s words and actions toward women do not absolve Clinton of his. But it appears that the Democratic Party embraces this very flawed idea.
In this election year, the Democrats are busy promoting Joe Biden as a man who will bring a sense of decorum back to the White House. Biden is a mild, hardly threatening individual at first glance. His calm demeanor is in contrast to his opponent’s. It is in his ideology and that of his running mate, where the real extremism exists. That Biden is not Trump is not reason enough to support him on Election Day. The same is true when comparing a former president, Clinton, and the current one. Clinton’s jovial nature and ability to be pleasant in front of the camera and media do not mean he is free from guilt. Furthermore, selecting him as a party spokesperson is proof that the party of supposed change hasn’t really changed at all.
A frustrating feature of politics is the idea that the ends justify the means. The Democratic Party may think it rises above any vile behavior exhibited by Trump and his supporters by virtue of simply not being them. In reality, the issue of morality within the party is under more assault than it cares to admit. This is made evident by not only those in the general anti-Trump crowd but also in the representatives it selects, as in the case of Clinton.
Allowing Clinton to speak at the convention is a clear indication that to the Democratic Party, capturing votes matters most. They will set aside concerns surrounding questionable individuals and proceed with only that goal in mind.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
