London, ON. - The Department of Communications & Public Affairs at The University of Western Ontario is providing the following contacts to assist those covering Bill Clinton's visit to London. Note to broadcasters: Western can arrange live broadcast interviews. Please call (519) 661-2111 ext. 85165 for more information.
Andrew Johnston, history professor, specializes in U.S. history and foreign policy and is Co-Director of Western's Centre for American Studies (CAS). He can be reached at (519) 661-2111 ext. 84910 (office), (519) 475-9089 (home) or ajohnst4@uwo.ca.
"Bill Clinton comes to town next week and once again we're awestruck. It would be hard to imagine an American president whose political legacy was more ambiguous, whose personal weaknesses were more vividly displayed, and yet Canadians and a great many Americans are still spellbound. Why? Certainly it's not based on a detailed understanding of what happened in Washington in the 1990s."
Donald Abelson, political science professor specializing in American politics and foreign policy, is also Co-Director of the CAS. He can be reached at (519) 661-2111 ext. 84185 or dabelson@uwo.ca.
"There's no denying Bill Clinton was a major presence in politics. Despite all of the scandals that plagued him, when Clinton left Washington, he had a very high approval rating. People were captivated by his charisma and the way he could reach out and really connect with the needs of the American people.
He was respected as a leader. He was able to rise above all the scandals and make a strong impact. He also shared a strong bond with Jean Chrétien and his values were generally aligned with those of Canadians.
Interestingly, Clinton's record with respect to several domestic and foreign policy issues was not terribly impressive. His goals for the health care system were not realized and health care fell apart. He was also heavily criticized for becoming involved in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in heavily bombing Iraq and in dropping the ball on terrorism."
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Media contact: Christine Roulston, Communications & Public Affairs, (519) 661-2111 ext. 85165.
Commentary reflects the perspective and scholarly interest of Western faculty members and is not an articulation of official university policy on issues being addressed.
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