Clinton, Conspiracism, and the Continuing Culture
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TheA PUBLICATION OF POLITICAL PublicEye RESEARCH ASSOCIATES SPRING 1999 • Volume XIII, No. 1 Clinton, Conspiracism, and the Continuing Culture War What is Past is Prologue by Chip Berlet cal of the direct-mail genre, it asked: culture war as part of the age-old battle he roar was visceral. A torrent of Which Clinton Administration against forces aligned with Satan. sound fed by a vast subconscious scandal listed below do you consider to Demonization is central to the process. Treservoir of anger and resentment. be “very serious”? Essayist Ralph Melcher notes that the “ven- Repeatedly, as speaker after speaker strode to The scandals listed were: omous hatred” directed toward the entire the podium and denounced President Clin- Chinagate, Monicagate, Travel- culture exemplified by the President and his ton, the thousands in the cavernous audito- gate, Whitewater, FBI “Filegate,” wife succeeded in making them into “polit- rium surged to their feet with shouts and Cattlegate, Troopergate, Casinogate, ical monsters,” but also represented the applause. The scene was the Christian Coali- [and] Health Caregate… deeper continuity of the right's historic tion’s annual Road to Victory conference held In addition to attention to scandals, distaste for liberalism. As historian Robert in September 1998—three months before the those attending the annual conference clearly Dallek of Boston University puts it, “The House of Representatives voted to send arti- opposed Clinton’s agenda on abortion, gay Republicans are incensed because they cles of impeachment to the Senate. rights, foreign policy, and other issues. essentially see Clinton…as the embodi- Former Reagan appointee Alan Keyes Several months later, much of the coun- ment of the counterculture’s thumbing of observed that the country’s moral decline had try’s attention was focused on the House of its nose at accepted wisdoms and institu- spanned two decades and couldn’t be blamed Representatives “Managers” and their pursuit tions of the country.” exclusively on Clinton, but when he of a “removal” of Clinton in the Senate. Liberals are demonized for tolerating denounced Clinton for supporting the “rad- Few people understood the vast right-wing godless moral relativism and sinful immoral- ical homosexual agenda,” the crowd cheered political machinery that was mobilized to ity—especially in the form of abortion and and gave Keyes one of his several standing pressure the managers to fight on and never gay rights. Liberals also are demonized for ovations. Republican Senator Bob Smith of give up. Those gathered at the Road to Vic- supporting a strong federal government, New Hampshire attacked Clinton’s foreign tory Conference are naturally inclined to aggressive regulatory oversight, and global policies, stating that the “globalists of the oppose Clinton, but they were “educated” by interdependence—seen as subversive col- New World Order” must not be allowed to a large number of relatively unknown right- lectivism that undermines sovereignty and sell out American sovereignty. wing groups and individuals to see Clinton the spirit of free enterprise. Most attacks on Clinton highlighted his as the embodiment of evil, not just a liberal, The Christian Coalition audience’s pal- sexual misconduct and subsequent cover-up but corrupt, immoral, and even a murderer. pable hostility to Clinton and all he rep- as proof that he was unfit to remain Presi- They are the foot soldiers in the “culture war,” resents illustrates the zeal of the foot soldiers dent, but the list of complaints was long. the backlash launched by the political right When the American Conservative Union against the post-WWII social liberation IN THIS ISSUE distributed a National Impeachment Sur- movements. It has replaced communism as vey with the type of loaded question typi- the right’s major unifying focus. From the Director . .2 Today’s culture war is, in part, a contin- EDITORS’ NOTE: This article has 164 footnotes. For a uation of the right’s long-standing campaign Book Review . .24 copy of this article with footnotes and bibliography please call Political Research Associates at (617) 661-9313 or against the ideas of modernity and even the Eyes Right . .27 e-mail [email protected]. Enlightenment. Some openly support the THE PUBLIC EYE 1 SPRING 1999 The Public Eye From the Director ThePublicEye Editors arly in the 1980s, New Right leaders described themselves as rightist revolutionaries. They Judith Glaubman Ewanted nothing less than a total transformation of society. Despite setbacks and a mes- Surina Khan sage from the public that they might be politically wise to compromise, their unyielding and Printing Red Sun Press dogmatic tone has persisted. We have learned that the right is single-minded when it sets itself Mailing on a political path. Walnut Street Center Never was this more clearly illustrated than in the effort to impeach President Bill Clinton. PRA Many of the journalists who have analyzed the right’s campaign against Clinton have fixed Political Research Associates on a single explanation for the