Democracy at Work
* Recent polls seem to indicate that many of us are unaware that the Clinton Administration is giving us the best demonstration of democracy at work in the history of the American presidency.
When have we seen a President engage with such intelligence and zeal in continuous persuasion and public debate on almost a daily basis?
Under what administrations of recent memory have we seen such extensive disclosure and public discussion in the media of major legislative issues?
When have we seen a President so willing to accommodate other points of view, to subordinate partisan political advantage in order to reach mutually agreeable solutions?
Those who label Clinton “a wimp,” “indecisive,” “wishy-washy,” only reveal their frustration with the inevitable compromises of our deliberative process. Mistakes, miscalculations, past bad behavior notwithstanding, this President’s commitment to truly democratic leadership has seldom been matched.
HAROLD GOULD
Los Angeles
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
