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Clinton: The Wizard of Arkansas
| Article
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20689 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
Date : |
9 / 1992 |
1,564 Words |
| Author
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Gerald M. Pomper
Gerald M. Pomper is professor of political science at Rutgers
University. He is now completing a book on concepts of
American political parties. |
Any presidential campaign is an adventure; Democrat Bill Clinton's has been more like Dorothy's prolonged voyage to the Emerald City.
The Arkansas governor knew that eventually he would have to outwit the wicked witch, George Bush, if he were to reach a new home in the White House. He was surely not fully prepared to deal with Paul Tsongas (the honest Tin Woodman), Jerry Brown (the simple Scarecrow), Ross Perot (the illusory Wizard), or an unusually inquisitive, scandal-seeking press (the pesky munchkins and winged monkeys).
Despite these and other perils (remember Gennifer Flowers?), Clinton has continued to advance along the yellow brick road of presidential politics. He won 28 presidential primaries and a majority of Democratic votes, roused his party convention, and climbed in public esteem. At least for the moment (the end of July), he leads all public opinion polls in the renewed two-man national contest. If the election were held today, Clinton would be the next president.
To succeed, Clinton, like any presidential candidate, must accomplish three tasks, each of them internally contradictory:
1.He must voice the passions of his own party or movement, while reaching beyond his core support;
2.He must present programs that appeal to the interests of visible groups, while defining a programmatic vision distinct from particular interests; and
3.He must personify the voters' emotions, even as he demonstrates an independent character of integrity, competence, and reliability.
Clinton has made progress in each of these three tasks, particularly with regard to part and program. His eventual electoral fate will depend on his ability to meet the third, most difficult test, and the demonstration of character.
The Democratic candidate's first achievement is that he is, in fact, the Democratic candidate, he embodiment of the party's diverse coalition and core philosophy. When he first announced his candidacy, Clinton was seen only as the spokesman of a faction within the party, the relatively conservative Democratic Leadership Council. Certified "liberals" such as Mario Cuomo were seen as purer representatives of party traditions and ideology. The
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