I agree that it's weird, but not because of what happened in the impeachment battle. If you take a larger context, I think there's a case to be made that the culture has become more anti-moralistic in a sense and maybe the impeachment battle is a specific example of it (or maybe it was just an instance of people wanting to be left alone with their quiet lives or it had something to do with Zizek's theory about folks identifying with equivocating leaders). What Lieberman, the Cheneys, and Tipper Gore and their ilk are up against is, as the Red Hot Chili Peppers say, Californication (what Hollywood sells/pushes). And they can't win. It brings to mind an excellent column Katha Pollitt had a couple of years ago about the Baptists taking on Disney Inc. and failing miserably. Maybe the culture wars are somewhat of a sideshow, whilst the DLC and the New Republic claim another victory? I'm not saying that movies and TV exemplify the whole culture, but still, think about American Beauty, South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut, the Sopranos, etc. And have you heard the news that while the Drug War goes hot in Columbia, Ecstacy shipments have begun to flood into U.S. ports? (By the way, _Jesus' Son_ is a really good movie that is partly about drugs. whew, long post)
Peter