I am more than fortunate to have the trust and support of two of the strongest media companies, Simon & Schuster and The Washington Post. They gave me the time and permitted me the independence to report and write a book about a presidential campaign as it was evolving.
Alice Mayhew, vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster, came up with the idea for this book in August 1994. She monitored progress, prodded me, insisted that I focus attention on the Clinton White House once again, asked questions, repeated them patiently when they weren’t answered and then in the finishing stretch devoted weekends and nights to helping me complete it on time. Citizen Mayhew, as I sometimes think of her, may love politics as much as Bill Clinton or Bob Dole. For 23 years and eight books she has been my editor. I salute and thank my dear friend.
Carolyn K. Reidy, president and publisher at Simon & Schuster, went the extra 10,000 miles on this book, performing a sort of publishing miracle to get it out and into bookstores less than a month after completion of its final chapter.
At The Washington Post, Leonard Downie, Jr., the executive editor, Robert G. Kaiser, the managing editor, and Steve Luxenberg, an assistant managing editor, again allowed me to work largely untethered while providing me a professional home. These bosses and friends are the best in American journalism. I owe special gratitude to Steve Luxenberg, now the Outlook editor of the Post, who over long lunches forced me to think more deeply about this project. He helped with editing and provided much wise counsel.
There is no way to work at The Washington Post and not feel, and often hear, the presence of its owners, Katharine Graham and Don Graham. Their generosity and flexibility about my professional wanderings were once again tested, and they once again did what is hardest for them: they left me alone. They are the best friends, benefactors and protectors a journalist could have.
There are dozens of people at the Post whose careful attentions, often under considerable time pressure, have made all the difference to this book. Jennifer Belton, director of news research, oversees a library and photo library of the finest caliber. I owe a special thanks to Melody Blake and her news research staff, who delivered the answers to questions large and small, sometimes even before they were asked: Alice Crites, Richard Drezen, Ruth Leonard, Bob Lyford, Roland Matifas, Heming Nelson, Richard Ploch, Bobbye Pratt, Robert Thomason and Mary Lou White.
Olwen Price worked tirelessly and with zeal, and her contribution was, once again, gracious and invaluable. She was a blessing to this project.
Joe Elbert and his talented photo staff at the Post provided most of the pictures in this book. They are the pros operating at the top of photojournalism.
Jon Newcomb, the chairman of Simon & Schuster, encouraged this project from the start. Also at Simon & Schuster I thank vice president and associate publisher Michele Martin, vice president and deputy general counsel Eric Rayman, publicity director Victoria Meyer, assistant publicity director Pamela Duevel, vice president and director of art Jackie Seow, jacket designer Michael Accordino, copyediting director Marcia Peterson, production manager Jim Thiel, copy supervisor Steve Messina, designers Amy Hill and Edith Fowler and editorial assistant Lisa Weisman.
Ann Adelman brought patience and wisdom to Washington, along with her dictionary, and copyedited the manuscript with a knowing and graceful touch. She did a month’s work in a week, and I am grateful.
In preparation for my own reporting, I and my assistant, Karen Alexander, read and often studied hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and other daily newspapers have covered the White House and the presidential primaries with admirable skill and vigor. There is no way to write a book about a presidential campaign and not realize the immense debt of gratitude I owe to those who write the first draft of history each day. This book is based almost exclusively on my own reporting, and therefore is my take on the candidates and the process. But with so much that has been reported before by others, any book on a presidential campaign is, in the end, in part derivative.
The Hotline, The Daily Briefing on American Politics, a 20- to 30- page summary of political news coverage in the newspapers, magazines, radio and television, is an amazing, comprehensive and sophisticated barometer. We waited for it each day, and we used it all the time. Special thanks to its founder and executive publisher, Doug Bailey.
