I didn't want to write about Clinton. I don't like writing articles about the news of the week, especially when it's gossipy scandalous stuff. But, Tuesday changed all that. That afternoon I got a blitz from my dorm cluster saying "come watch Clinton at ten. Snacks will be provided." I walked into the TV room at ten and saw about 30 people eating ice cream cones, watching the pre-season football game, and waiting eagerly for the real entertainment to begin. It was at that moment that I realized how utterly ridiculous and pathetic this whole thing is.
As I watched Clinton on TV, I was ashamed. But the worst part was, he wasn't. For seven months I hadn't cared about the whole Clinton/Monica saga. I thought the affair was tasteless but I also thought it was a mistake that he deeply regretted. Furthermore, I assumed that he was deeply thankful and appreciative that most the country felt like me and didn't care. After Tuesday I realized I was wrong. I had turned on the TV to see an apology, an admission of wrong doings and a plea for forgiveness. What I saw was an angry, remorseless, defensive and thankless President. I was pissed. Who does he think he is? Before that speech I was willing to forgive him, all he had to do was ask, but he didn't ask. I could see that same shock and indignation I was feeling on the faces of the reporters after the speech. They just kept saying, "We thought he was going to apologize. He didn't apologize." I was glad the next day when I saw that my fellow Americans were as angered as I was. After that speech, Clinton's approval rating dropped 20 points.
Having an affair with a 21 year old intern is not a criminal offense but it is offensive and the people you offend want an apology. For instance, when you cut in line you say pardon me. When you burp in public you say "excuse me." When you are president of the United States and cheat on your wife with a 21 year old intern and "mislead" your family, friends and the American public as to the nature of your relationship, a small "Sorry" just isn't going to cut it. And you know what else isn't going to cut it -- a trip to the Vineyard. How many jobs reward adultery and prevarication with week long vacations? Clinton made a big mistake with that speech, one that in the end may cost him more than an apology.
