1996: “A Bridge to the Twenty-First Century”

Abstract

The election of 1996 was the twenty-fifth, and last, of the twentieth century. America stood at a crossroads between what Henry R. Luce had once christened “the American century”¹ and a new century about which many Americans were somewhat apprehensive. For President Clinton seeking reelection in that year the decisive question was whether to look back to the presumed glories of this American Century or to look forward with anticipation to the new century, less than four years away. The president decided on the latter approach and sought to portray this vision in terms of a bridge. Indeed, he would use the metaphor so often in his campaign speeches that he might have been in line for the Isambard Kingdom Brunel memorial award.² Clinton’s acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention in Chicago in late August set the tone. Having depicted his opponent, the 73-year-old Republican senator Bob Dole, as wanting to build “a bridge to the past,” the president countered:

But with all respect, we do not need to build a bridge to the past; we need to build a bridge to the future. And that is what I commit to you to do. So tonight, let us resolve to build that bridge to the twenty-first century … I ask all our fellow citizens to join me and to join you in building that bridge to the twenty-first century … I want to build a bridge to the twenty-first century in which we expand opportunity through education… I want to build a bridge to the twenty-first century in which we create a strong and growing economy … I want to build a bridge to the twenty-first century that ends the permanent underclass … I want to build a bridge to the twenty-first century where our children are not killing other children any more … I want to build a bridge to the twenty-first century with a strong American community… I want to build a bridge to the twenty-first century with a clean and safe environment… I want to build a bridge to the twenty-first century that makes sure we are still the nation with the strongest defense … My fellow Americans, let me say one last time, we can build our bridge to the twenty-first century if we build it together and if we’re willing to walk arm in arm across that bridge together.³