Primary Colors

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Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics, a 1996 novel by "Anonymous" (later revealed to be journalist Joe Klein[1]), is a roman à clef ("novel at key", describing real-life in the guise of fiction) inspired by U.S. President Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign in 1992. While many characters and events in the novel are based on reality, much of the book is fictional. The book centers on Henry Burton, a campaign aide for southern governor Jack Stanton (thought to represent Bill Clinton). It is thought to be influenced by an earlier roman à clef of American politics, Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men (1946).

There is a sequel of sorts to the novel (also by Joe Klein but not anonymously), The Running Mate, published in 2000.

[edit] Plot summary

Mixed race campaigner and former Congressional worker Henry Burton is asked to join the campaign of Southern governor Jack Stanton for the Presidency. At the start of the campaign things appear to be going well; while there are some quirky individuals on board and agreement on issues is few and far between, the candidate really seems to care and goes out of his way to appear different from the rest of the Democratic field.

But the situation begins to cloud with details of Stanton's involvement in an anti-war protest in Chicago and alleged affair with his wife's hairdresser. Seeing his political future slip away and fellow candidates preparing to replace him, Stanton makes a last desperate pitch. He survives and manages to tread water the rest of the way, helped by the mistakes of his adversaries. But campaign manager Burton increasingly feels disillusioned and is also seeing a campaign worker on the side. Matters boil to a head and Burton is forced to choose between idealism and realism.

[edit] Fictional characters and real-life inspirations

• Governor Jack Stanton - Bill Clinton, Governor of Arkansas and later President
• His wife Susan Stanton - Hillary Clinton
• Campaign manager Henry Burton - George Stephanopoulos
• Campaign strategist Richard Jemmons - James Carville
• Campaign chief Howard Ferguson - Harold Ickes, Jr.
• New York Governor Orlando Ozio - Mario Cuomo, NY Governor
• His son Jimmy Ozio - Andrew Cuomo
• Senator Charlie Martin - Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey
• Former New Hampshire Senator Lawrence Harris - Former Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas/Former California Governor Jerry Brown
• Wisconsin Senator Bart Nilson - Iowa Senator Tom Harkin
• Former Florida Governor Freddy Picker - Former California Governor Jerry Brown/Former Florida Governor Reubin O'Donovan Askew/Ross Perot
• NYC Mayor Richmond Rucker - NYC Mayor David Dinkins
• Rev. Luther Charles - Rev Jesse Jackson
• House Majority Leader Adam Larkin - House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt
• Senate Majority Leader Donny O'Brien - Former House Speaker Tip O'Neill
• Suspected Stanton's lover Cashmere McLeod - Gennifer Flowers
• Campaign defender Libby Holden - Betsey Wright

Picker is believed to based partially on four politicians, by reasons:

• As Brown, he entered the race late to stop favorite
• His biography is smilliar to Askew's
• As Perot, he entered race late
• He was a former drug user, as Hughes an alcoholic

[edit] Anonymous

Prior to Klein's confession, writers for Newsweek, The Washington Post, and The New York Times speculated some of the following to be the possible author:

• George Stephanopoulos
• Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau
• former Los Angeles Times editor Mary Louise Oates & her husband, Robert Shrum
• campaign consultant Mandy Grunwald and her novelist sister Lisa Grunwald
• Mark Halperin
• Sidney Blumenthal

[edit] Related film

• The War Room, a documentary of Clinton's 1992 campaign.

[edit] See also

• Politics in fiction
• Primary Colors (film)

[edit] External links

• A Joe Klein interview on Bill Clinton
• An article on Joe Klein by Matt Taibbi
• Publication history and critical reactionsde:Mit aller Macht

fr:Primary Colors pl:Barwy kampanii ur:بنیادی رنگ