Workshop - September 14 - Jason Mast
September 11th, 2007Politics, Power, and Performance: Clinton’s First Term
When Bill Clinton stepped onto the national stage to announce his candidacy for the presidency of the United States the spotlight cast two distinct and restless shadows. Over the course of 1992 the American public witnessed the formation of two Bill Clintons. The Clinton that won in November appeared hopeful, empathetic, inclusive, and brilliant. The other seemed to treat the truth the way a grifter handles a deck of cards; he would play with it masterfully and deal you any hand he wanted. In this paper I describe the formation of these two characters and explains how the positive, democratic side gained dominance and won the presidency. Read more »