Presidential Transitions: George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and the 1992 Election
In recent times, it has become a tradition for the outgoing president to leave a letter in his desk for the incoming president. The first time this occurred that I am aware of was in 1988 President Ronald Reagan scribbled a note that said “Don’t let the turkeys get you down” and slipped the note into the Oval Office desk for his successor, President George H.W. Bush, to find. The first President Bush became the first outgoing president to leave a note to an incoming president from the opposite party, and a man who had defeated him in what was a hard fought election. George H. W. Bush was not bitter in defeat however, and the note he left for Clinton was a reflection of President Bush's dignity and class. The note read as follows:
January 20, 1993
Dear Bill,
When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that too. I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described. There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.
You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well. Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.
Good luck -
George
It might have been understandable if Bush had been more bitter in defeat. After Clinton won the Democratic Party's nomination in the spring of 1992, polls showed that in a two way race between Bush and Clinton, Bush was in the lead. But the intervention of third party candidate Ross Perot, had Bush trailing Clinton when all three candidates were considered. The economy worsened and this occurred, Bush's approval rating continued to slide. At the time of Clinton's nomination acceptance speech approached, Ross Perot dropped out of the race. He justified his departure by saying that his staying in the race would cause the presidency to be decided by the House of Representatives.
Clinton campaigned by taking political advantage of the ailing economy. His campaign team stressed this theme with the slogan "it's the economy stupid!" Clinton promised to bring a "new covenant" to America, and to work to heal the gap that had developed between the rich and the poor during the Reagan and Bush administrations. Clinton received the biggest convention bounce in history, coming from 25 percent in the spring, behind Bush and Perot, to 55 percent versus Bush's 31 percent.
The Bush campaign team did not respond in a dignified manner. Instead it began to attack Clinton's character, highlighting accusations of infidelity and draft dodging. The Bush campaign emphasized its foreign policy successes such as Desert Storm, and the end of the Cold War. Bush also contrasted his military service to Clinton's lack thereof, and criticized Clinton's lack of foreign policy expertise.
But the economy was the main issue. Bush's campaign floundered across the nation, even in strongly Republican areas, and Clinton maintained leads with over 50% of the vote nationwide consistently, while Bush typically polled in the upper 30% range.
In September, Ross Perot decided to re-enter the race. Initially, Perot's return saw the Texas billionaire do poorly in the polls. But after Perot was allowed to participate in a trio of debates, the race narrowed. Perot's numbers significantly improved and Clinton's numbers declined, while Bush's numbers remained more or less the same. Like Bush, Perot began to hammer at Clinton on character issues once again. These included allegations that Clinton had dodged the draft during the Vietnam War, and that he had used marijuana (to which Clinton claimed he had pretended to smoke, but "didn't inhale.") Bush also accused Clinton of meeting with communists on a trip to Russia he took as a student. Allegations were also made that Bill Clinton had engaged in a long-term extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers, which Clinton denied.
On November 3, Clinton won the election by a wide margin in the Electoral College, receiving 43% of the popular vote, compared with 37.5% for Bush's 37.5% and 18.9% for Perot. It was the first time since 1968 that a candidate won the White House with under 50% of the popular vote. Only Washington, D.C. and Clinton's home state of Arkansas gave the majority of their votes to a single candidate. The rest of the states were won by pluralities of the vote.
Clinton's transition began with a message that he intended the economy to be his priority. His first announced appointments included Lloyd Bentsen as Secretary of the Treasury, Roger Altman as deputy Treasury Secretary, Leon Panetta as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Alice Rivlin as Panetta's deputy, and Robert Rubin as Chair of the National Economic Council. Clinton had promised to select a cabinet that “looks like America,” and planned to appoint a female attorney general. By Christmas Eve, he had still not announced his choice for chief law enforcement officer. His first choice was Zoë Baird, but it was revealed that Baird and her husband had hired illegal aliens to care for their child and additionally had not paid their employees’ Social Security taxes. Baird’s nomination was withdrawn from nomination. His second choice, Kimba Wood, also had a “nanny problem.” On the third try, Clinton chose Janet Reno, state attorney for Dade County, Florida. Reno was confirmed on March 11. Clinton’s cabinet was made up of eleven men and four women. Four cabinet members were African-Americans and two were Hispanic Americans.
At his inaugural address on January 20, 1993, Clinton began his speech by commenting on the theme of change and also by praising his opponent. He said:
"My fellow citizens, today we celebrate the mystery of American renewal. This ceremony is held in the depth of winter, but by the words we speak and the faces we show the world, we force the spring, a spring reborn in the world's oldest democracy that brings forth the vision and courage to reinvent America. When our Founders boldly declared America's independence to the world and our purposes to the Almighty, they knew that America, to endure, would have to change; not change for change's sake but change to preserve America's ideals: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Though we marched to the music of our time, our mission is timeless. Each generation of Americans must define what it means to be an American.