David Maraniss, my colleague at the Post, provided special encouragement. His wonderful biography of President Clinton, First in His Class, and the series he and Michael Weisskopf wrote for the Post about the federal budget negotiations were valuable resources, as was all the rest of his coverage of Clinton and Dole. The Post has an extraordinary team of political reporters. David S. Broder is the dean for a reason. He both knows the most and explains the most. The work of several others stands out. Ann Devroy and Dan Balz could put out their own newspaper many days, and it seems they often do. The Post columnists, especially my friend Richard Cohen, provided regular insight. Richard always had a string of questions and shared his endless knowledge and curiosity about politics with me. I also owe much to Post writers Charles R. Babcock, Tom Edsall, Ruth Marcus, Sue Schmidt, Kevin Merida, John Harris, Ed Walsh, Glenn Frankel, Helen Dewar, Walter Pincus, Al Kamen, Blaine Harden, William F. Powers, Jr., George Lardner, Serge Kovaleski, Dale Russakoff, John Yang, Eric Pianin, Dan Morgan, Michael Dobbs, Lou Cannon, John Pomfret and dozens of others. Special thanks to all the senior editors at the Post, especially Michael Getler, Tom Wilkinson, Steve Coll, Wendy Ross and David Von Drehle. The editors on the exceptional national staff of the Post were more than generous; special appreciation to Karen DeYoung, Bill Hamilton, Bob Barnes, Marilyn Thompson and Maralee Schwartz.
Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report and Time magazine cover politics with depth and skill. Each week I counted on and used them. The New Republic and The Weekly Standard provided fresh and provocative ideas. The Almanac of American Politics 1996 by Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa is the bible, and I relied on it. Richard Ben Cramer wrote the definitive story of the 1988 presidential race, What It Takes. His profile of Bob Dole in that book has stood the test of time, and was of great help to us. Jake H. Thompson’s biography of Dole was of much use. So too were the works of Theodore H. White, the godfather of campaign reporting. Carl Bernstein, my friend and former colleague, helped in dozens of ways with thoughts and advice. Richard E. Snyder, the former head of Simon & Schuster, as always, provided me with immense support in both my work and my life. Special gratitude to Benjamin C. Bradlee and Sally Quinn.
Politics is now television. Many friends at the networks assisted me, foremost among them Jim Wooten of ABC. He is a living and walking encyclopedia, and the most thoughtful reporter who knows the difference between a passing examination and a larger effort aimed at understanding. Special thanks to Barbara Cochran at CBS. I have deep appreciation for the team at NBC, especially Tim Russert, Colette Rhoney, Lisa Myers and Tom Brokaw. At CNN, Bernie Shaw, Judy Woodruff and Larry King were very kind and sharing, as was Jim Lehrer at PBS.
Robert B. Barnett was again my agent, counselor and friend. He is also one of the most prudent and skilled lawyers. Because of his association with President and Mrs. Clinton, he did not read the manuscript until it was finished.
The backbone of this work consists of the hundreds of people who were willing to be sources. Whether candidates speaking on the record, staff or friends speaking on background, they gave me extraordinary amounts of time. I have tried to be as careful as possible, and those closest to the events will recognize what I have described.
One of those sources gently warned me not to exploit these people, reminding me that often the closer a reporter moves toward the real emotions and doubts of the inside story, the greater the chance the story will be misunderstood. Compression and reduction of people or events to a sound bite of a few sentences or even a headline of merely a few words inevitably will take place. Candidates and their staffs, friends and family fear these simplifications the most. The emphasis often is on the negative. So the candidates and the campaign apparatus move to shield themselves, and the central questions of character are too often dodged. Who are these people who seek the presidency? What do they truly stand for? What are their values? How do they deal with people close to them? How do they make decisions? What ground do they hold? What ground will they give?
I hope I have tried to answer some of those questions without exploiting or misusing the information I was given.
Rosa Criollo again cared for and nurtured us at home so well and with love.
Tali, my daughter, who is now about to start her junior year at the University of California at Berkeley, helped with her ideas, love and a thorough, perceptive read of the page proofs of the entire book.
The spouse of any writer bears a burden. Elsa Walsh, my wife and closest, dearest friend, bears that with unusual grace. My work is intrusive and demanding. Selflessly she interrupted her own writing to participate almost daily in my work as wise counselor, tough editor and voice of reason. Friends regularly note that I am lucky and she is a saint. They are right.