WAS BILL CLINTON A GOOD PRESIDENT?

William Jefferson Clinton, known as Bill Clinton, served
as the 42nd President of the United States from Jan. 20,
1993 to Jan. 19, 2001.
His proponents contend that under his presidency the
US enjoyed the lowest unemployment and inflation rates
in recent history, high home ownership, low crime rates,
and a budget surplus. They give him credit for
eliminating the federal deficit and reforming welfare,
despite being forced to deal with a Republican-
controlled Congress.
His opponents say that Clinton cannot take credit for
the economic prosperity experienced during his scandal-
plagued presidency because it was the result of other
factors. In fact, they blame his policies for the financial
crisis that began in 2007. They point to his
impeachment by Congress and his failure to pass
universal health care coverage as further evidence that
he was not a good president.
Bill Clinton was born on Aug. 19, 1946 in Hope,
Arkansas. He graduated with a BS from the Georgetown
University School of Foreign Service in 1968, then
attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship,
then earned his JD from Yale Law School in 1973. He
married Hillary Rodham in 1975, and was first elected
Governor of Arkansas in 1978. After serving five terms
(12 years) as Governor, Clinton announced his
candidacy for US president on Oct. 3, 1991. Despite
scandals involving accusations of draft dodging and
cheating on his wife, Clinton and his running mate,
then-Senator Al Gore (D-TN), won the Nov. 3, 1992
election with 370 electoral votes and 43 percent of the
popular vote. [47 ] By defeating incumbent Republican
George H.W. Bush and independent Ross Perot, Clinton
became the first Democratic president in 12 years. [ 48].
At the age of 46, Clinton was the youngest president
since John F. Kennedy and the third-youngest ever. [ 1]
His campaign staff was also considered young and
inexperienced at dealing with the challenges of
transitioning from the campaign trail to the White
House. This led to some alleged missteps early in his
presidency, which were compounded by the inheritance
of problems such as the annual deficit being $60 billion
worse than the first Bush administration originally
admitted.