The Banal Society

Bill Clinton exited the White House yesterday.  It was telling that on a day traditionally reserved for the incoming President, the outgoing President issued his last-minute pardons and then engaged in self-worship at an unprecedented departure ceremony that he planned for himself (contrasted with the Reagans getting on a plane and going back to the ranch).  The former President has always desperately needed to be loved and adored, even if he had to manufacture it.  For the most part, though, Clinton didn't have to manufacture it.  One of his chief political attributes was his ability to empathize with common folks, literally to "feel their pain."  Conservatives never understood how ordinary folks could identify with this man who hung out with elitist Hollywood (and other) snobs, but that was their political error, because common folks did identify with him.  Paradoxically, he leaves office with extraordinarily high Presidential approval ratings, and with extraordinarily low personal approval ratings.

Perhaps that says more about the American people than anything.  As Presidencies go, this one was not extraordinary in its policies, the most popular and successful of which (welfare reform, slowing the growth of spending, free trade) came about through compromise with Republicans (Dick Morris's triangulation), and the least popular of which (Rodham's healthcare takeover) were either shot down by Republicans or served as winning campaign themes (disastrous foreign policy, corrupt Department of Justice under Janet Reno).  It was not extraordinary in its coalition-building, since Bill Clinton arrived in DC with Dems controlling the House, and leaves with Republicans in control of the House, Senate, and Oval office for the first time since Eisenhower.  But it was extraordinary in that the Presidency became personal in a way it has never been: from the President's underwear to stains on Monica's dress, we got to share the Presidency intimately.  And overall, we loved it!  Much as we (Americans generally, that is, not me personally) love watching the parade of freaks on Jerry Springer and the WWF (Governor Ventura, anyone?) and "Survivor" and elsewhere.  The ratings tell the story -- Americans like to watch the banal, and boy did we like it in our most recent former President!  

To the extent sociologists ever do anything useful, they could attempt to answer the question Why.  What explains our fascination with Bill/Monica/Gennifer/Paula, Survivor, Springer, Governor WWF?  Does it make people feel smug in their superiority to that sort of behavior?  Is it amusing?  Thrilling?  What?

I, for one, am tired of it.  I hope the Bush administration is BORING not just in comparison, but in an absolute sense.  I hope the various reality(whose?)-based television series flop.  I don't really care what Springer does (so long as I have cable on rare days when I'm home sick and flipping channels).  But I suspect Bill Clinton is not going away so easily, and neither is the Banal Society.  

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