All three of these conditions have been dissolving. Peace and prosperity have blended into the background. Meanwhile, the steadiness of the Federal Reserve, the increasingly visible dependence of economic growth on technological advances, and the persistence of that growth through several elections have eroded the public's confidence that politicians affect the economy. At the same time, the decentralization of campaign finance, the individualization of opinion formation, and television's emphasis on personality have led voters to pay less attention to parties and more attention to the merits of each candidate. Clinton's address is an attempt to puncture these trends and restore conditions under which the law of politics will resume operating in Gore's favor.
Prosperity is fragile.
Clinton's opening statement goes straight to the point. We can't take our future for granted. So let's just remember how we got here. Eight years ago it was in a far different time for America. Our economy was in trouble, our society was divided, our political system was paralyzed.