A Tale Of Two Bills

(2 of 2)

Both Bills have been survivors all their lives, and for now that pattern seems to be holding. Clinton's approval ratings have risen since the Lewinsky scandal broke. And Gates' personal wealth has increased over 500% since the antitrust case was filed. After months of being maligned by prosecutors, both men will have a chance this week to put forth their defense. Clinton will deny that he engaged in perjury and obstruction of justice, and argue that the charges against him do not rise to the level of impeachable offenses. Microsoft will contend that it is not a monopoly, that its seemingly dominant position in software could quickly collapse and that hardball business practices are the norm in this highly competitive field.

How will these two epic biographies end? When Gates built his sprawling $60 million mansion, he had a quote from The Great Gatsby inscribed in the library: "He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it." It was an odd choice, and the software magnate may have missed its tragic import. In the end of the novel, Jay Gatsby does fail to grasp his dream, and success destroys him. The two Bills are already modern Gatsbys of a sort, having achieved their very different versions of the American Dream. Whether their flaws, like the original Gatsby's, pull them down remains to be seen.