William Jefferson Clintonsages during his first term show a steadily increasing trend away
from the "frustration" pattern (achievement greater than power),
reminiscent of Carter, toward the "pleasure of politics" pattern
(power greater than achievement) that characterized Presidents
Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy. Clinton's 1993 inau-
gural address had 0.64 more achievement images, per one thousand
words, than power images. His first State of the Union message, a
few weeks later, reversed this trend slightly: 1.23 more power
images than achievement images. In 1995 there were 5.84 more
power images than achievement images, and in January 1996, well
into the 1996 presidential campaign, the difference climbed to 7.02.
The power-greater-than-achievement motive profile also appeared
in each of the four speeches cited by Mitchell. A close reading of
Clinton's landmark speeches shows that the similarity to Harry Tru-
man (and the 1948 campaign) involved more than abstract psycho-
logical indicators. His first landmark speech in Dallas, for example,
contained the phrase "I will veto" seven times. And during his Janu-
ary 1996 State of the Union message, Clinton issued thirteen direct
challenges to the Congress ("I challenge you" or "I challenge the
Congress") and fifteen other direct challenges to various other
groups. Still, Clinton continued to wave an olive branch wrapped in
Announce- Inaugura- State of State of State of State of
ment 10/91 tion 1/93 Union 2/93 Union 1/94 Union 1/95 Union 1/96
SpeechFig. 12.1. Images of power and achievement in Clinton's
speechesAchievementPower