'Real Talk' explores Clinton

Published 10/8/98

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Point Park College alumnus William Green of the communications firm William Green and Associates spoke with former Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editor Brian Heyworth at a taping of real Talk: Face the Issues."

In the half-hour discussion that will be aired on an upcoming program titled "The Image Makers and the Presidency," Green gave advice to the president and his political opponents on how they should act amidst the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

For the commander in chief, Green suggests he become more of an international president, and by visiting places like China, Russia and Europe, Green said Clinton will eventually improve his image with the American people.

"It's best he's seen out of the White House," Green said, explaining that if Clinton is away from the Washington scene, people will relate to him more as a president and not just someone who had an affair with a former White House intern.

Green said that image rebuilding is a good strategy for the president to pursue if he wants to finish his term in office because the only other way Clinton would leave his presidency prematurely is through impeachment. "I don't think he'll go voluntarily," Green said.

Despite Clinton's high approval ratings, Green said if you look at the majority of polls, which he regards as "artificial," most people say Clinton is doing a good job as president. But when people are asked about his trustworthiness and likability, the numbers go down.

Green contrasted the way people view Clinton to the way they viewed former president Ronald Reagan a decade ago. While many voters disagreed with Reagan's policy decisions, Green said they admired his personality. With Clinton, Green said, the feeling is opposite.

It wasn't just Democrats that Green gave advice to during the taping. For House and Senate Republicans who are "pulling defeat from the jaws of victory," Green said that they should take a lesson from the Democrats' behavior throughout the Watergate scandal and act in a more statesmanlike manner.

"Let the judiciary committee do its thing," he said, noting that a politician's personal feelings toward the whole situation shouldn't be made public. Green added that not being available to the press would aid this cause.

It's not certain that Clinton's actions damaged the presidency, Green said, but he's sure that the next president will be elected not for what they are capable of doing but what they won't do.

"(For the 2000 election), every candidate will say 'I will not embarrass you,'" Green said, predicting that whoever gets elected will be in the mold of someone like former president Jimmy Carter.

Whoever will get elected as the next president, Green said, his policy decisions will almost certainly be poll-driven. Citing a "different day and age from FDR and JFK," Green said that modern devices like the Internet and focus group give a president less opportunity to make gut decisions.

Green has had experience in image-building. In addition to working on the Three Mile Island near-nuclear meltdown, he has also worked for the department of environmental resources, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and as a press secretary for former governor Dick Thornburgh.

"The Image Makers and the Presidency" is scheduled to air sometimes between late October and early November, according to Journalism and Mass Communication Professor Joan Williams Giuliani.

Green graduated from Point Park in 1969 with a degree in journalism and communications.

Caption: William Green (left) discusses image-building ideas for the president with Brian Heyworth (right).

Click here to return to news index.