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The View from Europe
Clinton Mania Sweeps Europe -- Again
By Nicola Mitchell
Monday, August 13, 2001 -- LONDON (APJP) -- It's been quite refreshing living in little old Britain for the past couple of weeks. For once it's been a joy to open the papers or switch on the television and not have to be subjected to a smug-looking president. For all the talk coming out of the White House about changing images and tough legislative victories, the administration is lucky if it gets a passing mention. You see, the media have found something else to occupy their minds as yet again good old Dubya has found him upstaged by his predecessor.
Yes, Clinton mania is sweeping Europe once again.
And on the odd occasion the administration does get a mention, it is anything but complimentary. But to be honest, who can blame the media for their lack of interest in the White House spin machine? Why should anyone set aside column inches to rejoice about topics such as the passing of Bush's energy policy -- a bill that, rather than attempting to protect the environment, reinforces his position as the leader of the coal, oil and gas industries? The few times the "victory" has been mentioned it was only to criticise Bush's anti-environmental stance.
For all we knew, or cared, Bush could have been holidaying in Texas for the past two months and no one would have batted an eyelid. The media seem happy to let Bush disappear off on holiday -- I mean, it must be really hard work having all those people to do his job for him! Instead, the media have had much more exciting things to contend with, because after all, the former President is a far more exiting option.
But then again, Europe has never really been that taken with Bush. Even when he made his first official visit to England one found stories about his travels buried on the inner pages of newspapers, but Clinton visiting the Wimbledon tennis championship... well, that was front page news.
Then of course, there was the opening of Clinton's new Harlem office. The media went into a frenzy of speculation and analysis, and when he offered a helping hand in the Northern Ireland peace process, paragraph after paragraph was dedicated to it. Bush's offer, on the other hand, was relegated to a few lines at the end of a story.
The thing is, we just don't like Bush.
If you compare him to Clinton, you can see who will draw the short straw every time. His smug 'I couldn't care less' attitude just doesn't wash with us. Where is the passion, where is the charisma, where is the enthusiasm? Not that Clinton was without his faults, but please -- at least he could pretend to give a damn.
Unfortunately for Bush, Clinton's ties with the UK look set to become even stronger. Not only is Chelsea about to follow in her father's footsteps by attending Oxford University, but Clinton has also been offered a professorship at one of London's top university's, LSE.
So it seems that George is just going to have to get used to living life in second place. As far as we are concerned he can take as many holidays as he likes.
Better still, why not try early retirement? Well, we can all live in hope.
Copyright © 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, American Politics Journal Publications, Inc.
