Movies - Primary Colors

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	Movies - Primary Colors

Primary Colors, a 1996 novel by "Anonymous" (later revealed by Donald Foster to be journalist Joe Klein), is a roman à clef about U.S. President Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign in 1992. The book centers on Henry Burton, who's roped into being something of a campaign manager for southern governor Jack Stanton (Bill Clinton). It is thought to be largely inspired by an earlier roman à clef of American politics, Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men
.

There is a sequel of sorts to the novel (also by Joe Klein but not anonymously), The Running Mate, published in 2000.

The popular book (a success in part fueled by speculation over the identity of the author) was made into a critically-acclaimed 1998 movie starring John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Adrian Lester, Kathy Bates, and Maura Tierney. Bates was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance and the film itself was nominated for an Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay.

This chart shows each character with their real-life counterpart and the actor who played them in the movie:

Clean sweep

In the book, the plotline diverges from the real-life 1992 Democratic primary when a surprise candidate, Florida Governor Freddy Picker, makes a late run at the nomination. Picker campaigned by waving a broom and shouting that they'd make a clean sweep. It's not clear which candidate, if any, this is based on, though most political observers believe him to be an amalgam of Jerry Brown and Ross Perot. Brown stayed in the race, continuing to needle Clinton, even after he no longer had a chance at the nomination, and Perot jumped into the general election campaign in the summer of 1992 as an independent candidate.

In 2002, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan hoisted a broom and shouted “I want you to go find the biggest broom in your house and get ready for a clean sweep in November!” Arnold Schwarzenegger has also used similar symbolism, and David Miller built his successful campaign for mayor of Toronto around the image of a broom and a clean sweep. The broom was also used as a symbol of politcal reform, i.e. "cleaning house," by fictional Mississippi gubenatorial candidate Homer Stokes in Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

Related film

The War Room
, a documentary of the Clinton's first campaign.

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Movies - Primary Colors

Clean sweep

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