"On behalf of our Nation, I salute my predecessor, President Bush, for his half-century of service to America. And I thank the millions of men and women whose steadfastness and sacrifice triumphed over depression, fascism, and communism."
January 20, 1993
Dear Bill,
When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that too. I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described. There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.
You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well. Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.
Good luck -
George
It might have been understandable if Bush had been more bitter in defeat. After Clinton won the Democratic Party's nomination in the spring of 1992, polls showed that in a two way race between Bush and Clinton, Bush was in the lead. But the intervention of third party candidate Ross Perot, had Bush trailing Clinton when all three candidates were considered. The economy worsened and this occurred, Bush's approval rating continued to slide. At the time of Clinton's nomination acceptance speech approached, Ross Perot dropped out of the race. He justified his departure by saying that his staying in the race would cause the presidency to be decided by the House of Representatives.
Clinton campaigned by taking political advantage of the ailing economy. His campaign team stressed this theme with the slogan "it's the economy stupid!" Clinton promised to bring a "new covenant" to America, and to work to heal the gap that had developed between the rich and the poor during the Reagan and Bush administrations. Clinton received the biggest convention bounce in history, coming from 25 percent in the spring, behind Bush and Perot, to 55 percent versus Bush's 31 percent.
The Bush campaign team did not respond in a dignified manner. Instead it began to attack Clinton's character, highlighting accusations of infidelity and draft dodging. The Bush campaign emphasized its foreign policy successes such as Desert Storm, and the end of the Cold War. Bush also contrasted his military service to Clinton's lack thereof, and criticized Clinton's lack of foreign policy expertise.
But the economy was the main issue. Bush's campaign floundered across the nation, even in strongly Republican areas, and Clinton maintained leads with over 50% of the vote nationwide consistently, while Bush typically polled in the upper 30% range.
In September, Ross Perot decided to re-enter the race. Initially, Perot's return saw the Texas billionaire do poorly in the polls. But after Perot was allowed to participate in a trio of debates, the race narrowed. Perot's numbers significantly improved and Clinton's numbers declined, while Bush's numbers remained more or less the same. Like Bush, Perot began to hammer at Clinton on character issues once again. These included allegations that Clinton had dodged the draft during the Vietnam War, and that he had used marijuana (to which Clinton claimed he had pretended to smoke, but "didn't inhale.") Bush also accused Clinton of meeting with communists on a trip to Russia he took as a student. Allegations were also made that Bill Clinton had engaged in a long-term extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers, which Clinton denied.
On November 3, Clinton won the election by a wide margin in the Electoral College, receiving 43% of the popular vote, compared with 37.5% for Bush's 37.5% and 18.9% for Perot. It was the first time since 1968 that a candidate won the White House with under 50% of the popular vote. Only Washington, D.C. and Clinton's home state of Arkansas gave the majority of their votes to a single candidate. The rest of the states were won by pluralities of the vote.
Clinton's transition began with a message that he intended the economy to be his priority. His first announced appointments included Lloyd Bentsen as Secretary of the Treasury, Roger Altman as deputy Treasury Secretary, Leon Panetta as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Alice Rivlin as Panetta's deputy, and Robert Rubin as Chair of the National Economic Council. Clinton had promised to select a cabinet that “looks like America,” and planned to appoint a female attorney general. By Christmas Eve, he had still not announced his choice for chief law enforcement officer. His first choice was Zoë Baird, but it was revealed that Baird and her husband had hired illegal aliens to care for their child and additionally had not paid their employees’ Social Security taxes. Baird’s nomination was withdrawn from nomination. His second choice, Kimba Wood, also had a “nanny problem.” On the third try, Clinton chose Janet Reno, state attorney for Dade County, Florida. Reno was confirmed on March 11. Clinton’s cabinet was made up of eleven men and four women. Four cabinet members were African-Americans and two were Hispanic Americans.
At his inaugural address on January 20, 1993, Clinton began his speech by commenting on the theme of change and also by praising his opponent. He said:
"My fellow citizens, today we celebrate the mystery of American renewal. This ceremony is held in the depth of winter, but by the words we speak and the faces we show the world, we force the spring, a spring reborn in the world's oldest democracy that brings forth the vision and courage to reinvent America. When our Founders boldly declared America's independence to the world and our purposes to the Almighty, they knew that America, to endure, would have to change; not change for change's sake but change to preserve America's ideals: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Though we marched to the music of our time, our mission is timeless. Each generation of Americans must define what it means to be an American.
"On behalf of our Nation, I salute my predecessor, President Bush, for his half-century of service to America. And I thank the millions of men and women whose steadfastness and sacrifice triumphed over depression, fascism, and communism."