In
this perceptive psychological
portrait of Clinton and his Presidency,
Stanley A. Renshon investigates
whether Clinton has demonstrated
the requisite qualities of judgment,
vision, character, and skill
to meet the daunting challenges
he faces domestically and internationally.
Renshon incisively analyzes Clinton's
sweeping ambitions, his enormous
confidence in himself and his
goals, and his success in convincing
people that he genuinely cares
about them. He reveals a Bill
Clinton whose capacity for political
success is often undermined by
the very traits for which many
praise him. His unusually high
self-confidence, for instance,
leads him to believe that he,
as a
"New Democrat," can accomplish
what others have not, that he can,
for instance, reconcile polar opposites
such as liberal Democrats and conservative
Republicans. Remarkably persistent
throughout Clinton's career are
certain traits that have defined
him to the public -- his tendency
to make promises he cannot keep,
his uneven political performance,
his ability to win people over
in person, his sudden bursts of
anger. Renshon traces the development
of Clinton's character from his
early family experiences to his
highly successful adolescence and
long political career. He illustrates
how each step along the way Clinton's
inconsistent experiences as an
adored but disregarded child; his
attempt to avoid the draft and
the consequences of doing so; his
marriage to Hillary Rodham, whose
own psychology has both helped
and hurt him; and his tenure as
governor during which his character
first became a political issue
-- is crucial to understanding
his erratic and controversial presidency.
Exploring the nature of the Clinton
marriage as a political partnership
and of Hillary Clinton as an
"associate president," this
is the first serious psychological
examination of Clinton, the man
and the President.
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