William Jefferson Clinton's PsychologyPresident Clinton's Character: Patterns of PsychologyA president's psychology is not synonymous with his character. A
president, like any other person, develops characteristic psychologi-
cal patterns. Built in part on the foundation of character, these pat-
terns represent the related package of qualities that help define a per-
son's psychological resources and limitations.
Persistence
Persistence, an excellent example of a character-based trait, reflects a
capacity to tolerate disappointments, frustrations, and setbacks to
one's plans and not to be deterred from continuing attempts to
achieve them. Persistence is partially a function of an individuals
desire to achieve his or her purposes (ambition). The greater a presi-
dent's ambition, the more likely he or she is to continue trying to
realize it. Persistence is also related to self-confidence. The greater
one's self-confidence, the more capacity one has to persist. A no less
powerful association is to be found in the reverse; namely, the more
important success becomes to maintaining or validating one's self-
regard or identity, the more determined a person may become to
obtain that which success provides.
President Clinton is both determined and resilient. His persis-
tence has been a great political asset. As governor and president,
Clinton has had a number of serious setbacks from which he has
recovered and from which he has gone on to new achievements.
Going back to his student politics days, he lost in his bid for student
council president at Georgetown during his junior year but won it
his senior year (Levin 1992, 51). In his early political career he nar-
rowly lost his first run for public office for a congressional seat in
Arkansas in 1974 but went on to win the election for attorney gen-
eral in 1976 and for governor in 1978. He lost his reelection bid in
1980 but ran again in 1982 and won. In the 1992 presidential cam-
paign, he recovered from major questions raised about his character
that would have led many candidates to withdraw.
Clinton's capacity to recover is obvious. But an important ques-
tion is, Why does he have to do it so often? This relates to the crisis-
pocked landscape of his life described by his mother and, in part, to
his characteristic impatience and associated impulsivity.