Clinton’s Impact

As he prepares for his last State of the Union address tonight, a look at how the nation has fared since he came into office.

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It’s Always Something Else

Delivering the annual State of the Union address may seem pretty routine, but it hasn’t always been a cakewalk for President Clinton. During his last five State of the Union speeches, Clinton’s message has been overshadowed by outside events or political disputes. Here is a sampling of the distractions:

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1995 Hisses and Boos. The president’s address--a rambling, 81-minute partisan battle cry designed to throw down the gauntlet to the new GOP Congress--propels Republicans into a rage. Many GOP lawmakers hiss and boo the nation’s chief executive, and some even storm out of the chamber in disgust. Clinton looks shell-shocked. Many viewers asked: Will this speech ever end? *

1996 The Wall of Silence. Seeking to narrow the ideological split between the two parties, Clinton tells Congress that “the era of big government is over”--abandoning his 1992 vision of huge increases in spending. But Republicans, coached by their leaders to rebuff the president’s gesture without seeming overly rancorous themselves, sit in deliberately cold and conspicuous silence.

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1997 The O.J. Simpson civil trial. The president delivers his address, billed as “a call to action . . . to prepare America for the 21st century,” but has to share the spotlight with the civil trial of O.J. Simpson in Santa Monica. With a verdict slated to be announced just as the State of the Union speech is beginning, the TV networks treat viewers to a split screen that shows Clinton on one side and the Simpson courtroom on the other. Simpson is found liable for the wrongful deaths. The verdict on Clinton’s speech is mixed. As for the networks, the critics are not kind.

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1998 The Scandal. The president’s address comes in the middle of the disclosure of his affair with Monica S. Lewinsky, a former White House intern. Clinton seems tense during the talk but never mentions the scandal. Democrats cheer him loudly, while Republicans sit in stony silence. But Rep. David E. Skaggs (D-Colo.) concedes: “To tell you we aren’t a little bit distracted would be nonsense.” *

1999 The Impeachment. Clinton’s speech is overshadowed by the prospect that, having just been impeached by the House of Representatives, he will soon be facing a trial in the Senate. The president deals with the issue by ignoring the impeachment question and detailing a lengthy list of domestic proposals designed to show that he still is in control of his office. His performance is masterful, and Clinton ultimately is acquitted. But the issue casts a pall over his entire appearance.

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Note: Figures are for 1992 and 1998, except for SAT scores, housing costs, and unemployment, for which 1999 figures were available

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When to Watch

Network coverage plans for President Clinton State of The Union Address

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Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Congressional Budget Office, Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Assn. of Realtors, National Science Foundation, FBI

Compiled by SUNNY KAPLAN/Los Angeles Times

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