"The Clinton era is over. I think that there would even have been a certain amount of rejoicing among some Republicans if Gore had won or if Ralph Nader had won or if Satan had won"
About this Quote
The intent is to recast the 2000 election not as ideology versus ideology, but as an exorcism. That’s the subtext: Clintonism isn’t merely a policy agenda; it’s a contaminant, a scandal-soaked vibe that both parties secretly want to stop inhaling. By escalating from plausible opponents to a cartoonish embodiment of evil, he performs a familiar cable-news move: hyperbole as truth serum. The “Satan” gag gives permission to laugh while also insinuating that hatred of the Clintons is so deep it overrides rational partisanship.
Context matters. Coming out of the impeachment afterglow and the succession anxiety around Gore, the line taps a real fatigue with the endless Clinton narrative - the feeling that politics had become a tabloid series with recurring villains and cliffhangers. Carlson weaponizes that exhaustion to suggest a hidden bipartisan consensus: not about healthcare or taxes, but about wanting the storyline to end. It’s a cynical but effective reframing, because it flatters viewers into thinking they’re above policy tribalism while quietly intensifying a different kind of tribe: anti-Clintonism as identity.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sarcastic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Carlson, Tucker. (2026, January 16). The Clinton era is over. I think that there would even have been a certain amount of rejoicing among some Republicans if Gore had won or if Ralph Nader had won or if Satan had won. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-clinton-era-is-over-i-think-that-there-would-102854/
Chicago Style
Carlson, Tucker. "The Clinton era is over. I think that there would even have been a certain amount of rejoicing among some Republicans if Gore had won or if Ralph Nader had won or if Satan had won." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-clinton-era-is-over-i-think-that-there-would-102854/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The Clinton era is over. I think that there would even have been a certain amount of rejoicing among some Republicans if Gore had won or if Ralph Nader had won or if Satan had won." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-clinton-era-is-over-i-think-that-there-would-102854/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
