Behind the Oval Office: Getting Reelected Against All Odds

by Dick Morris

This new edition of Behind the Oval Office contains an insightful an devastating new interpretation of President Clinton's character and career. Also included are actual agendas Dick Morris used for his briefing sessions with the president. The Justice Department subpoenaed them during its investigation of the president. Kenneth Starr used them to build his case. Now released to the public for the first time, these remarkable sources provide a rare inside look into White House meetings. The agendas are a virtual diary of how Morris, armed with his polling data, helped Clinton outmaneuver his adversaries and overcome his mistakes-creating policy as a potent cocktail of ideals, opportunities, marketing strategies, and aspirations sold to the public in brilliant advertising campaigns.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, Presidents

646 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 1997

About the author

Dick Morris, the President of Vote.com, was President Clinton's chief strategist and advisor in the 1996 campaign. He has handled the campaigns of a large number of American politicians including Trent Lott, William Weld, Pete Wilson and a whole lot of others. He's now a commentator on the Fox News Channel and writes a weekly column in the New York Post. He has written four recent books: Behind the Oval Office, The New Prince, Vote.com and Power Plays.

Reviews

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This is a report of an overwhelming experience, two years working with President Clinton as he struggled to save his presidency and win the support of the American people for a second term. But it is also the story of how a presidential campaign operates in the nineties and how a new moderate consensus has formed in America."

I did not have to look very far to find a suitable epigraph for the review of Dick Morris's Behind the Oval Office (1997). The quote uses the very first two sentences of the book. The first one is the shortest possible summary of the book, while the second one shows how tremendously things changed in just 25 years. "Moderate consensus in America" characterizes the situation in 1996 pretty well. 25 years later, in the beginning of the Twenties, things are completely different! From moderate consensus to utter polarization! Anyway, back to the book.

Dick Morris, now a political commentator and author, used to be a pollster and political consultant. Although before working as the chief strategist of President Clinton's 1996 campaign, he had also advised Bill Clinton during his term as the governor of Arkansas, he mainly worked for the Republican politicians. He explains:

"I have worked for both Democrats and Republicans, which strikes some people as the height of cynicism. I would refute that. I do have political convictions , as will become apparent in this narrative, but I am not an ideologue in search of a candidate. I am happiest when I can put my technical skills at the service of someone I admire, [...] "

The most famous word related to President Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign is Mr. Morris's concept of "triangulation." Here's the author's version of what he told Clinton:

"Triangulate, create a third position, not just in between the old positions of the two parties but above them as well. Identify a new course that accommodates the needs the Republican address but does it in a way that is uniquely yours."

(I have some trouble seeing the "above the two positions" part in Mr. Morris's election strategy; I just see it as a "mixed strategy" as known in the mathematical game theory, but then I am just a mathematician...)

The reader will find great many insightful (yet often specific to the given times in the American history) observations in the book. I like the bold statement:

"If the GOP was laying claim to 'I,' Bill Clinton was advocating 'we.'"

In my view, this is still one of the main differences between the two parties' political philosophies. On the other hand, here's what the author says about populism, as he summarizes Michael Kazin's work The Populist Persuasion:

"Democrats base their party on economic populism while Republicans use social populism instead. Kazin's basic point is that economic populism is declining, while social populism is rising. The enemy of economic populism is wealth and privilege. The enemy of social populism is the intellectual and cultural elite."

While this was true a quarter of century ago, I am not sure it is still true these days.

The reader will also find accounts of perpetual infighting in the campaign, jockeying for power and influence in advising President Clinton, and ugly intrigues like the story of Mr. Morris's memo to Bob Dole. The author's contempt for some people clearly shows despite his attempts to sound balanced and fair. What a contrast with the masterly neutral tone of Bob Woodward in The Choice that I reviewed here last week!

For me, the worst aspect of the book is the author's insistence of interlacing the interesting and worthwhile political analyses with the story of his personal downfall, caused by a flagrant form of marital infidelity. While I understand that this should have been mentioned to explain certain events, I don't believe the author should have returned to it so many times. Yet, even with that flaw, I recommend the book. A good, thought-provoking read!

Three-and-a-quarter stars.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written.

People who supported Bill Clinton
would, no doubt, find this interesting.

I do not and I did not support Bill
Clinton. Nevertheless, I found this
very interesting. For people interested
in what went on in the White House
during those years or for a political
history of those years, it would be a
very good book.

In the edition of the book I read, Morris did
not say one negative thing about
Bill Clinton. I have heard--read--that in
a later edition of this book, he did say some
very negative things about Bill Clinton.

Actually, I am convinced that if Morris
had not been helping Clinton, I am
not sure he would have been re-elected,
certainly not by such a large margin.

[Godlarvae · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting though more or less difficult read. I was amazed at the intricacy of polling that was brought to bear, being Morris's claim to fame while he constantly wallowed in self-aggrandizement. It was difficult for me to understand as I was not intimate with all the nooks and crannies of government staffing and departments and, further, the behind the scenes power plays, ego manipulations, and petty bickering that was described.
Morris is no doubt a genius at his chosen work "triangulation" being a case in point. But as such, he devolves into shameless self promotion as savior of the world.
I would trust him as far as I could toss him . . .

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is totally, completely repugnant, but I can't lie, it's a fantastic read. Just don't drink the Kool-aid.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Self aggrandising in an attempt to compensate for his tremendous public scandal.

[Amy Sawyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it. Between Morris' ego and too many divergences off the topic, I lost my patience. Not sure if there was any editing at all on this book. Seemed to be a little all over the place.