Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Starr Report: The Hustings - Clinton effect hits California Democrats

Andrew Gumbel
Sunday 13 September 1998 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

WITH DEMOCRATS running (in the words of one Washington insider) "like scalded dogs" from President Bill Clinton, a dark shadow has been cast over the party's campaign for the November mid-term elections. The disarray is painfully visible in California, the most populous state, where two key races are overshadowed by the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

The Democratic candidate, Gray Davis, was - until this week - making strong running against his opponent, Dan Lungren, in the race to succeed Pete Wilson, the outgoing Republican, as governor. Davis was seen as the better, more charismatic speaker of the two.

The second key election is between Barbara Boxer, one of California's two Democratic senators, and Republican challenger, Matt Fong. Again, Ms Boxer has proved an abler debater anerience on Capitol Hill against an opponent who is untested in high office.

Now all bets are off. It is not that the voters are obsessed with Monica Lewinsky to the exclusion of such hot local issues as education, crime, taxes and Indian gambling rights - in fact the opinion polls suggest the opposite - but the language of the campaign races has changed completely, making it impossible to deliver any message that does not involve some mention of sexual morality or Kenneth Starr.

"If you think you can talk about those issues while ignoring what is going on in Washington, you are dead wrong," gubernatorial candidate Lungren said this week. In his view, the race has come down to issues not of substance, but of character.

That, of course, is a convenient partisan viewpoint. The more the Republicans focus on the President's troubles, the more they boost otherwise lacklustre candidates.

It is also true, however, that the Democrats see themselves as being in trouble. Senator Boxer, in particular, has multiple reasons to feel embarrassed. Her daughter is married to Hillary Clinton's brother, making her link to the First Family closer than most. She has also been an ardent campaigner against sexual misconduct in public life.

Despite multiple attempts to distance herself from the president's behaviour - she took to the Senate floor this week to decry him as "immoral" - she has found it hard to steer the campaign away from him.

"She's trying all she can, but her message just isn't getting through," said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political analyst.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in