Forgiving and Forgetting: Public Support for Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky Scandal

Sonner, Molly W.; Wilcox, Clyde

doi:10.2307/420644

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…Partisanship was a ballast against further slippage in the polls. Similarly, President Clinton was able to maintain his approval ratings (and his job as president) by persuading his supporters that he was still a credible and active political figure and the general public that the fervor surrounding the Lewinsky scandal was politically motivated (Sonner and Wilcox 1999). This may be because partisans are less likely to be attentive to the events of a presidential scandal (Dancey 2012).…”

Section: Presidential Partisans During Scandalmentioning

confidence: 97%

Does Partisanship Stop at Scandal’s Edge? Partisan Resiliency and the Survival of Political Scandal

Cortina¹,

Rottinghaus²

2017

ARP

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The outbreak of political scandal depresses the approval ratings of the individuals involved, especially the president. Yet, less is known about the partisan effects of approval ratings during scandal, especially the “stickiness” of partisan ties to leaders involved in scandal. Using a survey experiment, we expose respondents to manufactured news coverage of both illegal and not illegal (mismanaged policy) activities involving President Obama. The results demonstrate that the President’s co-partisans are more likely to approve of the President and less likely to desire to impeach the president, even after being informed about illegal activity. In contrast, out partisans are more likely to demand the President’s impeachment for both illegal and not illegal activity. This article provides evidence of how partisanship persists (and even expands) during presidential scandals and how partisan linkages are important to surviving scandal.

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Section: Presidential Partisans During Scandalmentioning

confidence: 97%

Does Partisanship Stop at Scandal’s Edge? Partisan Resiliency and the Survival of Political Scandal

Cortina¹,

Rottinghaus²

2017

ARP

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“…On January 21, 1998, the media exploded and aired stories daily in regard to President Clinton and his relationship with a White House intern at the time named Monica Lewinsky (Kiousis, 2003). While Clinton did initially deny the affair, he later on admitted to having an improper sexual relationship with Lewinsky (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999). Clinton's definition of "sexual relations" seemingly meant "sexual intercourse," which, for him, meant that he was not untruthful given he did not engage in sexual intercourse with…”

Section: Media and Scandalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lewinsky, but what would be, as aforementioned, an "improper sexual relationship." Essentially, critics believed that Clinton lied to a grand jury and tried to halt an investigation of the affair (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999). The Senate was debating whether Clinton should be removed from office, the Internet erupted with Clinton and Lewinsky jokes and the topic became fodder for a media feeding frenzy (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999).…”

Section: Media and Scandalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Essentially, critics believed that Clinton lied to a grand jury and tried to halt an investigation of the affair (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999). The Senate was debating whether Clinton should be removed from office, the Internet erupted with Clinton and Lewinsky jokes and the topic became fodder for a media feeding frenzy (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999). Concurrently, Clinton was more popular than ever and had more favorability from the public than any other contemporary president (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999).…”

Section: Media and Scandalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Senate was debating whether Clinton should be removed from office, the Internet erupted with Clinton and Lewinsky jokes and the topic became fodder for a media feeding frenzy (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999). Concurrently, Clinton was more popular than ever and had more favorability from the public than any other contemporary president (Sonner & Wilcox, 1999). At the time, Clinton was seen as a charming and intelligent man, a loving father, and a caring husband.…”

Section: Media and Scandalmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“The Destruction of a Legacy”: Agenda Setting and the Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Allegations

Terán

Emmers‐Sommer

2017

Sexuality & Culture

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Media scandal has been a contributing factor to the American culture for centuries. However, ambiguity and preconceived notions arise when the media scandal is framed differently by various mediated outlets. This study investigates media scandal by examining the Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations and how the scandal is framed by the media. This study utilized agenda setting theory to explore the argument that the public will think of the Cosby scandal as highly important due to frequent exposure and how the media presents and frames the stories on this subject could ultimately impact public opinion on issues such as power, race and sexual assault. The purpose of this investigation is threefold: First, this study examines agenda setting theory and how it has been utilized as a framing tool; second, this investigation examines different types of scandals; and, third, this study focuses on the Cosby case as a celebrity scandal involving allegations of sexual assault. In order to examine if and how varied networks reported differently on the Cosby scandal, sixty articles from three, distinct networks (CNN, FOX News, E!) were analyzed and coded under seven different categories. Results demonstrate that a significant difference exists among the analyzed networks and media frame scandal coding foci most reported in the sample for this study. Although all networks address Cosby's Rise and fall of an American hero, the distributions of observed media frames/coded categories are significantly different than what is theoretically expected. Specifically, CNN highlighted victims'/survivors' powerful voice whereas E! and FOX News highlighted Cosby's support from the black community, celebrities and co-stars. Additional results, discussion and future directions follow.

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The Rule of Law as a Political Weapon

Maravall¹

2003

Democracy and the Rule of Law

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Forgiving and Forgetting: Public Support for Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky Scandal

Cited by 17 publications

References 4 publications

Does Partisanship Stop at Scandal’s Edge? Partisan Resiliency and the Survival of Political Scandal

Does Partisanship Stop at Scandal’s Edge? Partisan Resiliency and the Survival of Political Scandal

“The Destruction of a Legacy”: Agenda Setting and the Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Allegations

The Rule of Law as a Political Weapon

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