they were probably right. It's hard to imagine Bush winning against Gore if Clinton had been removed, considering the [link|http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/20/impeachment.poll/|approval ratings Clinton had at the time]:

December 20, 1998
Web posted at: 10:48 p.m. EST (0348 GMT)

(AllPolitics, December 20) -- In the wake of the House of Representatives' approval of two articles of impeachment, Bill Clinton's approval rating has jumped 10 points to 73 percent, the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows.

That's not only an all-time high for Clinton, it also beats the highest approval rating President Ronald Reagan ever had.

At the same time, the number of Americans with an unfavorable view of the Republican Party has jumped 10 points; less than a third of the country now has a favorable view of the GOP.


Emphasis added.

Cheers,
Scott.
(Who had forgotten that little emphasized tidbit.)