Here are some quick facts, opinions, quotes and other information on President Bill Clinton:
Personal Information on Bill Clinton:
- Forty-second (1993-2001)
- Birthday: August 19, 1946 (Monday)
- Birthplace: Hope, Arkansas
- Birthplace Website: President Bill Clinton’s Birthplace
- Zodiac Sign: Leo
- Presidential Library: William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum
Interesting Bill Clinton facts:
- Bill Clinton is the third youngest person to become President. When he was sworn in as President he was 46 years and 154 days old. Teddy Roosevelt was the youngest person to become President (he became President on the death of William McKinley). TR was 42 years and 322 days old when he became President. John F. Kennedy was the second youngest person to become President. Kennedy is also the youngest person to be elected President (remember TR was younger because he became President on the death of McKinley, not by being elected at that young age). Kennedy was 43 years and 236 days old when he became President. The other Presidents who were in their forties when they were first sworn in were: Ulysses Grant (46 years and 311 days), Barack Obama (47 years and 169 days), and Grover Cleveland (47 years and 351 days).
- Of the forty-four men who have been President of the United States, only eight Presidents have been born west of the Mississippi. Bill Clinton is one of those eight. He was born in Arkansas. Herbert Hoover, our thirty-first President, was the first President born west of the Mississippi River. He was born in Iowa. The other “westerners” are: Richard Nixon (California), Barack Obama (Hawaii), Harry Truman (Missouri), Gerald Ford (Nebraska), Dwight Eisenhower (Texas), and Lyndon Johnson (Texas).
- William Jefferson Blythe III was one of two Presidents to have his birth name legally changed. It was changed to William Jefferson Clinton. The other President to have his birth name legally changed was Leslie Lynch King, Jr.. His name was changed to Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.. A mix-up at West Point caused Ulysses S Grant to go from Hiram Ulysses Grant to Ulysses S Grant, but I cannot find any evidence that he ever had it legally changed to Ulysses S Grant.
My favorite Bill Clinton Quotes:
There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.
Sometimes I feel like a fire hydrant looking at a pack of dogs.
Being president is like running a cemetery: you’ve got a lot of people under you and nobody’s listening.
When our memories outweigh our dreams, we have grown old.
The best social program is a good job.
I may not have been the greatest president, but I’ve had the most fun eight years.
Bill Clinton blogs (click the title to go to that page):
Bill Clinton page on Presidential Crossroads (click “Bill Clinton” below):
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton Blogs:
Civil Rights Song: Lift Every Voice and Sing
Forgetting Chelsea at the airport
Clinton, Andrew Johnson, Hayes: Born after their Fathers deaths
What happened to his Dad and his name change
Meeting President John F. Kennedy
Playing Golf with Jack Nicklaus
Top Ten Presidential Personalities
What similar traits do I have with Presidents Nixon through Obama
Personal thoughts on Bill Clinton:
Strengths:
Charisma, Down-to-earth, Financial sense (at least with government books), Persuasive
Weaknesses:
Moral character, Pride, Not real great with conflict
Presidential Greatness Scale (1-poor to 5-great): 3.2
Comments:
It is probably still too soon to tell President Clinton’s Presidency’s true impact on American history, but I’m stepping out on a limb to give it a shot. I don’t think Clinton is as bad as his critics claim, nor do I think he is as great as his supporters claim. If you look back at his Presidency, quite honestly, you see America almost exactly as it is now: very divided. The issues that came up in his Presidency were immigration, the North American Free Trade Agreement, healthcare, welfare reform, and gay rights, to name a few. Here we are, almost twenty years later, still arguing about the same issues. In my personal grading system, I like resolution and restoration. Our history is one filled with divide. The great Presidents battle the challenges that divide us and, with their leadership, they lead the nation toward unity. Those strong leaders no longer concentrate on one side “winning,” but both sides moving past those issues that caused the divide in the first place. Most historians rank many of the Presidents, just before the Civil War, as weak. Nothing changed during their periods in office. Each side dug into their trenches and refused to move. It took Abraham Lincoln, and his “let’s just deal with this and get it behind us attitude,” to start moving us in a more positive direction, together. Unfortunately, our country faced another batch of weak Presidents after his death. To me, it looks like we are in another one of those weak Presidents slumps. I think Clinton had some very impressive achievements, like the longest peace time economic expansion in our history. Right now, just hearing “peace time” sounds refreshing. He also had a budget surplus the last three years he was in office. I really admire his focus on the economy. I just wish he, or any of the other Presidents that have followed him (and the one before him), could have done more to convince our nation that we are so much better off when we come together than we are when we split apart.
Favorite Bill Clinton book:
My Life – Bill Clinton by Bill Clinton
Favorite Bill Clinton story:
The Monica Lewinski affair. Reading him tell about it in his book (My Life) and then reading Hillary’s account of it in her book (Living History) offers an inside look at the effects affairs have on marriage relationships from two very different angles.
Most memorable Bill Clinton memory:
Following his impeachment. He was only the second President to be impeached, so I was expecting it to be like one of those juicy court room trials you see on TV. It seemed like it was over real quick and the verdict wasn’t even close. It really came out like there were some upset members of the opposing party who really weren’t looking for justice, but that they were more concerned about removing him from office, with whatever reason they could find, or embarrassing him. I believe the first Presidential impeachment, Andrew Johnson’s impeachment, was probably devised for the same reasons.
Favorite Bill Clinton possession (see picture at the top):
My Bill Clinton bobble head
