Now Playing at Reason.tv: In Search of Bill Clinton—A Q&A with Clinton biographer John Gartner

November 24, 2008

Bill Clinton is the self-proclaimed Comeback Kid of American politics. Indeed, every time it seems that he is finally out of public view, he comes back with a vengeance, the electoral equivalent of a herpes infection that can be managed but never quite fully eradicated.

With Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) rumored to be named as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of state, how should we evaluate the legacy of Bill Clinton? The latest book-length treatment of the is John Gartner's In Search of Bill Clinton, a heavily researched psychological profile of the former president that, among other revelations, names Clinton's likely biological father. (Go here to read a review of the book by reason's Nick Gillespie that originally ran in The New York Post.)

Unabashedly positive toward Clinton, Gartner, a practicing psychologist and author of the best-selling The Hypomanic Edge, nevertheless reveals what makes Bill Clinton tick—and explode with a disquieting regularity. Given the current situation, will Bill Clinton be able to stand a situation in which he is near the White House once again but playing a supporting role at best?

Earlier this fall, Gartner sat down to talk with reason.tv. Click above to watch a seven-minute interview that discusses Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky, his foreign and domestic policies, and more.

And click below to watch Gartner, along with Alternatives to Marriage's Nicky Grist, mix it up with reason's Michael C. Moynihan and Nick Gillespie on the reason.tv Talk Show.

Comments

Tom|11.24.08 @ 3:18PM|#

I'm sorry, this comment is no longer available.

aka The top video is down.

sixstring |11.24.08 @ 3:53PM|#

Those are some pretty gay looking shoes, Mike.

Nick Gillespie|11.24.08 @ 3:59PM|#

The video should be viewable now.

Johnny Nowhere|11.24.08 @ 5:16PM|#

I see stuff on Portland, Maine Public Access cable that is more professionally produced. I'm not willing to watch a video that's so clearly an under-thought afterthought of a product.

That's especially a shame if it contains good intellectual content.

I know you're a magazine and all, but can't you get an intern with some video production know-how?

Tom|11.24.08 @ 6:31PM|#

Production can only be so good with a 1 camera set-up. Close-ups could help but only with a different background, windows are a no-no. I suspect that's the reason for the traffic noise as well. Less headroom would make it better too.

Film-major,couldn't help myself.

|11.25.08 @ 12:19AM|#

Haha, yeah, if I were Mike I'd want to change that picture, the shoes + the pant leg coming up like that, just not a good picture. And where's the leather jacket?