When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s

by John Ganz

But what did it all amount to? Polls still showed broad discontent with both Bush and Clinton, and now the public was beginning to sour on Perot as well. Clinton was viewed favorably by only 16 percent of the public, Perot by 26 percent, while Bush was at 29 percent. But there was now the perception, fueled by the media desperate for a story, that something had changed, Clinton had done something and had turned a corner, accomplished something bold and new. If nothing else, it got attention: Clinton had desperately been trying to break Perot’s hold on the media and now seemed to have accomplished it. But he also judged the national mood correctly. People wanted to be pissed off, but the specifics were too irritating and difficult: the details of urban policy didn’t get people going, dwelling on the scenes of burned-out Los Angeles was too depressing and hopeless. Reality had to be left behind. People wanted to talk about something else while seeming as if they were still addressing the serious issues. As always, symbols—actors, rappers, songs, movies, culture—were needed to stand in for complex issues.