This scandal brings to the fore a more general moral confusion in American society. The drama being played out in the White House is part of a larger conflict and it all speaks to a certain kind of cynicism.Clinton comes from a generation of excess that is now in moral confusion. People don't know if it's any of their business. Most would say that it is wrong, but how outraged, how angry can we be? In 1992, when the electorate voted Clinton in, they knew he'd had an affair with Gennifer Flowers. Essentially, they were voting for somebody who had committed adultery and were in effect accepting that. In some ways, the American people are angered not by the fact of the affair itself, but by being confronted with it in this way. It's a breach of discretion.At first, there was this bizarre attempt to portray Monica Lewinsky as an innocent victim - her lawyer described her as a doe caught in the headlights. But as the details emerge, it is clear that she was an active participant. There is an assumptionin America that women under 25 are children, but she is a mature adult, in control of her own destiny and power is always seductive.Women love Bill Clinton. The polls show that he has more support among women than among men. He is a very seductive figure. He embodies a masculine virility that has been under attack in the States for so long. There is this secret fantasy that our president is an old-fashioned, sexually aggressive male. He is often compared to Elvis and he is an openly sexual figure. What we voted for was what we wanted and he is a reflection of the contradictions and desires of the American public.Hillary has been attacked for alleging a rightwing conspiracy in her television interview. But the subtext of her interview was the same as in 1992: that their marriage has troubles but that it is private and everyone should stay out. Most people are sympathetic to that message and, whatever her own strange reasons, it was effective.Women think, if she doesn't care, why should we? He is veryvulnerable on this front. If it wasn't this Monica Lewinsky, there'd be another one. That's the reason why this isn't a little thing and why the rightwing fantasy that Hillary proposed can't all be true.I do think his approach at the beginning, of denial in ambiguous terms, was the best way. With Gennifer Flowers, everyone thought he had denied the affair, but he is an intelligent and precise speaker: he denied a 12-year affair, but not an 11-and-a-half-year one. He usually leaves a grey area, but with this case, he couldn't do that.There is also a fantasy that the president is this god-like figure and some people are angry that he is shattering that image. JFK didn't shatter it, despite his affairs - to be involved with Marilyn Monroe still counts as god-like. These women are so ordinary that it offends people.Still, I think he will survive this. Undoubtedly, he is a good president and good on women's issues. He appointed the first woman secretary of state, he's pro-choice and pro-education - andthe economy is doing well. We have a culture of recovery and self-help in this country, and he sustains a high approval rating even through this, his darkest hour.The Observer News Service
