1992 Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““Yet isn't it all—all of it, every single episode and detail of the Clinton saga—exactly like that? And isn't some of it a little bit more serious? For Sen. Clinton, something is true if it validates the myth of her striving and her 'greatness' (her overweening ambition in other words) and only ceases to be true when it no longer serves that limitless purpose. And we are all supposed to applaud the skill and the bare-faced bravado with which this is done. In the New Hampshire primary in 1992, she knowingly lied about her husband's uncontainable sex life and put him eternally in her debt. This is now thought of, and referred to in print, purely as a smart move on her part. In the Iowa caucuses of 2008, he returns the favor by telling a huge lie about his own record on the war in Iraq, falsely asserting that he was opposed to the intervention from the very start. This is thought of, and referred to in print, as purely a tactical mistake on his part: trying too hard to help the spouse. The happy couple has now united on an equally mendacious account of what they thought about Iraq and when they thought it. What would it take to break this cheap little spell and make us wake up and inquire what on earth we are doing when we make the Clinton family drama— yet again —a central part of our own politics?””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public commentary, 2010 (various interviews)
The narrative around political figures often mythologizes ambition, turning deceit into strategic moves, which obscures truth and manipulates public perception.
In simple terms: Political myths glorify ambition and hide deceit.
Critically evaluate political narratives for truth.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- voter education
- media literacy
- journalistic investigation
- public debate
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence distinguishes genuine leadership from myth?
- How does media framing shape public opinion?
Complex political narratives can be persuasive, making truth harder to discern.