This Fabulous GIF Of Everyone Doing The Macarena At The 1996 DNC Will Make Your Day

The political game was played by an entirely different set of rules in 1996. There were still personal attacks and there were still gaffes. There was still a sense honor, though, sort of an unspoken set of rules that candidates lived by.

For all their debates and feuding, it seemed like Bill Clinton and Bob Dole still had respect for each other and that they genuinely liked one another. Bob Dole did not call for Bill Clinton’s arrest and execution at the Republican National Convention. And at the Democratic National Convention, well, the Macarena happened:

The 1996 Democratic National Convention

Just let that sink in for a bit.

Look at Hillary. She’s so happy!

Again, 1996 played by its own rules. Nicholas Cage won an Academy Award for Best Lead Actor, after all.

The Macarena was a huge cultural phenomenon. What better way to endear Democrats to the people than by having them all dance to a silly song?

Dancing the macarena
Image: Screenshot Via Imgur GIF.

So what has changed? What happened to the American psyche that changed the world of politics so much?

There are a lot of simple answers that probably do not fully answer the question: the internet, Donald Trump, terrorism, etc. 1996 was a watershed year for politics not just because of the Macarena. 1996 was also the year that a little news network got started: The Fox News Network.

Fox News launched on October 7, 1996, and American politics would never be the same again.

The 2016 presidential election is obviously an historic one. We have the first female nominated by a major party against one of the most inexperienced, divisive, and downright unlikable candidates in history. It even seems like it might be a close race (although recent electoral projections tell a different story).

If the current state of politics ever starts to get to you, just remember a simpler, Macarena-filled time. And if those projections turn out to be accurate, maybe Hillary will show off her sick dance moves one more time.

Featured Image: Screenshot Of GIF Via Imgur.