All Too Human

By William Urban

I recently read George Stephanopoulos’s memoir of his years with the two Clinton campaigns and in the White House. It was an enjoyable experience in its way. His anecdotes and character analyses of his co-workers were enlightening, and his assessment of himself—charitably summarized in the title of the book, All Too Human—as a ambitious, hard-working and committed political geek is right on. Clearly, he was too young, too inexperienced, and too paranoid for his job as political advisor. That speaks much about his employer’s judgment.

His father was a Greek Orthodox priest and he, naturally, was expected to follow that profession as well. However, he was converted to liberal politics in college and thereafter sought an office-holding Savior who could make the kind of societal changes that he saw as just and necessary. However, his first choice, Governor Cuomo of New York, could not gear himself up either for the run on the presidency that Stephanopoulos urged, nor take on the Supreme Court appointment that he later helped arrange. Bill Clinton was his fall-back choice, one that he had mixed feelings about—he liked Bill Clinton’s ideas, his fresh personality, and his way of working an audience, but he was disturbed by the “Bimbo Eruptions” and the frequent turns back to practical compromises that threatened to betray the liberal program.

His first appointment as press secretary was a disaster. From the moment that he announced the press could not use the customary press room (because Hillary wanted to reconvert it into a swimming pool), he was mocked and scorned for his inability to keep on top of the fast-moving list of minor scandals; meanwhile, White House and congressional insiders (never named) accused him repeatedly of “leaking” information that aided his pet projects.

Stephanopoulos’s list of enemies is impressive: 1) all Republicans, but especially Newt Gingrich; 2) Dick Morris; 3) Bill Clinton some of the time; 4) Hillary Clinton more often; 5) John Kerry. The Republicans are understandable—if you yourself represent Truth and Justice, those who oppose you must represent Lies and Evil. Dick Morris, a butter-ball motor-mouth who would hire his talents at winning elections out to anyone, even Republicans, comes in worse than Republicans, who are at least consistent.

He liked Bill Clinton, but he was constantly disappointed in him, and one cause of the disappointment came from Hillary, who often interfered with policies Stephanopoulos had persuaded the president to follow. Hillary was arrogant, ideological and paranoid—the press was always out to get her, and so were many of those who surrounded her.

John Kerry was not evil—he just was not dependable, and he was never in Congress when they needed him. Instead, he was off campaigning for president. This was ten years ago.

His list of friends is small but telling. Foremost was James Carville, the “Ragin’ Cajun”, Clinton’s most fanatical supporter, who had dedicated himself to the first family and their electoral success. He and Stephanopoulos hit it off well. Too well, perhaps. They seemed to egg one another on, a friendly competition as to who could be the more extreme in defense of the president and his programs.

In the end, Stephanopoulos’s nerves gave out. He lost the press job to David Gergen (a Republican!), the position of policy strategist to Dick Morris, and his encouragement of openness sank on the rock of Hillary’s obstinacy. Although he left the White House as friends of the first couple, this ended with the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Stephanopoulos’ efforts to persuade the president to tell the truth and get it over with lost out to Dick Morris’ advice to lie. His concluding lines were sad: so much had been lost because this good president had not been a better man.

All Too Human (1999) is on books on tape at the Warren County Library.

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