Signs poin to cynical

Chicago Tribune: So, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush get together at the White House to look at the new portraits of Bill and Hillary. A festival of love ensues. The real news from this event is that Chelsea Clinton looks all adult and fantastic. That and the fact that no one mentioned the elephant sitting in the corner, that whole messy impeachment thing with what's her name that gave the nation such pause and put Clinton in the bad boy doghouse for, it is safe to assume, many years.
How could the Republicans have been so self-righteous about Clinton's misbehavior back then, and so gracious in welcoming him to the White House this time (Bush even plugged Clinton's new book)?
A bunch of possible answers present themselves.
The first is that these are different Republicans.
George W. Bush may well be a much nicer man than any of his critics would be willing to admit, a gracious host who respects a former president and welcomes him with the warmth and stature appropriate for the office that both men have occupied.
Another?
Mojo at work
Whatever magic it was that gave President Clinton the ability to behave like a cad and still emerge as an admired, respected political figure is still there. His mojo remains at work, and no politician in his right mind wants to mess with that. It is something to be envied. Clinton and his wife, now a U.S. senator, will never be viewed as anything but evil incarnate on talk radio, but the gaseous class that inhabits that territory has been belching at the choir for years. That's not going to change.
Then there is the cynical option.
The current president desperately needs to be loved by the public at this point; hence, he is on his best behavior at this most public event, although he probably showered afterward. On the Clinton side, it's the happy family image, Bill, Hillary and Chelsea together again, all warmth and closeness. That's because the Clintons aren't going away either. Hillary seems destined for a White House bid at some point. Maybe Chelsea for Congress.
And Bill?
Well, he's pumping his new book, and being pleasant can always help that. Beyond that, he will keep on being Bill, now just a public figure of a certain age with an interesting past.