American Democracy and Family Presidencies

Abstract

These two quotes show the depth of how power and family relationships have combined to promote both the Clinton and Bush families in recent years. The Bush quote came from former first lady Barbara Bush in 1999 about the fact that two of her sons now held the governor’s office in two of the largest states in the nation. If the Bushes governed two states, why not the entire nation? This remark shows the incredible ambition of the Bushes to regain the presidency after the troubled presidency of George H. W. Bush. The Clinton quote took place in the middle of the presidential primary campaign of 1992. This quote highlights how politically connected Bill and Hillary Clinton were (and still are). For a candidate to seriously advance the proposition that his spouse would hold as much power in a presidency as he would is an obvious affront to the founders who explicitly rejected familial sharing of power. The presidency is not a monarchy handed off to a spouse or a son in a casual or automatic fashion.

“One out of eight Americans is governed by a Bush.”

—Barbara Bush in 1999.

“When you vote for Bill Clinton, you get two for the price of one.”¹

—Bill Clinton in 1992.