This article uses Chaim Perelman's philosophy of associative and dissociative techniques to examine the Clinton Factor in the presidential contest of 2000. Three claims, all of which are based on the coverage of the campaign by The New York Times and The Washington Post (from March through December 2000), are advanced in the study. The first two arguments focused on ways George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, and the other Republicans, on one hand, and Al Gore, Joseph Lieberman, and the Democrats, on the other, sought to dissociate themselves from Clinton's character while at the same time expressing their support for his attitude toward the size of the federal government. The third claim argues that Clinton, much to his displeasure, failed to have a well-defined role in 2000, guided by a policy of association, which would enable him to contribute directly to Gore's election, and thereby strengthen the Clinton legacy.
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