The Issue of Character in the Presidential Contest of 1996

Abstract

This study begins by pointing out the role of character in discourse as seen by theorists in the Classical, British/Continental, and Contemporary periods. It then develops two primary arguments. The first suggests that the negative image that has been generated pertaining to President Clinton's private and public ethics over the past 4 years has prompted Republican leaders in general and Senator Dole in particular to introduce forcefully into the campaign a series of claims describing what they believe to be fatal flaws in the president's character. Since this strategy has not worked, the second argument advanced in this article asserts that American citizens are responding to another interpretation of character—that expressed by a group of political scientists and historians. Character, as pointed out by these scholars, is reflected in a president's choices, sense of history, caring attitude, communication ability, and sense of optimism concerning the present and future.