right’s persistence. Sometimes they see Richard Mellon Scaife Board of Directors as the smoking gun that kept the investigation alive; sometimes it is Ken Starr. Hillary Clin- Joseph Agne ton points to a “vast right-wing conspiracy.” Michael Chapman Jean Entine Public Eye readers understand that the right is a social movement, whose sectors often do not Jean V. Hardisty Geraldine Hines agree on various policy issues or ideological positions. In the case of Bill Clinton, however, Joyce King nearly every sector of the right condemns him. They hate him for a wide range of perfidies Michael Kozu Faith Smith that engage nearly every sector of the movement—he is a liberal, a “moral Dr. Loretta Williams disgrace,” a “draft dodger,” an “internationalist,” and a shady character willing to sell the Lucy A. Williams Lincoln bedroom of the White House. The right’s leadership and the grassroots followers Staff across the sectors wanted Clinton punished. Jean V. Hardisty, Ph.D., Executive Director Peter Snoad, Deputy Director And each sector made its own contribution to the cause. From the far right came videotapes Chip Berlet, Senior Research Analyst that told the story of Clinton as “murderer,” with special emphasis on the death of Vincent Surina Khan, Associate Research Analyst Judith Glaubman, Researcher/Office Manager Foster. From the anti-feminist movement came exposés of the “hypocrisy” of the women’s move- Mark Umi Perkins, Information Specialist ment in not condemning Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky relationship. From the right’s leg- Miranda Balkin, Intern islators came the attacks on Clinton’s “cover-up” and his lying under oath. At times the attacks, Advisory Board described in detail in this issue by Chip Berlet, looked partisan and obsessive to the general Rita Arditti John Roberts public. But to the right’s grassroots followers, they looked appropriate—in keeping with Clin- Ann Baker Mab Segrest ton’s crimes. Donna Bivens Alice Senturia Sara Diamond, Holly Sklar The anti-Clinton campaign was a case study in how an experienced movement, with a strong Ph.D. Barbara Simon infrastructure and skilled leadership, can capture and frame a cause that touches the passions Fred Goff Urvashi Vaid Beni Ivey Lucius Walker of a very broad segment of its members and ride that cause to its ultimate end. It’s better, of Maya Miller Leah Wise course, to win the campaign and have a victory to celebrate. But even a defeat can serve to Suzanne Pharr Louis Wolf showcase the movement’s principles, reach new recruits, and tie up the opposition. Skipp Porteous In this issue, Chip Berlet gives us one of the most detailed accounts of the anti-Clinton cam- The Public Eye is published by Political Research Associates. Subscriptions are $29.00 for individuals paign yet published. The campaign appears to have been a resounding failure for the right. and non-profit organizations, $39.00 for other organizations, $19.00 for students and low-income And perhaps the movement is discouraged and demoralized. But no right-wing campaign has individuals. Outside U.S., Canada, and Mexico, add more clearly established that the movement is on the side of morality. $9.00 for surface delivery or $14.00 for air mail. Please make checks payable to Political Research Uncompromising they were, and uncompromising they remain. Associates, 120 Beacon Street, Suite 202, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143-4304. 617.661.9313 fax: 617.661.0059 PRA is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. © Political Research Associates, 1999. Jean Hardisty Website: www.publiceye.org All rights reserved. ISSN 0275-9322 THE PUBLIC EYE 2 SPRING 1999 The Public Eye mobilized in the crusade for God and coun- trum and incorporate both secular and reli- Former congressman Vin Weber, try. We should not discount the political gious themes. That a wide variety of conser- an early and active member of the impact of these activists, who are motivated vative and hard right groups work together “movement conservative” Republican by deep ideological, theological, and emo- in coalition to challenge liberalism is hardly faction on Capitol Hill, recalled that tional commitments. While the Senate voted surprising. However, right-wing coalitions in “people on the right were absolutely not to sustain the charges sent over by the the 1990s increasingly tolerated, or even convinced that there was a vast, left- House of Representatives, there is no truce embraced, the most outlandish and nasty wing conspiracy” that had to be mim- in the culture war. Bill and Hillary Clinton assertions of conspiracist subcultures. Even icked and countered with new continue to serve as high profile targets. conservative groups with a more cautious and conservative organizations that were Much of the original constituency for rational track record appear more and more “philosophically sound, technologi- the impeachment battle came from the open to the paranoid-sounding vernacular cally proficient and movement-ori- Christian Right, but the Christian Right and conspiracist narratives of hard right pop- ented.” This became a mantra for does not act alone or in isolation.