Introduction

Abstract

The 1992 presidential race for the Democratic nomination was, for many big names in politics, a futile endeavor considering the popularity of incumbent president George H. Bush. The field did look not formidable, to say the least: Governor Bill Clinton, former senator Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, and former governor of California, Jerry Brown. How could anyone from this field lead the Democratic Party from the “House and Senate” party to a “National” party? This book is about the presidential ticket of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. It’s about two Southern men who formed a team that had the daunting task of trying to recapture the most coveted political office in the world— the White House. For many Democrats today, these two men were the saviors of a party that was losing its national voice. For many Republicans, these two men were the presidential ticket that won the highest office in the world—reserved for their party—and then dishonored it.