Editing Bill Clinton (section)

===1996 presidential candidacy===
{{Main|Bill Clinton 1996 presidential campaign|1996 Democratic Party presidential primaries|1996 United States presidential election}}

[[File:ElectoralCollege1996.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|alt=Results for the 1996 United States presidential election|1996 electoral vote results. Clinton won 379–159.]]
Leading up to the [[1996 United States presidential election|1996 presidential election]], Clinton's chances of being re-elected initially seemed slim, partially due to his growing untrust among the general public due to the [[Whitewater controversy]]<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dispatch-presidents-rating-rises/160801933/ President's rating rises]. [[Associated Press]]. March 29, 1994. Retrieved December 12, 2024.</ref><ref>Germond, Jack W., Witcover, Jules (February 6, 1995). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-clintons-beginning-to-look/160898377/ Clinton's beginning to look beatable, even to Democrats]. ''[[Daily Press (California)|Daily Press]]''. Retrieved December 14, 2024.</ref> and the lopsided defeat of national Democrats in the 1994 elections.<ref>Brown, Peter A. (November 9, 1994). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-republicans-take-con/160487514/ Republicans take control of both houses of Congress]. ''[[Casper Star-Tribune]]''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref><ref>Beltrame, Julian (January 26, 1995). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-can-comeback-kid-come/160487069/ Can Comeback Kid come back again?]. ''[[The Ottawa Citizen]]''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> His [[approval rating]] got as low as 40 percent in early 1995, which led to several high-profile Democrats suggesting he drop out of the race.<ref>Cannon, Angie (January 23, 1995). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-star-new-chance-to-redefine/160898023/ New chance to redefine the presidency]. ''[[The Standard-Star]]''. Retrieved December 12, 2024.</ref><ref>Thompson, Robert E. (February 13, 1995). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-democrats-pon/160908989/ Democrats ponder presidential challenges]. ''[[The San Francisco Examiner]]''. Retrieved December 14, 2024.</ref> However, in mid-1995, as a result of a rebounding economy and the growing unpopularity of congressional Republicans, public opinion of Clinton up-ticked<ref>Lewis, Kathy (April 26, 1995). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-pierce-tribune-clintons-empathy-ra/160490140/ Clinton's empathy raises approval rating]. ''[[Treasure Coast Newspapers|Fort Pierce Tribune]]''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-clinton-approval-over-50/160487794/ Clinton approval over 50% in two polls]. ''[[National Post]]''. May 17, 1995. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref><ref>Kondracke, Morton (December 2, 1995). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-facts-as-poll-ratings-climb-clinton/160506279/ As poll ratings climb, Clinton takes leadership role]. ''[[Brazosport Facts]]''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> and early 1996 polls found he had a lead of up to 20 points over his likely Republican opponent [[Bob Dole]].<ref>Balz, Dan (March 27, 1996). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/saint-john-times-globe-dole-clinches-in/160490998/ Dole clinches in California]. ''Saint John Times Globe''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref>

Unlike Bush in the 1992 election, Clinton's incumbency greatly benefited him in the general election,<ref>Weeks, Linton (June 11, 2012). [https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2012/06/11/154745966/why-its-good-to-be-the-incumbent Why It's Good To Be The Incumbent]. ''[[NPR]]''. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref> as most Americans felt the country was going in the right direction.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bob-dole-on-life-after-losing-the-1996-presidential-election/2012/09/28/eaef4102-f78e-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_story.html|title=Bob Dole on life after losing the 1996 presidential election|first=Bob|last=Dole|date=September 30, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Along with Dole, Clinton once again faced Ross Perot, who was nominated by the [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]], but he garnered significantly less support than he did in the 1992 election.<ref>Kelly, John Michael (August 19, 1996). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-stuart-news-outside-parties-losing-s/160492328/ Outside parties losing steam]. ''The Stuart News''. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> In the month leading up the election, pundits were predicting [[landslide victory|a big win]] for Clinton, as his approval rating saw a high of 60 percent<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-clinton-leads-dole/160543498/ Clinton leads Dole in poll – approval rating reaches 60%]. ''[[Associated Press]]''. September 4, 1996. Retrieved December 8, 2024.</ref> and pollsters finding he was favored with voters in over 30 states.<ref>Raum, Tom (November 1, 1996). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-virginian-clinton-headed-toward/160666784/ Clinton headed toward a landslide?]. ''[[The News-Virginian]]''. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/syracuse-herald-journal-state-by-state/160665681/ State by state, it's Clinton]. ''[[Syracuse Herald-Journal]]''. November 1, 1996. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref><ref>Apple Jr., R.W. (October 25, 1996). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-press-democrat-perot-gambit-no-help/160667844/ Perot gambit no help for desperate Dole]. ''[[The Press Democrat]]''. Retrieved December 10, 2024.</ref>

On election day, Clinton won 379 [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]], securing reelection and defeating Dole, who received 159 electoral votes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Defines a Landslide Victory in Politics? |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-a-landslide-election-3367585 |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=ThoughtCo |language=en}}</ref> Clinton garnered 49.2 percent of the popular vote to Dole's 40.7 percent and Perot's 8.4 percent. With his victory, he became the first Democrat to win two consecutive presidential elections since [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 6, 1996|title=Clinton Rides Landslide First Democrat To Be Re-Elected Since Roosevelt|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/nov/06/clinton-rides-landslide-first-democrat-to-be-re/|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Clinton@2">{{Cite book | last=Jones | first=Charles O. | title=The Presidency in a Separated System | url=https://archive.org/details/presidencysepara00jone | url-access=limited | publisher=[[The Brookings Institution]] | year=2005 | page=[https://archive.org/details/presidencysepara00jone/page/n336 318]}}</ref>