How Do They Hate Him?

IF THIS is April 1, there are only 294 days until President Bill Clinton leaves office. That’s according to the “Clinton Countdown to 1997” calendar, the brainchild of C.W. Kendall, a Richardson real estate investor and developer.

Inspiration struck the day Clinton was elected. “I was in shock,” says Kendall, who describes himself as a political independent. “In my opinion, America had gotten the wool pulled over its eyes. I started to count down in my mind, how many days did we have to put up with him?”

Kendall’s first effort, a week-by-week, four-year calendar, included quotes from newspapers about various Clinton scandals and classic Clintonisms, such as the famous “I didn’t inhale” comment. Kendall and his printing buddy, Roger Hodge, rented a booth at the Dallas Gift Show and got orders for 12,000 $9.95 calendars in one weeken

Since then, they have put out a new Clinton calendar every year, selling about 250,000 calendars worth $2,5 million, mostly through gift shops and bookstores like B. Dalton and Waldenbooks. The calendar market runs from October through January, but Kendall says Clinton-haters can still order one by calling Lame Duck, Inc. at 1-800-253-6789.

If Clinton is re-elected, Kendall will continue his profitable vendetta. But he’s collecting quotes and anecdotes about Bob Dole, Pat Buchanan, and others, so no matter who wins this fall, he’ll be set to cash in. “What started as principle has evolved into capitalism,” Kendall says. ’’I like to joke that I’m the only man in the United States that Clinton actually created a job for.”