The Religion and Political Views of Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton was born and in and grew up to be the governor of Arkansas before ascending to the presidency in 1992.

Clinton sticks to his Southern roots and even attends–and sometimes gives sermons at–a Southern Baptist church.

As devout as he may seem, the Southern Baptist annual convention passed formal resolutions against then-President Clinton in 1999–not for cheating on his wife–but for making the month of June "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" and appointing a gay man to be the ambassador to Luxembourg.[1]

Last year, Clinton gave a sermon at a Southern Baptist Church before the beginning of the Republican National Convention. His target were fundamentalist Christian politicians–such as Rick Santorum. Clinton condemned them for putting religious values above the benefit of the nation and compared them to terrorrists, saying:

Our number one threat abroad is fundamentalism, absolutism. Terror is their tactic, but it is their ideas, their hatred, their absolute certainty that they are so right that they can kill people who disagree with them – that is our enemy.[2]

Can we please get Bill back in office?

Bill's politics

Clinton is highly regarded politically, presiding over a period of American prosperity and relative peace.

He is a Democrat and both socially and fiscally liberal (except for one very important thing, which we'll get to later). Within a year of taking office, Clinton cut taxes on the nation's poor and raised them on the rich. He tried–and failed–to pass universal health care. He expanded gun control and instituted "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the military (which was later repealed by President Obama.)[3]

Clinton was pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-gun control, and a tax-and-spend liberal (something conservatives love to hate about him or any Democrat). He's a liberal hero.

One last thing, though. Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, a law that placed important regulations on banks. Many economists believe the freeing-up of bank autonomy allowed greedy bankers and investors to get away with fraudulent practices and, as a result, is a huge factor for the economic crash of 2007 that we're still dealing with today.[4]

When Clinton signed the law that repealed Glass-Steagall, he said:

America's consumers, our communities, and the economy will reap the benefits of this Act.[5]

Couldn't have been more wrong there, Billy.