Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1998

Abstract

The personalities of President Bill Clinton and Senator Bob Dole were indirectly assessed from the conceptual perspective of Theodore Millon.

Information pertaining to Bill Clinton and Bob Dole was collected from published biographical material and synthesized into personality profiles using Millon’s diagnostic criteria.

President Clinton was found to be primarily Asserting/self-promoting and Outgoing/gregarious, whereas Senator Dole emerged from the assessment as primarily Controlling/dominant and Conforming/dutiful.

A dimensional reconceptualization of the results to examine convergences among the present Millon-based findings, Simonton’s dimensions of presidential style, and the five-factor model suggests that Clinton is predominantly charismatic/extraverted, whereas Dole is deliberative/conscientious and relatively low on interpersonality/agreeableness.

The profile for Bill Clinton is consistent with a presidency troubled by ethical questions and lapses of judgment, and provides an explanatory framework for Clinton’s high achievement drive and his ability to retain a following and maintain his self-confidence in the face of adversity.

Comments

An earlier version of this article ("A Comparison of the Political Personalities of 1996 U.S. Presidential Candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole") was presented at the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Vancouver, BC, June 30–July 3, 1996. (Retrievable from Digital Commons at: http://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/psychology_pubs/39/)

Download

Share

COinS