No White House adviser has been so controversial as Dick Morris. As an unelected civilian, he dictated a radical new strategy to President Clinton and instituted new campaigning techniques - before his fall from grace, when the press discovered his yearlong affair with a prostitute. Whatever personal opinions readers hold about Morris, his book "Behind the Oval Office" reveals that he was as important to the Clinton presidency as he was controversial.
Morris first describes his career as a campaign consultant - a job description that he pioneered - before a fateful phone call from Clinton. Morris ended up joining Clinton's staff in 1994, after the Republicans' landslide victories in the '94 congressional elections. His mission was to reinvent Clinton's threadbare public persona, and to ensure Democratic victories in 1996.
Morris employed a variety of strategies in this task. The buzzword "triangulation," which Morris invented, is finally explained in the book: it means taking a centrist position, on a moral high ground between warring parties or ideologies.
Morris also polled citizens frequently, and used their viewpoints as a guide in shaping policies and running Clinton's campaign. He credits this technique as a major reason for Clinton's reelection. Perhaps one tactic that was not as successful was Clinton's focus on small issues like school uniforms and seatbelt laws. While Morris states that these issues are important to people, many commentators have said that Clinton should focus on more substantive problems.
These more political sections of the book will appeal to serious readers, but some will be more interested in the White House gossip Morris provides. Morris dealt with most of the key figures in Clinton's cabinet and staff, and he offers an insider perspective on each. Some of this information - such as the revelation that Clinton is a detail-oriented person - is not exactly new, but it adds to the book's first-person authenticity.
Surprisingly enough, one piece of gossip that's not included in the book is the inside story of Morris' affair. It is only mentioned in passing, although Morris devotes an entire chapter to the other events surrounding his resignation. The reader has the impression that Morris wanted his book to be entirely serious - although, ironically, the book would never have sold as well without the notoriety Morris gained from the scandal.
On the whole, "Behind the Oval Office" provides an intriguing look at the Clinton presidency, and in particular the 1996 election. Those curious about government tactics and policy, or simply about one of 1996's major scandals, will find it worthwhile reading.
- Elizabeth Lucas