September 5, 2012

9 Revealing Photos of Bill Clinton

From Howdy Doody to law school hipster, what is it about Slick Willie’s enduring appeal?

When former president Bill Clinton takes the podium in support of Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, it will be his sixth consecutive convention speech for the Dems. What is it about Slick Willie that makes him such a beguiling presence in center-left politics? We haven’t the words to explain his enduring appeal; but thanks to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, we do have the photographs:

1) It’s Howdy Doody time

William Jefferson Blythe, age five, 1952.William Jefferson Blythe, age five, 1952

2) Mastering the sax

Bill Blythe with a saxophone, celebrating his 12th birthday at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1958.Bill Blythe with a saxophone, celebrating his 12th birthday at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1958

3) The kings of Hot Springs

Bill and Roger Clinton with their dog, King, in front of their house on Park Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on Easter Sunday, 1962.Bill and Roger Clinton with their dog, King, in front of their house on Park Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on Easter Sunday, 1962

4) Studying the law, fashionably

Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham at Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, in January 1972.Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham at Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, in January 1972

5) Bill and Hillary: The Guess ad

Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham playing soccer in Fayetteville, Arkansas, during the summer of 1975.Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham playing soccer in Fayetteville, Arkansas, during the summer of 1975

6) power couple

Bill and Hillary on their wedding day in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 11, 1975.Bill and Hillary on their wedding day in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 11, 1975

7) Don’t. Stop. Thinking About Tomorrow.

Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in New York City, July 1992.Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in New York City, July 1992

8) pwning the Press corps

The Clinton's cat, Socks, in the White House Press Briefing Room.The Clintons’ cat, Socks, in the White House Press Briefing Room

9) Need a Friend? Get a dog

President Clinton with his dog Buddy in front of the White House.President Clinton with his dog, Buddy, in front of the White House

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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