1. William Jefferson Clinton
Early Life/Political Career
William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe, III in Hope, Arkansas on August 19, 1946
His father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., was a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before Bill was born
His mother traveled to New Orleans to study nursing soon after he was born, and she left Bill in Hope with his grandparents

2. William Jefferson Clinton
Early Life/Political Career Continued…
When his mother returned from nursing school, she married Roger Clinton, Sr.
He took his stepfather’s name, Clinton, when he was 15
Clinton says he remembers his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother, Roger Clinton, Jr.

3. William Jefferson Clinton
Early Life/Political Career Continued…
He attended Georgetown University where he earned a Rhodes Scholarship to attend the University of Oxford in London, England
Clinton then went on to receive a law degree from Yale Law School, where he met Hillary Rodham, who later became his wife
Clinton served as the Attorney General of Arkansas and later Governor before running for President in 1992

4. PBS – American Experience - Clinton
Intro (3:39)
Political Ambition
(First 3:00 Minutes…Not whole thing)
Early Life (10:00)
Entering Policitics (3:00)

5. Election of 1992 George Bush (President) Dan Quayle (Vice-President)
Republicans
George Bush (President)
Dan Quayle (Vice-President)
Democrats
Bill Clinton (Governor – Arkansas)
Al Gore (Senator – Tennessee)
Independent
Ross Perot (Texas Businessman)
James Stockdale (Retired Vice-Admiral of the Navy)

6. Election of 1992 Bush/Quayle – 35.7% Clinton/Gore – 43%
Popular Vote
Bush/Quayle – 35.7%
Clinton/Gore – 43%
Perot/Stockdale – 18.9%
States Carried
Bush/Quayle – 18
Clinton/Gore – 32 Plus DC
Perot/Stockdale - 0

7. Election of 1992

8. Clinton administration (1993-1997)
Clinton’s First Term
Clinton's election ended 12 years of Republican rule of the White House and 20 of the previous 24 years
During Clinton’s first term, he focused mainly on domestic issues
He cut taxes for low income families, and raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Americans in order to erase American debt and to balance the federal budget
He signed NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) into law which limited the tariffs on trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico in order to increase trade among the nations

9. Clinton administration (1993-1997)
Clinton’s First Term Continued…
He put into place the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which allowed gay men and women to serve in the military provided they kept their sexuality a secret
In 1996 Clinton escaped an assassination attempt in the Philippines
He was saved shortly before his car was due to drive over a bridge where a bomb had been planted
There were very few news reports of the incident at the time, but after further U.S. investigation it was later revealed that the plot was masterminded by Osama bin Laden

10. Election of 1996 Bob Dole (Senator - Kansas)
Republicans
Bob Dole (Senator - Kansas)
Jack Kemp (Congressman– New York)
Democrats
Bill Clinton (President)
Al Gore (Vice-President)
Independent
Ross Perot (Texas Businessman)
Patrick Choate (American Economist)

11. Election of 1996 Dole/Kemp – 40.7% Clinton/Gore – 49.2%
Popular Vote
Dole/Kemp – 40.7%
Clinton/Gore – 49.2%
Perot/Choate – 8.4%
States Carried
Dole/Kemp – 19
Clinton/Gore – 31 Plus DC
Perot/Choate - 0

12. Election of 1996

13. Clinton administration (1997-2001)
Clinton’s Second Term
Clinton became the first Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt to be re-elected President
Clinton’s second term saw continued growth in the economy, relative peace around the world, but was marred by the Monica Lewinsky Scandal

14. PBS – American Experience - Clinton
Lewinsky (10:00)

15. Clinton administration (1997-2001)
Lewinsky Scandal ( )
While Clinton was President, he was sued by Paula Jones for sexual harassment
The alleged harassment occurred in 1991 when he was the Governor of Arkansas, and the lawsuit went to court in 1997
The case was initially dismissed, but later appealed, and Clinton agreed to pay Jones $850,000 to settle the case
Clinton denies ever engaging in a sexual affair with her and his attorney Bob Bennett stated that he only made the settlement so he could end the lawsuit for good and move on with his life
During the course of that trial, Clinton’s denied having a sexual relationship with White House Intern Monica Lewinsky, a denial that later became the basis for an impeachment charge of perjury against Clinton

16. Clinton administration (1997-2001)
Lewinsky Scandal Continued…
In 1998, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton based on an investigation into the Lewinsky scandal and he was specifically charged with perjury and obstruction of justice
Impeachment
The expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed while in office
The actual trial on those charges, and subsequent removal of an official on conviction on those charges, is separate from the act of impeachment itself
This made Clinton only the second U.S. president to be impeached (the first being Andrew Johnson)

17. Clinton administration (1997-2001)
Lewinsky Scandal Continued…
The Senate, however, voted to acquit Clinton on both charges
The Senate vote finished 55 not guilty and 45 guilty on both counts falling short of the Constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an officeholder
The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty, and only a handful of Republicans voting not guilty

18. PBS – American Experience - Clinton
Final Years (6:00)

19. Clinton Legacy
Clinton Legacy
As president, Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history
Clinton left office with an approval rating of 68%, which matched those of Ronald Regan and Franklin D. Roosevelt as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era
Clinton’s approval rating was even higher shortly after his impeachment proceedings
His ability to survive multiple scandals and maintain high approval ratings led to a nickname of "Teflon Bill“ by his supporters, and “Slick Willie” by his detractors