Would Bill CLinton ever have been elected President if not for questions about his personal life?

[hedgehog]

I can't remember what the polls were saying at the time, but I do remember that Bill and Hillary were interviewed by 60 Minutes because rumors about their marriage were circulating. If I recall properly, no other Democratic candidate got that kind of national publicity. So the rumors led to the interview. Did the public exposure from the interview lead to the nomination?

[aquart]

1. What a ridiculous, pointless question.

But thank you for your concern.

[hedgehog]

5. The question is not pointless.

It bothered me then and it bothers me today that questions about the Clinton marriage became more important than more vital issues such as the environment and health care. Where would we be today if Gore had been given that time on 60 Minutes to explain his concerns about the environment?

[Phredicles]

2. Y'know, the way I remember it is that he got a big boost from that

interview, and a lot of it was from people feeling that he was being picked on over things that had nothing to do with his qualifications. Basically, a backlash againt the media and the Thugs' politics of assholery were, as I remember, big facotrs in helping Clinton win.

Similarly, I'm not sure his popularity was ever higher than during the Kenneth Starr spectacle.

[napi21]

3. The extra exposure probably helped, because he was a little known

Southern Governor back then. I seriously doubt the actual questions and discoveries helped much though. What got his elected is the same thing that keeps him so popular...his personality and ability to talk with ANYBODY and make then feel comfortable.

[rinsd]

4. No, winning primaries lead to the nomination.

It wasn't rumors about their marriage that were circulating. Gennifer Flowers was on the scene.

Sensing another Gary Hart, the press went into full lather. Hence the interview.

If anything the 60 minutes interview simply put those questions to rest with a majority of the public.

Then Comeback Kid campaigned his ass off in NH to stay competitive.

[hedgehog]

6. But did the free national exposure on 60 Minutes help him to win

the following primaries? There's a saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity. A lot of people vote as much on name recognition as anything else. Did they vote for Clinton because he seemed like a nice guy and they really had no idea who the others were?

[rinsd]

10. Clinton was a frontrunner before the Flowers hit the scene.

That saw his numbers plummet. Hence the term Comeback Kid when he was able to take 2nd in NH.

I could see it if he were some relative unknown who came out of nowhere.

[azurnoir]

7. If I remember correctly

it was Hilary's reaction that saved his butt, she basically said yes it happened I forgave him and it is none of your business so lets get on with the real issues.

[rinsd]

9. She saved his political bacon in that interview (nt)

[Phredicles]

11. That's how I remember it too - the "none of your business" resonated

with a lot of people. I think he was the front-runner already but by a rather less comfortable margin than afterwards.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. Of Course He Would've.

Sure, maybe he got a little boost from that, but as hard working as Bill was during that election season he earned the spotlight on his own and would've anyway.