I've never seen any introspection from the key members of the press corps at the time about why they Clinton drove them all insane, but it's worth remembering how insane the coverage was, whatever the motivation.
Obviously "Whitewater" morphed into "Lewinsky" at some point. That a presidential affair was going to be a 24/7 thing in the late 1990s is one of those things you can't even question. I get that it just was.
However, while The Kids won't remember, the way in which it was covered - the way any sense of balance was completely chucked out the window - is still worth remembering.
Cable news isn't precisely then as it is now, but the "panel" type shows were never more better balanced than 3-1 against Clinton, and usually that '1' was someone whose contribution to balance was along the lines of, "sure Bill Clinton is the nastiest man to ever have lived, but he still shouldn't be convicted in the impeachment trial."
Sometimes you'd get a lonely Joe Conason being talked over by tagteam couple Joe diGenova and Vicky Toensing, eagerly supported by whoever was hosting. That was about it.
And, through it all, Clinton was more popular than ever. The public was truly enraging, then, to them. Interesting what does and doesn't enrage them.
I have said "they" can monster anyone they want, but they chucked it all at Clinton and failed, so maybe they can't always do it.
