What would Clinton do?

It is an irony of the Obama administration — given that it is staffed with so many people with high-level experience during Bill Clinton’s presidency, including one Cabinet member named Clinton — that its basic attitude toward Clinton-style governance is hostile.

Obama and White House aides are courteous to the 42nd president when he calls, but in private many of those aides sound very much like George W. Bush’s advisers in disparaging the Clinton years…

Clinton would warn Obama to be careful. The problem with angry populist rhetoric is that it can easily sound too liberal and too much like class warfare to the ears of independent voters. It also risks alienating many people in the business and the professional classes whose social views leave them sympathetic to Obama and whose confidence is important to economic growth.

Clinton managed to make average Americans feel that he was on their side — it was why public approval remained high even during his impeachment — without striking an angry and punitive tone.