About the only thing that can be said for certain is that this whole mess is hardly over. President Clinton's remarks Monday night were short on contrition, long on defiance, infuriating to his critics and guaranteed to keep the Monica Lewinsky scandal alive. Polls show that the public clearly wants this sordid spectacle to end and, despite their disappointment in Clinton, wants him to remain in office. Those views are extremely fluid, however. The problem with "quickie" polls is that they get the initial impression of an event. But attitudes can change. Republican pollster Ed Goeas of the Tarrance Group predicts that the public, spurred on by Beltway spin, will become more critical of Clinton.
Then there is the question of the next presidential news conference. As GOP pollster Mark Allen of Market Strategies points out, "Clinton has not answered any questions from the media or an anxious public on the critical details of his relationship."
What's next? The fear among many Democrats is that their voters will be demoralized by the spectacle of their party's leader having confessed, albeit
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